Incident Command System Policies

The Incident Command System consists of personnel, policies, procedures, facilities, and equipment that work together in an organized structure designed to greatly improve emergency response effectiveness, response time, and efficiency for all disasters, no matter how big or complex. The ICS is based off a common command structure that allows all officials in organizations, no matter private or public, in any jurisdiction to effectively communicate with each other in emergency situations. The goal of ICS is designed to reduce any problems with communication and emergency techniques in such incidents in which quick response and proper operations are critical.

The ICS focuses on a system of management and procedures on a temporary basis for an incident of any size or severity. The ICS has a general emphasis on preparedness, with all aspects of its operations practiced and personnel trained well before an incident occurs. When an incident does occur, the ICS formulates a management hierarchy that is used to control funds, employees, facilities, equipment, resources, and communications. Personnel are selected because of their training and their ability to meet the guidelines set forth by the ICS. The ICS establishes its resources and structure for emergency situations from the moment that an incident is responded to until they are no longer needed and the incident needs no further attention.

The Incident Command System is designed to not only be structural guidelines, but also to be flexible enough to adapt to unexpected circumstances. For example, in an emergency situation that would cover many jurisdictions, the ICS system is designed to meet the needs of each one of those jurisdictions and to establish firm communication with all of them. In the event of an incident, the ICS system will allow for many different agencies and organizations to quickly formulate a management structure, using common terminology for easy communication vital in a time of crisis. In addition, the ICS provides logistical support to an operational staff, is designed to be cost effective by avoiding doubled work, and delivers a unified system of organization.

History of the Incident Command System:
The ICS was formed during the 1970s during massive wildfires that took place in California that ravaged several urban areas in the state. There was a massive amount of property damage and many lives were lost in the fires. Studies that were conducted following the disaster showed that the reason why there was so much damage that ran into the millions and lives lost was because of management and communication deficiencies rather than a lack of resources or ineffective tactics. Policies of the ICS were eventually adopted into the the Homeland Security Directive number 5 with the formulation of the National Incident Management System.

The ICS improved on the following problems with emergency management and response for incidents:

* Unclear chain of command and a lack of accountability;
* Communication was poor due to equipment incompatibilities and different uses of terminology;
* No clear planning process to go by;
* There were no clear guidelines on how to integrate several organizations into a single chain of command;
* No coordination between individuals with specialized skills and those who were first responders in an emergency;
* Knowledge about terminology was either lacking or unclear during emergencies.

Incident Command System

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a protocol of how personnel, policies, procedures, facilities, resources and equipment all work together in an organized structure to respond to an emergency or prevent a crisis from happening. Incident command systems are generally designed so that cooperation between several different agencies and organizations spanning various jurisdictions is structured under a firm guideline. Incident command systems put a general focus on communication and structure so that a response to a national crisis is both efficient and effective.

The Incident Command System in the United States was originally established in California in the 1970s when a wildfire created millions of dollars worth of damaged and cost the lives of many people. After a study of how emergency officials handled the situation, it was found that the reason why the fires were not contained sooner was not because of a lack of resources or poor tactics, but rather it was a lack of proper communication and structural organization. Many agencies worked together to contain the fire, but they did not communicate well and use a universal terminology. In addition, the hierarchy of command was unclear, and as a result, many people did not use a concise chain of command. The Incident Command System eliminated structural and communication problems that is associated with agency cooperation during a national crisis.

The Incident Command System Concepts:

The Incident Command System established many key concepts that would be the foundation for proper emergency response in the event of a crisis. Later, these ideas would be integrated into the Federally-funded National Incident Management System in 2003.

Unity of Command:
In an emergency response situation, every person working a task reports to only one supervisor. This rule eliminates the possibility of individuals to receive conflicting information and orders from a variety of supervisors. This essentially eliminates a great deal of potential confusion that can happen in a chain of command. It also increases accountability, prevents freelancing, facilitates the flow of information, better coordinates operations, and ensures safety of all workers in the emergency situation.

Universal Terminology:
Before the establishment of incident command systems, agencies developed and used their own terminology for their operations separately. Consequently, a term used in one agency may mean something completely different in another. During a emergency, if agencies are required to work together, there may be a great deal of confusion between the workers if a common terminology is not used between the two. The Incident Command System promotes and requires the use of a universal terminology and has developed a bank of terms that gives the use a consistent meaning to words. Universal terminology is especially important for commanding positions.

Management by Objective:
This basically means that in the incident command system, a task is not assigned until a clear objective is first established that the task will help lead to. Objectives are encouraged to be as specific as possible and attainable. When an objective is outlined, there should also be a time frame and schedule to go along with it to determine when it may be achieved.

Flexible and Modular Organization:
Depending on the incident, only organizations and individuals who are needed at a current point in time are brought in and dismissed immediately after their duties are carried out. This helps to minimize costs and also provides efficiency to the task at hand.

Span-of-Control:
The Incident Command System states that any given individual’s span of control should only be between three and seven people. A manager should not be spread too thin among several subordinates. If more than seven individuals are managed by one person, their workload may become to great.