National Incident Management Systems

1. National Incident Management Systems Session 5 Slide Deck Session 5

2. Session Objectives • Define the Incident Command System (ICS), Justify its Need, and Describe the History of ICS • Explain the Basic Features that Exist in the Incident Command System • Understand the Functions and Roles of Command ICS Staff • Understand the Functions and Roles of General ICS Staff • Explain the Six Basic ICS Facility Types Session 5

3. ICS Purpose • The main purpose of ICS is to allow for the establishment of a set of planning and management systems that help the various agencies that respond to disasters to work together in a coordinated and systematic approach. • The step-by-step process is ultimately what enables the numerous responding agencies to most effectively combine and utilize their resources and personnel to respond to those in need. Session 5

4. ICS Incident Types • Single jurisdiction and/or single agency • Single jurisdiction with multiple agency support • Multi-jurisdictional and/or multi-agency support. Session 5

5. What ICS Addresses • A lack of accountability • Poor communication • A lack of a planning process • Overloaded incident commanders • No method to integrate interagency requirements Session 5

6. ICS History • 1970 Wildfires in California • 700 structures destroyed, .5 million acres burned • Problems with communication and coordination hampered their effectiveness • Congressional mandate to improve wildfire fighting in CA resulted in FIRESCOPE ICS • FIRESCOPE led to ICS and MACS Session 5

7. ICS History Continued • FIRESCOPE board and NWCG recommended ICS be applied nationwide • FIRESCOPE and NIIMS blended to create ICS • 9/11 Commission identified ICS as the answer to coordination problems • NIMS developed, ICS incorporated Session 5

8. Alternate ICS Forms • FIRESCOPE ICS • Fire Ground Command System (Phoenix) • NFPA 1561 • Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management • Incident Management Systems Consortium Session 5

9. NIMS Benefits • ICS is designed to be interdisciplinary and organizationally flexible. • ICS meets the needs of incidents of any kind or size, and allows personnel from a variety of agencies to meld rapidly into a common management structure. • ICS provides logistical and administrative support to operational staff. • ICS is cost effective by avoiding duplication of efforts. Session 5

10. 6 Primary ICS Features • Standardization • Command • Planning / Organizational Structure • Facilities and Resources • Communications / Information Management • Professionalism Session 5

11. Standardization • There still exist many differences in the way commands are issued, equipment is requested, and radio communications are transmitted • Common terminology better defines: • Organizational Functions • Incident Facilities • Resource Descriptions • Position Titles • Example: EMT • “Plain English” preferred Session 5

12. Command • Establishment and Transfer of Command • Chain of Command / Unity of Command • Unified Command Session 5

13. Planning and Organizational Structure • Management by Objectives • Incident Action Plan (IAP) • Modular ICS Organization • Manageable Span of Control Session 5

14. Facilities and Resources • Processes for: • Categorizing resources • Ordering resources • Dispatching resources • Tracking resources • Recovering resources • Resources are defined as: • Personnel • Teams • Equipment • Supplies • Facilities Session 5

15. Communications and Information Management • Integrated Communications • Modes • Planning • Networks • Management of Information and Intelligence Session 5

16. Professionalism • Accountability • Check-in • IAP • Unity of Command • Span of Control • Resource Tracking • Dispatch / Deployment Session 5

17. Command ICS Staff • Incident Commander • Deputy Incident Commander • Public Information Officer (PIO) • Liaison Officer • Safety Officer • Under ICS, not all command staff positions filled in every incident Session 5

18. Incident Commander • Assessing the need for staff • Establishing incident objectives • Directing staff to develop an IAP • Ensuring incident safety • Providing information services to internal and external stakeholders • Establishing and maintaining liaison with other agencies participating in the incident Session 5

19. Deputy Incident Commander • Performs specific tasks as requested by the Incident Commander • Performs the incident command function in a relief capacity • Represents an assisting agency that shares jurisdiction • Must be fully qualified to assume the Incident Commander’s position Session 5

20. Command Changes • Could occur when: • The incident scale has expanded or contracted • There has been a change in jurisdiction or discipline • The incident has become more or less complex • Requires • Transfer of command briefing • Notification Session 5

