NIMO Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NIMO program?
The NIMO program was developed to support wildland fire initiatives. This includes accelerating and increasing fuels treatment, increasing capability and capacity, and evaluating and developing a more effective fire management model for complex fires.

Who are the NIMO team members?
The NIMO program is currently comprised of two full time Type 1 short Incident Management Teams (IMT's). They work together as a force multiplier to support NIMO program initiatives. Positions that were hired are the Incident Commander (IC), Public Information Officer (PIO), Safety Officer (SOC), Plans Section Chief (PSC), Operations Section Chief (OSC), Finance Section Chief (FSC), and Logistics Section Chief (LSC).

It is said that there will be other NIMO teams developed. When will these teams come on line?
The NIMO implementation plan calls for seven fully qualified Type 1 short IMT's. In fiscal year 2006/07 two teams were developed. In fiscal year 2007/08 two more teams will be developed, and fiscal year 2008/09 the last three teams will be chosen.

How is the NIMO program and teams being paid for?
The first two teams are being paid through USFS fire money. Interior and other wildland fire agencies may sponsor future teams.

Are the positions on the NIMO teams really "sunset" positions?
The NIMO team positions do sunset after five years. Each one of the team members will be eligible to be placed in another position within the agency, of same pay and similar grade, anywhere in the country when their five year tenure with the team is complete.

How are the NIMO teams be mobilized?
The teams are not be integrated into the current rotation of the 17 national Type1 IMT's. NIMO has its own national rotation schedule like Area Command and the seventeen national IMT's.

How are the NIMO teams be "rounded out" to make a full team when on assignment?
The teams were instructed not to impact any of the current national teams in rotation. Therefore, each functional position has developed a "call when needed list" of fully qualified individuals to assist if the team is called to an assignment. Other possibilities are being evaluated, such as carrying a fully qualified Type 2 team with NIMO, which will provide full capability while providing an opportunity to coach and mentor individuals to increase future capacity of the seventeen Type 1 national teams.

To what sort of incidents are the NIMO teams being dispatched?
The NIMO teams work through the National Multi Agency Coordinating (NMAC) group, and are assigned appropriately. However, the intent of the NIMO teams is not to take away potential dispatches for the current national Type 1 teams. NIMO is often used to work on special initiatives, fuels projects, or long-term incidents to free up critical resources. In the development of the new fire management model, the NIMO teams will be expected to employ concepts such as Doctrine, Appropriate Management Response and other cost effective and resource managing tactics to allow for the most efficiency with the least amount of resource use, and mitigate risk to valuable resources threatened.

What is the relationship between NIMO and NMAC?
The NIMO program involves all wildland fire agencies and initiatives to improve future fire management. The NIMO teams have a NIMO coordinator who works with NMAC to identify project opportunities, evaluate success and determine future direction for the NIMO program and NIMO teams.

What is the relationship between NIMO and the GACCs?
Because the nine recommendations outlined in the NIMO program implementation plan involves change in training and fire management, the NIMO teams will work with all the GACCs to coordinate opportunities to try new innovative techniques and equipment to improve the future of fire management. It is not the intent of the NIMO teams to take command and control of operations taking place within geographical areas, but to support them to allow for expanded capability and capacity and efficient operations.

How does NIMO intend to increase capacity?
The directives outlined in the NIMO implementation plan have provided several recommendations on how the program can increase capacity. This includes expanding Type 3 organizations to free up T2 and T1 resources for response on larger more complex incidents; support training, coaching and mentoring of non-federal traditional partners and non-traditional partners; and develop a more aggressive fire management model that will allow for resource efficiency when responding to incidents.

How does NIMO propose to streamline training?
In the current training system, it can take individuals their entire career to achieve the highest level of training in their functional area. The NIMO teams will need to work with the NWCG training working team and IOS to revisit current training protocols allowing for a more streamlined process. This might include revisiting the training modules, and current task book system.