Disaster FEMA: Introduction to ICS Lessons 5 & 6
An EOC is:
-A physical location. -Staffed with personnel trained for and authorized to represent their agency/discipline. -Equipped with mechanisms for communicating with the incident site and obtaining resources and potential resources. -Managed through protocols. -Applicable at different levels of government. EOCs may be established at the Federal, State, tribal, and local levels.
Incident Coordination
-Establishing policy based on interactions with agency executives, other agencies, and stakeholders. -Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information to support the establishment of a common operating picture. -Establishing priorities among incidents. -Resolving critical resource issues. -Facilitating logistics support and resource tracking. -Synchronizing public information messages to ensure everyone is speaking with one voice.
Professionalism
Accountability: Effective accountability at all jurisdictional levels and within individual functional areas during incident operations is essential. To that end, the following principles must be adhered to: Check-In: All responders, regardless of agency affiliation, must report in to receive an assignment in accordance with the procedures established by the Incident Commander. Incident Action Plan: Response operations must be directed and coordinated as outlined in the IAP. Unity of Command: Each individual involved in incident operations will be assigned to only one supervisor. Span of Control: Supervisors must be able to adequately supervise and control their subordinates, as well as communicate with and manage all resources under their supervision. Resource Tracking: Supervisors must record and report resource status changes as they occur. Dispatch/Deployment: Personnel and equipment should respond only when requested or when dispatched by an appropriate authority.
NIMS Components: Preparedness
Actions taken to plan, organize, equip, train, and exercise to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk. Within NIMS, preparedness focuses on the following elements: planning; procedures and protocols; training and exercises; personnel qualifications, licensure, and certification; and equipment certification.
Lessons Learned
After-action reports from ineffective incident responses find that response problems are far more likely to result from inadequate management than from any other single cause. Weaknesses in incident management are often due to: -Lack of accountability, including unclear chains of command and supervision. -Poor communication, due to both inefficient uses of available communications systems and conflicting codes and terminology. -Lack of an orderly, systematic planning process. -No common, flexible, predesigned management structure that enabled commanders to delegate responsibilities and manage workloads efficiently. -No predefined methods to integrate interagency requirements into the management structure and planning process effectively. -Using ICS enables us to avoid these weaknesses in all types of incident response.
Joint Information Center
Another coordination entity is the Joint Information Center (JIC). The JIC: May be established to coordinate all incident-related public information activities. Serves as the central point of contact for all news media. When possible, public information officials from all participating agencies should co-locate at the JIC. JICs may be established at various levels of government or at incident sites.
Standardization
Common Terminology: Using common terminology helps to define organizational functions, incident facilities, resource descriptions, and position titles. Command Establishment and Transfer of Command: The command function must be clearly established from the beginning of an incident. When command is transferred, the process must include a briefing that captures all essential information for continuing safe and effective operations. Chain of Command and Unity of Command: Chain of command refers to the orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident management organization. Unity of command means that every individual has a designated supervisor to whom he or she reports at the scene of the incident. These principles clarify reporting relationships and eliminate the confusion caused by multiple, conflicting directives. Incident managers at all levels must be able to control the actions of all personnel under their supervision.
Is the action is consistent or inconsistent with Unified Command and coordination principles. A Joint Information Center with Public Information Officers from different agencies has been established to coordinate and disseminate information to the public and media concerning the incident.
Consistent Explanation: A Joint Information Center (JIC) is a physical location used to coordinate: Critical emergency information. Crisis communications. Public affairs functions. The JIC helps ensure that all response agencies are speaking with one voice.
Is the action is consistent or inconsistent with Unified Command and coordination principles. Agency policymakers are meeting at the EOC to monitor reports from the field and provide policy guidance to the onsite incident command organization.
Consistent Explanation: Coordination provides strategic and policy guidance, information, and resource support, while the incident command structure in the field retains control of the incident operations and keeps policymakers and the EOC informed.
Incident Coordination
Coordination includes the activities that ensure that the onsite ICS organization receives the information, resources, and support needed to achieve the incident objectives. Coordination takes place in a number of entities and at all levels of government.
NIMS Components: Communications and Information Management
Emergency management and incident response activities rely on communications and information systems that provide a common operating picture to all command and coordination sites. NIMS describes the requirements necessary for a standardized framework for communications and emphasizes the need for a common operating picture. This component is based on the concepts of interoperability, reliability, scalability, and portability, as well as the resiliency and redundancy of communications and information systems.
(T/F) If three agencies are responding to an incident and operating under a Unified Command, three Operations Section Chiefs will be assigned representing each of the agencies.
