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Reduce emergency responder fatalities and injuries by implementing an incident management system according to the 2008 NFPA 1561.

NFPA 1561: Emergency Services Incident Management System defines and describes the essential elements of an incident management system that promotes coordination among responding agencies. The 2008 edition has been completely revised to provide additional emphasis in areas of incident management that improve the safety, health, and survival of responders.

Changes in language and terminology facilitate compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

• Definitions have been revised for standardization among the seven health and safety standards the committee is responsible for.
• Material throughout the document was reorganized to make it easier to use and to recognize that an IM system is an organizational tool that should be compliant with national standards and directives.
• New requirements have been added for a system qualification process and a communication capability with responders when they are working in an IDLH area.
• Substantial new annex material includes two first-time annexes--one on emergency operations centers plus one on area command that includes charts to illustrate both a unified command organizational structure and an area command organizational structure.

Any organization or agency that provides rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical care, special operations, or law enforcement needs the latest edition of this critical document.