21. Public Information Officer • Advises the Incident Commander on information dissemination and media relations • Obtains information from and provides information to the Planning Section • Obtains information from and provides information to the community and media Session 5

22. Safety Officer • Advises the Incident Commander on issues regarding incident safety • Works with the Operations Section to ensure the safety of field personnel • Ensures safety of all incident personnel Session 5

23. Liaison Officer • Assisting the Incident Commander by serving as a point of contact for agency representatives who are helping to support the operation • Providing briefings to and answers questions from supporting agencies Session 5

24. General ICS Staff • Operations Section Chief and Staff • Planning Section Chief and Staff • Logistics Section Chief and Staff • Finance / Administration Section Chief and Staff Session 5

25. Operations Section • Responsible for directing and coordinating all incident tactical operations • Where the ‘tactical fieldwork’ is done • Operations Section Chief responsible for developing and implementing strategy and tacticsto carry out the incident objectives • They organize, assign, and supervise all of the tactical field resources assigned to an incident, including air operations and those resources in a Staging Area • They also very closely coordinate activities with the other members of the Command and General Staff Session 5

26. Operations Supervisory Levels • Divisions • Groups • Branches Session 5

27. Operations Structures of Assets • Operations Task Forces • Operations Strike Teams • Operations Single Resources Session 5

28. Planning Section • Maintains resource status • Maintains and displays situation status • Prepares the Incident Action Plan • Develops alternative strategies • Provides documentation services • Prepares the Demobilization Plan • Provides a primary location for Technical Specialists assigned to an incident Session 5

29. Planning Section Units • Resources Unit • Situation Unit • Documentation Unit • Demobilization Unit Session 5

30. Logistics Section • Responsible for: • Communications • Medical support to incident personnel • Food for incident personnel • Supplies • Facilities • Ground support Session 5

31. Logistics Branches / Units • Service Branch • Communications Unit • Medical Unit • Food Unit • Support Branch • Supply Unit • Facilities Unit • Ground Support Unit Session 5

32. Finance / Administration Section • Responsible for: • Contract negotiation and monitoring • Timekeeping • Cost analysis • Compensation for injury or damage to property • Units • Time Unit • Procurement Unit • Compensation / Claims Unit Session 5

33. ICS Basic Facility Types • Incident Command Post • Staging Area • Base • Camp • Helibase • Helispot Session 5

34. Incident Command Post (ICP) • The location from which the Incident Commander oversees all incident operations • IC may need to change the location of the ICP during the event as needs or situations change • Does not need to be located within a building • Should be positioned outside of the present and potential hazard zone but close enough to the incident to maintain command • Every incident must have some form of an Incident Command Post under ICS Session 5

35. Staging Area • Temporary locations at an incident where personnel and equipment are kept while waiting for tactical assignments • May be more than one Staging Area at an incident • Should be located close enough to the incident for a timely response, but far enough away to be out of the immediate impact zone • May be collocated with other incident facilities • Staging Area resources are always considered “available” Session 5

36. Base • The location from which primary logistics and administrative functions are coordinated and administered • Only one Base per incident - designated by the incident name • Established and managed by the Logistics Section • May be collocated with the ICP • Resources maintained at the Base are always considered “out of service” Session 5

37. Camp • Temporary locations within the general incident area that are equipped and staffed to provide food, water, sleeping areas, and sanitary services • Are where resources may be kept to support incident operations if a Base is not accessible to all resources • Multiple Camps may be used in a single incident, but not all incidents will have Camps • Camps are designated by geographic location or number • A hotel or feeding area can be a camp Session 5

38. Helibase • The location from which helicopter-centered air operations are conducted • Are generally used on a more long-term basis and include such services as fueling and maintenance Session 5

39. Helispot • More temporary locations at the incident, where helicopters can safely land and take off • Multiple Helispots may be used in a single incident Session 5

40. Incident Facilities Map Source: FEMA. 2008. ICS-100.A: Introduction to ICS. Student Guide Version 2.0. April. http://training.fema.gov/EMIweb/IS/IS100A/ICS100_SG.pdf Session 5