Incident Command System for Schools

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WELCOME
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The Incident Command System
Our Schools
and You !
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WORKSHOP AGENDA

• Admin stuff
• Goals and Objectives
• The Incident Command System (ICS)
• Background and history
• ICS Today
• Closer to home
• Exercise
• Close

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Admin Stuff

• Emergency Procedures
• Restrooms
• Messages Phone Contact Numbers
• Cells and Pagers
• Workshop Process and Procedures

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Goal
Enhance your knowledge of ICS and learn how it
could impact you, your community, and your
schools
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Objectives

• Focus on primary ICS functions
• Focus on key principles and concepts of ICS
• Describe advantages of ICS use
• Apply ICS basics in a simulated event
• Interact with local authorities
• Identify ICS issues and resolutions with local
  authorities

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ICS History/Background

• FIRESCOPE (Firefighting Resources of California
  Organized for Potential Emergencies)
• Wildland fires of 1970s
• Multiple agencies involved
• Organizational difficulties
• Recurring problem areas
• Adapted military C C model

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ICS History/Background
Common Problem Areas

• Non-standard terminology
• Expansion/contraction impediments
• Nonstandard nonintegrated comm.
• Few Consolidated Action Plans
• Few designated facilities
• Lack of comprehensive resource strategy

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ICS Development
Based on principles of

• Agency autonomy
• Management by objectives
• Unit integrity
• Functional clarity

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ICS Today -- WHAT
Flexible system that provides structure for
response..
Management system for organizing and utilizing
resources
System that uses basic business principles..
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ICS Today -- WHEN

• Hazardous materials incidents
• Hostile intruder and terrorist events
• Natural hazard response
• Single and multi-agency response
• Fires
• Multi-casualty incidents
• Wide-area search and rescue (SAR)

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ICS Today
ICS System Design Criteria

• Flexibility any emergency to which response
  agencies would respond
• Applicable and acceptable to all user agencies
• Adaptable to new technology

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ICS Today
ICS System Design Criteria

• Expansion / contraction based on size and nature
  of incident
• Common elements in organization, terminology, and
  procedures

Lets see what I mean
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ICS Organization
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Command Function
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Command Staff
Information Officer
IncidentCommand
Safety Officer
Liaison Officer
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Unified Command
Incident Command
A
B
D
C
Finance / Admin
Plans
Operations
Logistics
Finance/ Admin
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Incident Command and Command Staff
Command Staff
Safety Officer
Liaison Officer
Public Information Officer
Planning
Operations
Logistics
Finance
General Staff
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Basic
Designated Incident Facilities
Tenets
Unified Command
Span of Control
Comp. Res. Mgmt.
Common terminology
Modular Org.
Consolidated Action Plans
Integrated comm.
A closer look..
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ICS Today WHY

• Common Terminology
• Imperative speak same lingo
• Pre-designate people, places, things
• Use common names for the same
• Forget organizational radio talk

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• Modular Organization
• Plug in unplug
• Common scheme
• Wide application

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• Integrated Communications
• Common plan and SOP create
• Faster response
• Coordinated response
• Efficient resource use
• Better outcome

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• Unified Command
• Gets key players together at top
• Common goals
• Single plan
• Share resources
• Establish specific responsibilities

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ICS Today
ICS System Design Operational Applications
Incidents that affect more than one political
jurisdiction
Incidents involving multiple agencies within a
jurisdiction
Incidents that impact multiple geographic areas
and functional agencies
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• Consolidated Action Plan
• Required with multiple agencies
• Plan Covers
• Goals
• Objectives
• Support and resources
• Specific duties / assignments

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• Span of Control
• Manageable span
• Optimum span

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• Designated Facility Command Post (CP)
• Incident operations take place here
• Only one Command Post
• Houses the Incident Commander (IC), planning
  function, Comm. Center, and agency representatives

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• Comprehensive Resource Mgmt.
• Maximizes resource use
• Consolidates control
• Reduces communications load
• Provides accountability

If this isnt enough, just do it.
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ICS Today WHY
Because the law says so

• RCW 38.52.030(3) State CEMP
• RCW 38.52.070(1) Local CEMP
• RCW 38.52.400(1) SAR Op Plans
• RCW 38.54.040 Fire Resource Mob.
• RCW 90.56.060(2)(f) HAZMAT

