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<p>A review of response efforts to 9/11 revealed considerable challenges to  resolving an event of this magnitude. To cope with these challenges, the federal  government created the National Incident Management System (NIMS), an  organizational structure intended to manage resources and channel  communication between disparate agencies working together to solve a  catastrophic crisis. Yet, first responders who have been on-scene at large-scale  events know there is an initial phase of chaos during which the forms, checklists  and organizational structure of NIMS offer them little help for making sense of the  situation. A large-scale event moves through the four phases of the cynefin  framework: chaotic, complex, complicated and simple. First responders must  insert themselves into the initial chaos and begin to move it toward complexity.  NIMS, then, becomes a valuable tool in the complicated arena to help restore the  simple order of pre-event normalcy.  This thesis draws from sensemaking theory, human resource  management literature, social science and biological science foundations to  create a framework for first responder use during the initial chaos inherent in  large-scale incidents. It recommends expanding NIMS to include recognition and  discussion of this initial phase. Using a combination of classroom and scenariobased  training, it also suggests a template to better educate first responders.
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<br>Subjects: National security; Civil rights; Terrorism</div>
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Renaud, Cynthia E.</div>
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