8. Which NIMS Management Characteristic allows units from diverse agencies to connect, share information, and achieve situational awareness?

Answer: Integrated Communications Unit

Explanation: The Integrated Communications Unit is one of the NIMS characteristics that allows units from diverse agencies to connect, share information and achieve situational awareness.

The Integrated communications unit includes:

1. The "hardware" systems that transfer information.

2. Planning for the use of all available communications frequencies and resources.

3. The procedures and processes for transferring information internally and externally.

Communications needs for large incidents may exceed available radio frequencies. therefore, other communications resources like cell phones or secure phone lines can be the only communications methods used to coordinate communications and to transfer large amounts of data effectively.