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Command Function

• The Command function
• Exerts overall on-scene management of the
  incident
• Is responsible for
• The action plan to control the incident
• The organization structure

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Command Staff

• Command staff is needed
• At large-scale or complex incidents
• If the IC is unable to handle the functions of
• Safety Officer,
• Liaison Officer, and
• Information Officer

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Safety Officer

• Ensures personnel observe safety procedures
• Identifies unsafe conditions that may exist
• Develops measures to protect the safety of
  personnel
• Takes immediate action to stop or prevent unsafe
  acts

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Safety Officer

• Monitor and assess hazards and unsafe situations
• Develop measures for ensuring personnel safety
• Identify safety problems and implement solutions
  to minimize risks
• Keep IC informed of present problems and
  potential hazards

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Liaison Officer

• Is the point of contact for assisting and/or
  coordinating with agencies
• Provides lines of authority, responsibility, and
  communication

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Public Information Officer

• The Public Information Officer provides a
  valuable interface with the media to disseminate
  accurate, timely and consistent information

PIO
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Public Information Officer

• Role
• Release information regarding the status of
  the school or district
• Clearly
• Concisely
• In a timely manner

• Responsibilities
• Maintains current knowledge of the emergency plan
  and staff roles
• Provides single point of information for media
  and parents
• Clears all information through Incident Commander
• Represents the school on matters of preparedness
  to the community

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ICS Functional Areas
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Operations

• The Operations Section Chief
• Manages tactical operations
• Coordinates operations

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Planning

• Planning responsibilities include
• Information collection
• Information evaluation
• Information dissemination
• Use for incident development and the resource
  status

Evaluate
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Logistics

• Logistics
• Is responsible for locating, organizing, and
  providing facilities, services, and materials for
  the incident
• Services may include providing for responder

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Finance and Administration

• Finance / Administration is responsible for
• Tracking all cost and financial considerations
  surrounding the incident
• Monitoring recording of information and costs for
  potential later reimbursements

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Break
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Closer to Home
ICS and Schools Where and how do you fit into the
scheme?
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School Emergency Response Planning Developing a
Strategy

• How should schools plan to support the ICS
  emergency response functions?

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Elements of School Safety Planning

• School safety plans emphasize
• collaboration between schools and
• partners focusing on
• Assessment of vulnerability to a wide range of
  potential hazards (i.e., the all-hazards model
  of disaster preparedness).
• Development of crisis response policies,
  procedures and programs.
• Practicing all elements of the plan.
• Ensuring that post-crisis recovery promotes
  prevention.
• Periodic plan evaluation refines and updates
  plan.

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Partnerships in School Safety Planning

• Safe schools plans emphasize collaboration
  between schools and
• Law Enforcement
• Fire Departments
• Emergency Medical Services
• Social services/mental health agencies
• Parents and families

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Multi-Disciplinary Safety Planning
Stakeholders

• Administrators
• Teachers
• Counselors, Psychologists,
• Social Workers Prevention/
• Intervention Specialists
• Classified Staff
• Students
• Parents
• Emergency Responders
• Social Service Agencies

DISTRICT- BASED PLAN
BUILDING- BASED PLAN
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Safe Schools Planning The District-Based
Planning Process
Development of District-Wide Collaboration Plan
Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses of the
District-Based Safety Plan
Development of District-Based Safety Policies and
Procedures
Development and Implementation of District-Based
Drills
Assessment of District Based Safety Program
EITHER
OR
RETURN TO ASSESSMENT TO REFINE DISTRICT- BASED
PLAN
MOVE ON TO BUILDING-SPECIFIC SAFETY PLANNING
PROCESS
Development of District-Based Training Plan
Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction Learning and Teaching Support January
2001
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Safe Schools Planning The Building-Based
Planning Process
Development of Collaboration Plan
Evaluation of Strengths and Weaknesses of the
Building-Based Safety Plan
Development and Implementation of Building-Based
Drills
Development of Building-Based Safety Policies and
Procedures
Assessment of Building Based Safety Program
RETURN TO ASSESSMENT TO REFINE BUILDING- BASED
PLAN
MOVE ON TO DISTRICT-WIDE SAFETY PLANNING PROCESS
Development of Building-Based Training Plan
Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction Learning and Teaching Support January
2001
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Use ICS in Safety Planning

• Use of ICS in the planning process reinforces
  your teams ability to use the methods in an
  actual incident
• Use of the ICS approach allows for cross-training
  of a number of personnel so that the functions
  can continue despite absences.

