Public Health Seattle & King County

1. Public HealthSeattle & King County Incident Command System Overview 2005

2. Today We’re Going to Look at: • Incident Command System (ICS) • How to apply ICS in Public Health Centers

3. ICS is: • A way to: • organize people, resources and information • prioritize decisions • provide direction to people • communicate consistently and reliably

4. ICS Limitations: • Needs strong leaders • Must be used by all in the event

5. Why Does Public Health Need to Use ICS During an Emergency? • Quick, informed decisions need to be made • It’s not business as usual • We will be coordinating with response partners who are using ICS • It is a requirement for federal HLS grant eligibility

6. During an Emergency Public Health Uses ICS to: • Get organized • Establish a clear chain of command • Prioritize what needs to be done • Make coordinated decisions quickly • Streamline communications • Speak the same language as other emergency response organizations

7. What is ICS Structure?

8. ICS Sections - (ALPO) • Administration/Finance • Logistics • Planning • Operations

9. Management Concepts of ICS: • Chain of Command • Span of control • Manage by Objectives • Consistent organizational structure • Integrated communications

10. Incident Commander • ALWAYS designated at the beginning of each incident • Person in charge • Sets priorities and ensures they are met

11. Incident Commander • Designates Team Leaders • Stays informed and ensures others are informed • Identifies and resolves problems

12. Public Health ICS

13. Public Health Center ICS

14. PH Center Teams • Operations • Safety • Triage • Staging • Information • Initial Response

15. Initial Response Team • May activate when events occur during non-business hours • Comprised of a small number of staff • Reports to site to assess situation • Advises the site chain of command on impacts and response needs

16. Triage • Establishes a triage point • Obtain medical supplies and provide first aid until transport arrives • Documents treatment given to victims • Participates on sweep team to: • stabilize victims • provide first aid

17. Operations • Manages and requests resources • Establishes and monitors communications • Arranges for storage of emergency supplies

18. Safety • Coordinates transport and evacuation • Distribute disaster supplies • Coordinates accident reports • Participates in a sweep team to assess: • building status • victims • functionality of critical utilities (gas, water etc.)

19. Information • Provides information about: • emergency event • response activities • what volunteers are needed

20. Staging • Participates on sweep team • Gets resources for transporting victims • Works with triage team to transport victims to triage point • Sets up staging area to receive EMS • Maintains transport log • Assures that injured are transported based on severity of injury

21. Summary • ICS is a management tool based on: • a defined organizational structure • fundamental management concepts • Requires strong leadership and teamwork • Public Health can use ICS to: • better define our disaster roles • organize our internal resources • coordinate with our partners

22. Now it’s Your Turn:Incident Command Scenarios

23. Scenario #1 • Please see scenario #1 handout. • Put yourself in the position of a staff member at your facility

24. If the plan is activated… • Which teams should be staffed? • Why?

25. Scenario #2 • Please see scenario # 2 handout • Divide up into your response teams

26. Questions?