Incident Command System

What is the Incident Command

System?

• Incident Command System: management

concept to standardize and organize response
at the scene of an incident.

• This allows those responding to not be held up

by “jurisdictional boundaries.”
 Why was ICS created?
• Too many people reporting to one supervisor
• Different emergency response organizational structures
• Lack of reliable incident information
• Inadequate and incompatible communications
• Lack of structure for coordinated planning among agencies
• Unclear lines of authority
• Terminology differences among agencies; and Unclear or
unspecified incident objectives
 How does ICS help with Emergency
Response?
• Allows for communication , integration, and
planning
• Extent of control is manageable
• Emergency Response divided up into five functions
1) Command
2) Operations
3) Planning
4) Logistics
5) Finance and Administration
 Incident Command or
Unified Command

• Responsible for every part of emergency response

• Examples of tasks
o Establish priorities that are of immediate importance
o Bring stability to the incident
o Strategize and determine the objectives of the incident
o Provide organization and monitoring to the incident
organization
o Approve the written or spoken incident Action Plan
o Make sure that appropriate health and safety measures are in
place
 Command Staff
Responsible for - public affairs, health and safety, and liaison activities

Information Officer - release information about incident to news,

media, personnel, and other agencies/organizations

Liaison Officer - point of connection for coordinating between Incident

Commander and various groups/agencies

Safety Officer - recommends to the Incident Commander measures to

promote personnel safety as well as accesses or anticipates dangerous
situations. The Safety Officer also develops the Site Safety Plan and
review the Incident Action Plan. The Safety Officer provides
assessments of hazards and required controls.
 General Staff
General Staff: includes the following
• Operations – responsible for all operations that
directly apply to the primary mission of the
response.
• Planning – responsible for the distribution,
collection and evaluation of information that is related
to the incident as well as preparing and documenting
the Incident Action Plan
• Logistics – responsible for facilitating the provision
of a facility, services and material for incidence
response
• Finance/Administrative - responsible for the
financial aspect as well as the administration aspect of
an incident as well as the cost analysis of the incident.