Incident Command System (ICS) Basics

Incident Command System (ICS) Basics

• The Incident Command System (ICS) is a management tool designed for command, control, and coordination of resources, applicable to both emergent and non-emergent incidents.
• ICS is a management tool with procedures for organizing personnel, equipment, facilities and communications at the scene of an emergency.
• ICS has a flexible design suitable for various jurisdictions and agencies.
• ICS can be used for any type of incident, including emergent events like fires, HAZMAT situations, acts of terrorism, and natural disasters, as well as non-emergent events like parades, sporting events, and political rallies.
• It is scalable for both small and large events, and can expand or contract based on the evolution of the incident.
• The key features of ICS include its organization, incident facilities, incident action plan, span of control, and common responsibilities.

General ICS Organization

• The general ICS organization includes Command, Operations, Planning/Intelligence, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.
• The detailed ICS organization starts with an Incident Commander who may have a command staff including an Information Officer, Safety Officer, and Liaison Officer.
• The Operations Section contains branches, divisions, and groups.
• The Planning/Intelligence Section contains resource, situation, demobilization, and documentation units.
• The Logistics Section has service, support, and personnel branches.
• The Finance/Admin Section contains time, procurement, compensation/claims, and cost units.

Incident Commander

• The Incident Commander is in charge during an incident and is assigned by the responsible jurisdiction or agency.
• The Incident Commander may have one or more deputy incident commanders.
• The Incident Commander may assign personnel for both the command staff (Liaison Officer, Safety Officer, and Information Officer) and the general staff.

General Staff Roles within ICS

• The General Staff includes the Operations Section Chief, Planning/Intelligence Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and Finance/Administration Section Chief.
• The Operations Section Chief develops and manages the operations section to accomplish incident objectives; only one person is assigned to this role.
• The Planning Section Chief is in charge of the collection, evaluation, dissemination, and use of information about the development of the incident and the status of resources; they are also responsible for creating the action plan.
• The Logistics Section Chief provides all support needs and orders all resources from off-incident locations, responsible for acquiring facilities, services, personnel, equipment, and materials.
• The Finance Section Chief tracks all incident costs and evaluates the financial considerations of the incident, including time units, procurement unit, Compensation/Claims unit, and cost unit.

Divisions, Groups, and Branches

• Divisions divide incidents geographically.
• Groups pool specialized resource teams and establish functional areas of operation, such as medical, search, or security groups, under the Operations Section Chief.
• Branches maintain span of control of groups and divisions, with two types of branches: geographic and functional.

Incident Facilities, Action Plans, and Span of Control

• Incident facilities include the incident command post and staging areas.
• The Incident Action Plan can be oral or written, includes measurable tactical objectives, lists activated organizational elements, assignments to accomplish objectives, supporting information, and informs all incident supervisory personnel.
• Adequate span of control is very important, with an optimum span of control being one to five.

Common Responsibilities for Incident Personnel

• Incident personnel should receive assignments from their agency, bring any specialized supplies or equipment, follow check-in procedures, and obtain a briefing upon arrival.

Unified Command System (UCS)

• The Unified Command System (UCS) is used for multi-jurisdictional and/or multi-agency responses.
• A multi-agency command post is established, integrating the various agencies/jurisdictions.
• UCS provides the structure for federal, state, and local on-scene coordinators to work effectively and efficiently during a response.
• The UCS structure may include Public Health, Law Enforcement, and Fire/HAZMAT, which all oversee Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Admin.

Joint Information Center (JIC)

• A Joint Information Center (JIC) is established by the lead federal agency as a focal point for coordination and provision of information to the public and media concerning the federal response to an emergency.
• The JIC may be established in the same location as the Joint Operations Center (JOC) or at an on-scene location in coordination with state and local agencies.
• In a bioterrorism event, the JIC is used to coordinate information from Law Enforcement (LE) and Public Health (PH) to speak with one voice.
• Representatives at the JIC include the FBI Public Information Officer and staff, FEMA Public Information Officer and staff, other Federal agency Public Information Officers and staff, State and local Public Information Officers, and in a bioterrorism event, CDC/Local PH PIOs coordinate with LE and other agencies.

Joint Operations Center (JOC)

• The Joint Operations Center (JOC) provides the organizational structure to implement the Federal response at the field level during a terrorist incident.
• The JOC is established by the FBI under the operational control of the Federal on-scene commander.
• It is established to ensure inter-incident coordination and to organize multiple agencies and jurisdictions within an overall command and coordination structure.
• The JOC serves as the focal point for strategic management and direction of on-site activities, identification of state and local requirements and priorities, and coordination of the federal response and the Local FBI field office will activate a Crisis Management Team to establish the JOC
• The JOC typically includes functional groups for Command, Operations, Admin/Logistics, and Consequence Management.
• Representation within the JOC includes officials from local, state, and federal agencies with specific roles in crisis and consequence management.
• In a bioterrorism event, Public Health would have a significant role, coordinating with FBI and other response agencies.

Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)

• A Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers into a task force environment for combating terrorism.
• Agents and officers in a JTTF complement each other by bringing together special skills and knowledge about local violations to better target terrorism.