Emergency Management: Types of Incidents and ICS

Types of Incidents

• A disaster, mass casualty, or multiple casualty incident can be declared by local, county, state, or federal government to provide additional resources and funds.
• A multiple casualty incident (MCI) is declared when available resources may become overwhelmed, but there is no set numerical cutoff.
• A mass casualty incident is one that overwhelms the community's resources.

Incident Command System (ICS)

• ICS is a system designed to improve efficiency in managing incidents of any size or complexity.
• It prepares responders to provide a coordinated effort during an incident.
• The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a nationwide template for effective and efficient emergency response.

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

• NIMS was implemented in 2003 to provide a consistent template for emergency response.
• It helps local government agencies work with regional, state, and federal agencies during all phases of an emergency.
• Key principles include flexibility, standardization, and interoperability.

Organizational Structure

• The organizational structure must flexibly and quickly adapt to any type of incident.
• NIMS provides standardization and terminology for organizational functions, incident facilities, resource descriptions, and position titles.
• Interoperability allows agencies to communicate effectively with each other.

Major Components of NIMS

• Fundamentals and Concepts
• Resource Management
• Command and Coordination
• Communication and Information Management

Incident Command System Benefits

• Clearly defined chain of command
• Use of common terminology
• Safety of responders
• Achievement of response objectives
• Efficient use of resources

Roles and Responsibilities

• Command: Incident Commander, Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, Liaison
• Finance: documenting expenses, tracking personnel hours and cost of materials
• Logistics: communications, equipment, facilities, food, water, fuel, lighting, medical equipment, and supplies
• Planning: solving problems, analysis, prediction, and planning

Incident Commander

• Oversees the incident, establishes strategic objectives and priorities, and develops a response plan
• Responsible for multiple duties depending on the size of the incident
• May be located at the scene or a short distance away to decrease distractions and improve safety

Command Systems

• Unified Command System: used when multiple organizations or jurisdictions respond to an incident
• Single Command System: used for small-scale incidents with one agency having majority responsibility

Types of Incidents

• A disaster, mass casualty, or multiple casualty incident can be declared by local, county, state, or federal government to provide additional resources and funds.
• No numerical cutoff for declaring a multiple casualty incident (MCI), but it's declared when available resources may become overwhelmed.
• A mass casualty incident overwhelms the community's resources.

Incident Command System (ICS)

• ICS is a system designed to improve efficiency in managing incidents of any size or complexity.
• It prepares responders to provide a coordinated effort during an incident.
• ICS is part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

• NIMS was implemented in 2003 to provide a consistent template for emergency response.
• It helps local government agencies work with regional, state, and federal agencies during all phases of an emergency.
• Key NIMS principles include flexibility, standardization, and interoperability.

Organizational Structure

• The organizational structure must flexibly and quickly adapt to any type of incident.
• NIMS provides standardization and terminology for organizational functions, incident facilities, resource descriptions, and position titles.
• Interoperability in NIMS allows agencies to communicate effectively with each other.

Major Components of NIMS

• Fundamentals and Concepts
• Resource Management
• Command and Coordination
• Communication and Information Management

Incident Command System Benefits

• Clearly defined chain of command
• Use of common terminology
• Ensures safety of responders
• Achievement of response objectives
• Efficient use of resources

Roles and Responsibilities

• Command: Incident Commander, Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, and Liaison
• Finance: documenting expenses, tracking personnel hours and cost of materials
• Logistics: communications, equipment, facilities, food, water, fuel, lighting, medical equipment, and supplies
• Planning: solving problems, analysis, prediction, and planning

Incident Commander

• Oversees the incident, establishes strategic objectives and priorities, and develops a response plan
• Responsible for multiple duties depending on the size of the incident
• May be located at the scene or a short distance away to decrease distractions and improve safety

Command Systems

• Unified Command System: used for multiple organizations or jurisdictions responding to an incident
• Single Command System: used for small-scale incidents with one agency having majority responsibility

Learn about different types of incidents, including disaster, mass casualty, and multiple casualty incidents, and the Incident Command System (ICS) designed to improve efficiency in emergency management.