Incident Response Command Systems

Over each of the last 10 years, an average of 130 fire fighter fatalities and 100,000 injuries have occurred. Danger to civilians is also a major concern. In 1986, 6,100 civilians died in fire incidents and 95,000 were injured. Total property loss equaled 10.4 billion dollars. Fire fighters are exposed to toxic materials and health risks such as Hepatitis B and the virus HIV that causes AIDS at emergency situations everyday.

Although many systems exist throughout the nation for the command and control of resources at emergency incidents, the Incident Command System, or ICS, is recognized by the National Fire Academy and is a documented system that successfully manages all available resources at any incident.

The system consists of procedures for controlling personnel, facilities, equipment and communications. It's designed to begin developing from the time an incident occurs until the requirement for management and operations no longer exists.

The structure of the ICS can be established and expanded depending on the changing conditions of the incident. Personnel from a variety of agencies may be involved depending on the size and nature of the incident.

The ICS is designed to be used in response to emergencies caused by fires....,floods....., earthquakes....., hurricanes...., tornadoes......, tidal waves....., riots......, hazardous materials, or other natural or human-caused incidents.

ICS has a number of components: Common Terminology, Modular Organization, Integrated Communications, Unified Command Structure, Consolidated Action Plans, Manageable Span of Control, Designated Incident Facilities and Comprehensive Resource Management.

The ICS has five major functional areas: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance. These components work together interactively to provide the basis for an effective ICS operation. To be effective, an incident management system must be suitable for use regardless of the type of jurisdiction or agency involvement.

Common elements in organization, terminology and procedures are necessary for maximum application of a system and use of existing qualifications and standards. Effective fulfillment of these requirements must be combined with simplicity to ensure low operational maintenance costs.

At any emergency, small or large, involving fire department response, one person must be in command; assessing the available resources, determining an appropriate incident action plan, monitoring the plan's effectiveness, and continually modifying the plan to meet the realities of the situation. Emergency management is carried out in a constantly changing environment. Although the situation may get better or worse, it seldom stays the same. That's why it's important to control the situation...or it will control you!

The Incident Commander, or IC, has many responsibilities that include placing life safety as the highest priority. The second priority is incident stabilization and the third priority is property conservation. Remember, life safety is always the first priority. No structure, vehicle, or any other form of property is worth the risk of even one life.
The size and complexity of the command system developed and implemented by the IC should be directly proportional to the magnitude and complexity of the incident. The Incident Commander must also determine strategic goals and tactical objectives. Damage and injuries that have already occurred cannot be alleviated, but further damage and personal suffering must be minimized.

This is accomplished when the Incident Commander determines the broad strategic goals for the incident and then transforms these goals into obtainable, practical objectives. The IC is the primary developer of the incident action plan. In the fire business, conditions rarely remain constant so the action plan must be flexible and continually assessed. The IC is to base the organizational structure on the complexity of the incident, not the size or area of involvement.

For instance, an incident involving structural collapse, hazardous materials, several exposures and considerable fire may not be large, yet the ICS organization would be expanded, due to the numerous functions that must be staffed. The IC must continually evaluate and adjust the deployment of resources at all incidents.

Remember, Initial assessment of the incident is only the first step. Although everyone working at the incident must serve as his or her own safety officer, the ultimate responsibility for incident scene safety rests with the IC.

Coordination is essential to effective incident management. Without it, resources will be wasted performing tasks that aren't necessary to the overall success of the incident response. Proper coordination will ensure that units are functioning within the action plan.
A command post, of whatever size, provides a central, stationary location to assist the IC in incident command and control. The command post is a field office for management functions such as gathering, analyzing and disseminating information. The command post may start out in the cab of a pumper and end up in a 65 foot command trailer. The command post location should be announced as soon as possible so that persons with certain functional assignments know where to report.

A staging area should be established to facilitate communication and cooperation between responding parties. Respondents should report to the staging area and wait for their assignments. Companies in the staging area are under the control of the Staging Area Manager.

The need for common terminology in any emergency management system is essential. Common names are established and used for all personnel and equipment resources conducting tactical operations within the ICS as well as for all facilities in and around the incident area.ICS organizational structure develops in a modular fashion from the top down at any incident.