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Safe, Civil, and Healthy Learning Environments
A School, Family, Community Partnership
Continuum to Insure Student
Achievement
Re-establishing normal functioning
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Elements of Crisis Response
Reaction to a serious, potentially
life-threatening situation to ensure the safety
and security of those affected by the situation.
This includes knowledge and practice of policies
and procedures relating to a wide array of
emergencies (i.e., the All-Hazards model).
Methods employed often require the use of the
Incident Command System (or Unified Command
System), where multiple responding agencies have
one commonly understood decision-making
chain-of-command.
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Elements of the Crisis Recovery Process

• After resolution of an emergency, activities
  which
• promote the stabilization of persons and property
  
• to the previous level of order, safety and
  operation.
• This typically includes restoring order and
  control,
• physical plant risk assessment and restoration,
• emergency management-oriented hazard
• mitigation, orchestrating a critical incident
• debriefing process for emotional distress, and
• implementing a strategic debriefing process to
• assess methods of intervention and prevention.

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School Emergency Response Plans Should Include

• Evacuation and back up evacuation plans
  developed, reviewed and drilled.
• Shelter-in-place plans developed, reviewed and
  drilled.
• Lockdown plans, coordinated with local law
  enforcement, fire, and EMS, and drilled on a
  regular basis.
• Fire and earthquake drills, conducted on a
  regular basis.

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Evaluating Staff Emergency Response Skills

• Incident Command
• Public Information Officer
• Safety Officer
• Liaison Officer

• Finance
• Logistics
• Operations
• Planning

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School Crisis Response Teams

• Crisis response teams should be formed and
  trained at the building level using the ICS
  system.
• Have designated areas for the command center,
  first aid area, reunification area, both indoors
  and out-of-doors.

• Provide first aid and CPR training for all staff
  and consider simplified training for all students
  grade 4 and up.

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Responding to a School Emergency Who Interacts
with Whom?

• EMERGENCY RESPONDERS
• Law Enforcement
• Fire Department
• Emergency Medical Services
• Emergency Management
• Public Works
• Public Health

• SCHOOL PERSONNEL
• Principal
• Vice Principal
• Secretary
• Counselor
• Nurse
• Janitor
• Teachers
• Others

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Examples of School Applications of ICS

• Buddy Teacher system
• Adjacent or nearby rooms
• After incident, check with each other
• Do greatest good for greatest number
• Classroom kit sameness dup. rosters
• Substitute awareness
• Procedural knowledge (subs. too!)
• Lockdown or shelter in place
• Evacuation
• Assembly area

Accountability Safety
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ICS Today -- WHO
Who uses ICS?
Should You?

• First responders
• Fire
• Police
• Medical
• Local, county, and state Emergency Management
  agencies
• Governmental agencies
• Military

-- School Officials
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Break
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Exercise
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Summary

• ICS is a management tool that can be used
• In large or small incidents
• With one or more agencies
• In
• Emergencies
• Planned events (e.g. sporting events, concerts)
• Unplanned events (e.g. earthquakes)

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• ICS has been developed to promote a coordinated,
  effective response to large-scale incidents.
• Organizations do not relinquish local authority,
  although emergency responders may be required to
  establish control when there is a risk to public
  safety.

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• ICS should be used when forming and operating
  school safety teams.
• Collaboration with emergency response agencies is
  enhanced when everyone uses similar approaches.
• Emergency plans for schools should encourage
  training and drills using ICS.

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Finally

• There are resources available to implement ICS.
  These resources include
• Training opportunities
• Publications
• All levels of government-Federal, State, and
  local-may be able to provide assistance in
  instituting ICS.

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Thank You
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Contacts

• Ron Wilson
• WA State Emergency
• Management Div.
• [phone]
• r.wilson_at_emd.wa.gov

• Craig Apperson
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• [phone]
• capperson_at_ospi.wednet.edu