The Incident Command System

1
The Incident Command System

• Organization and Structure

Joseph Donoghue, CPP, EMT-B Fidelity Investments
Corporate Security
2
Training Objectives

• Give students a high level overview of an 8
  hour course of instruction
• Introduce the ICS system, its organization,
  structure, and recommendations for use
• Show how security professionals can utilize the
  system and benefit from its design
• Highlight examples of ICS used by Security

3
Development of ICS

• Developed by the National Interagency Fire Center
  
• A steering group comprised of representatives
  from the following was used to guide the
  curriculum.
• Search Rescue
• Law Enforcement
• Structural Fire
• Wildfire
• EMS

4
Developments in the 90s

• State Emergency Management Agencies are using the
  system for public safety incident management
  some states are mandating its use
• Mandated use by SARA, OSHA, EPA for hazardous
  materials incidents
• NFPA, IACP endorse ICS as an All risk, all
  agency system
• Extensive training available at federal and state
  levels, and through private vendors

5
Basic Principles

• Planning
• Organizing
• Communicating
• Evaluating
• Directing
• Coordinating
• Delegating

6
Uses for the ICS System

• Fires, evacuations, and multiple casualty
  incidents
• Planned events (company functions)
• Private sector emergency management programs (
  your company )
• Major natural hazards disaster response

7
Incident Command System Organization
8
Incident Command System Organization

• There are 5 Management positions which comprise
  the ICS foundation
• In small incidents, the Incident Commander (IC)
  may wear all hats
• Larger incidents usually require the separation
  into Sections and sub-divided as needed

9
Command

• Incident Commander (IC) has overall
  responsibility at the incident or event
• Sets objectives and priorities looks at the big
  picture
• IC is not a risk taker, but a risk evaluator!
• This is On Site management

10
Incident Commander

• Person in charge of the incident
• Stays in charge until relieved by competent
  superior
• May assign personnel for staff and support roles

• May have one or more deputies,who must be fully
  qualified to assume incident command
• In taking over incident, IC must have a full
  briefing on activities to date and make a
  notification that a change in command is taking
  place

11
Operations

• Develops the tactical objectives and organization
• Conducts the tactical operations to carry out the
  plan
• Directs all resources

12
Planning

• Develops the action plan to accomplish the
  objectives
• Collects and evaluates information
• Maintains resource status

13
Logistics

• Provides resources and all other services needed
  by the incident responders
• Beans, Bullets and Band-Aids

14
Finance/Administration

• Monitors costs related to incident
• Provides
• accounting
• procurement
• time recording
• cost analyses

15
Developing the Organization

• ICS is built to be expandable, based on incident
  size and scope it should be able to get larger
  or smaller as the situation demands
• Many incidents never require detailed levels of
  structure, but once built in to a system, it is
  easier to manage a growing incident
• Most incidents will require only 2 layers of
  structure
• Command
• Single Resources

16
Unified Command

• All responding agencies will jointly develop a
  common set of incident objectives and strategies,
  without losing or giving up agency authority,
  responsibility or accountability.
• Incident will function under a single coordinated
  Incident Action Plan
• One Ops Section Chief will have responsibility
  for implementing the plan
• One Incident Command Post will be established

17
General Guidelines

• Establish an Incident Command Post (ICP)
• Designate the location and make it known to all
  incident resources
• Account for expansion if situation requires
• Can be a mobile or fixed facility
• Once established, try not to move it
• Manage the activity in the ICP!

18
General Guidelines

• Develop Initial Organization
• Fill essential top level staff functions first
  unit level positions can be filled as required
• Overestimate, rather than underestimate
• Basics needed first are
• Operations
• Resource Check-In
• Resource Tracking
• Logistical support
• Build it as you need it

19
General Guidelines

• Consider specialized needs
• Saves IC time when others can handle things like
  media, agencies, etc.
• Maintain good span of control
• Use 3-7 persons/supervisor as a guide
• Anticipate and plan for growth
• Demobilize elements when no longer necessary

20
Transfer of Incident Command

• May be during Shift Change
• May occur when a senior person elects to assume
  the Incident Commander role
• Takes place when operational periods change
  (shifts)
• Takes place when lower ranking but more qualified
  person would be best because of unique
  circumstances (site knowledge or specialized
  skill)
• Should be a face-to-face briefing for transfer of
  information and situation

21
De-Escalation

• Document Everything! You are responsible for
  what you do or fail to do in managing an incident
  
• Conduct After Action Reviews and Lessons Learned
  sessions to gain knowledge and improve
  performance
• Provide crisis counseling or debriefing for
  responders as needed offer it even for small
  incidents
• Rehab equipment and replace lost or used supplies
  for next incident

22
Summary

• Use of ICS will help organize and add logical
  flow to planned events and emergencies
• Additional training modules are available for
  more detail
• ICS is a proven tool in the management and
  coordination of known and unknown incidents

23
FSSI ICS OrganizationY2K response plan
24
Resources and References

• Federal Government Printing Office
• ICS National Training Curriculum, Module 1
  I-100--dated 1994 (this is 1 in a series of
  modules)
• State EMA training coordinators
• NFPA 1600 and 1620
• http//www.fema.gov/EMI/is195lst.htm

25
Thank You All