Five functional areas, which are implemented as the need develops, are Command, Operations, Logistics, Planning and Finance. The command function is always established. Specific ICS organizational structure for any incident is based on the incident's management needs as determined by the Incident Commander.

Integrated communications involves managing communications through the use of a common communications plan. Standard operating procedures should be established using common terminology and clear text. Effective two way communication is essential to successful incident management. Not only is it important that messages are received, it's important that they are acknowledged properly.

The command function within ICS may be conducted in two general ways. Single command may be applied when there is no overlap of jurisdictional boundaries or when a single IC is designated by the agency with overall management responsibility for the incident. Unified command may be applied when the incident is within one jurisdictional boundary, but more than one agency shares management responsibility. Unified command is also used when the incident is multi jurisdictional in nature, or when more than one individual designated by his or her jurisdiction or agency shares overall management responsibility.

Under the unified command concept, all involved agencies contribute to the command process. Overall goals, planning tactical objectives, conducting integrated tactical operations and maximizing the use of available resources are decided jointly. A unified command structure could consist of one key official from each jurisdiction or representatives of several functional departments within a single political jurisdiction.
Implementing the action plan under a unified command is the responsibility of the Operations Section Chief. He or she usually represents the agency with the greatest jurisdictional involvement. The concept of unified command should not be confused with unity of command. Unified command is a shared responsibility for overall incident management as a result of a multi jurisdictional or multi-agency incident. Unity of command indicates that each individual reports to only one supervisor.
Another important component of an effective emergency management system is a manageable span of control. Span of control is defined as the number of subordinates one supervisor can manage effectively. Guidelines for the desirable range are from 3 to 7 persons, while the optimum number is five subordinates per Supervisor. Command officers must anticipate span of control problems and prepare for them especially during rapid buildup of incident organization.

Like all other ICS functions, staging also has specific responsibilities. The Staging area manager should establish a check-in procedure, respond to requests for resources and keep the IC or Operations Section Chief informed of the status of resources in the staging area.

A properly run staging area provides significant advantages. It allows for fire fighter safety and personnel accountability, prevents premature deployment of companies and prevents freelancing. All these advantages are made possible because companies are logged in and given assignments, maintaining control of resources.

Staging also makes it possible to minimize communications and reinforce unity of command. Staging is an excellent location for volunteers, paid on-call personnel and call-back personnel to report to be logged in and formed into crews. Resources can be deployed as Single Resources, Task Forces, or Strike Teams.

Single resources include, Engine Companies, Ladder Companies, Rescue Squads and other specialized companies. A Task Force is any combination of Single Resources put together for a temporary assignment. A Strike Team is comprised of a set number of resources of the same kind and type. The most commonly used Strike Teams are made up of Engine Companies and are frequently used for responding to wild land fires.
Let's now discuss logistics. Logistics is responsible for providing facilities, services and materials for the incident. As incidents grow in size, complexity and duration, the logistical needs of the operating forces also increases. Even in a relatively simple structure fire, there are requirements for breathing air supply, drinking water, and provision for emergency medical care for fire fighting personnel.

The potential magnitude of the service and support requirements may indicate that the IC delegate the functional authority for logistics to the Logistics Section Chief who manages service and support resources required for the incident. This individual should establish functional units when needed to maintain an acceptable workload and span of control.
Branches may be required within logistics to maintain span of control. These branches include a Service Branch and a Support Branch. The Service Branch is responsible for service activities at the incident, including communications, emergency medical services for incident personnel and provisions for feeding the operating forces. The Support Branch is responsible for providing the personnel, equipment and supplies to support incident operations. These activities include supply, provision of fixed incident facilities, and ground support, such as fueling and maintenance of equipment.

The ICS can be used for any type or size of emergency, ranging from a minor incident involving a single unit, to a major emergency involving several agencies. In emergency situations it is vital that you remain focused. The Incident Command System provides a way to successfully manage all resources at any emergency response incident and greatly reduces the risk of injuries to both the public and respondent personnel.
 

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