The National Incident Management System (NIMS) embodies the idea that forward thinking can limit future damage. Although NIMS continues to evolve, it will settle into something more concrete and less fluid over time. In the end, the NIMS will be acknowledged as a good tool with clear roles and responsibilities identified for any type of disaster. The NIMS provides a vital organizational method for the public and private sectors to coordinate in the event of either a manmade or natural emergency. By September of 2007, many of the 2007 NIMS compliance requirements (or performance-based criteria) had to be met, as well as withstanding closer examination by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. This article discusses agencies’ attempts to meet this deadline, as well as California’s initiative in devising its own versions of the incident command system (ICS) resulting from an enormous wildfire.