FALSE: If three agencies are responding to an incident and operating under a Unified Command, three Operations Section Chiefs will be assigned representing each of the agencies. Explanation: In a Unified Command there is only one Operations Section Chief. The Operations Section Chief should be the most qualified and experienced person available.
(T/F) Under a Unified Command, the most senior Incident Commander has seniority over the other Incident Commanders.
FALSE: Under a Unified Command, the most senior Incident Commander has seniority over the other Incident Commanders. Explanation: Under a Unified Command, the Incident Commanders manage the incident together and no one has seniority over another. The Incident Commanders within the Unified Command make joint decisions and speak as one voice. Any differences are worked out within the Unified Command.
Unified Command Features: Co-located (Shared) Facilities
In a Unified Command, incident facilities are co-located or shared. Bringing the responsible officials, Command Staffs, and planning elements together in a single Incident Command Post can promote coordination.
Unified Command Benefits
In a Unified Command, institutions and responding agencies blend into an integrated, unified team. A unified approach results in: A shared understanding of priorities and restrictions. A single set of incident objectives. Collaborative strategies. Improved internal and external information flow. Less duplication of efforts. Better resource utilization.
Unified Command Features:
Incident Commanders within the Unified Command must concur on the selection of the General Staff Section Chiefs. The Operations Section Chief must have full authority to implement the tactics within the Incident Action Plan.
Facilities and Resources
Incident Locations and Facilities: Various types of operational locations and support facilities are established in the vicinity of an incident to accomplish a variety of purposes. Typical predesignated facilities include Incident Command Posts, Bases, Camps, Staging Areas, Mass Casualty Triage Areas, and others as required. Comprehensive Resource Management: Resource management includes processes for categorizing, ordering, dispatching, tracking, and recovering resources. It also includes processes for reimbursement for resources, as appropriate. Resources are defined as personnel, teams, equipment, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for assignment or allocation in support of incident management and emergency response activities.
Is the action is consistent or inconsistent with Unified Command and coordination principles. EOC staff members are directing field operational activities by establishing incident objectives and specifying how field activities should be conducted
Inconsistent Explanation: The EOC provides strategic and policy guidance, information, and resource support, while the Incident Command structure in the field retains control of the incident operations. The EOC staff members may develop plans for supporting the Incident Command rather than setting tactical field operations objectives.
Communications/Information Management
Integrated Communications: Incident communications are facilitated through the development and use of a common communications plan and interoperable communications processes and architectures. Information and Intelligence Management: The incident management organization must establish a process for gathering, sharing, and managing incident-related information and intelligence.
Unified Command Features: Integrated General Staff
Integrating multijurisdictional and/or multiagency personnel into various other functional areas may be beneficial. For example: In Operations and Planning, Deputy Section Chiefs can be designated from an adjacent jurisdiction. In Logistics, a Deputy Logistics Section Chief from another agency or jurisdiction can help to coordinate incident support.
Planning/Organizational Structure
Management by Objectives: Includes establishing overarching objectives; developing and issuing assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols; establishing specific, measurable objectives for various incident management functional activities; and directing efforts to attain the established objectives. Modular Organization: The Incident Command organizational structure develops in a top-down, modular fashion that is based on the size and complexity of the incident, as well as the specifics of the hazard environment created by the incident. Incident Action Planning: Incident Action Plans (IAPs) provide a coherent means of communicating the overall incident objectives in the contexts of both operational and support activities. Manageable Span of Control: Span of control is key to effective and efficient incident management. Within ICS, the span of control of any individual with incident management supervisory responsibility should range from three to seven subordinates.
Unified Command and NIMS
NIMS encourages the use of Unified Command. "As a team effort, Unified Command allows all agencies with jurisdictional authority or functional responsibility for the incident to jointly provide management direction through a common set of incident objectives and strategies and a single Incident Action Plan. Each participating agency maintains its authority, responsibility, and accountability."
NIMS Components: Resource Management
Resources (such as personnel, equipment, or supplies) are needed to support critical incident objectives. The flow of resources must be fluid and adaptable to the requirements of the incident. NIMS defines standardized mechanisms and establishes the resource management process to identify requirements, order and acquire, mobilize, track and report, recover and demobilize, reimburse, and inventory resources.
(T/F) One of the advantages of having a Unified Command is that there will be one set of incident objectives.
TRUE: One of the advantages of having a Unified Command is that there will be one set of incident objectives. Explanation: In a Unified Command, institutions and responding agencies blend into an integrated, unified team. The advantages include: A shared understanding of priorities and restrictions. A single set of incident objectives. Collaborative strategies. Improved internal and external information flow. Less duplication of efforts. Better resource utilization.
NIMS Components: Command and Management
The Command and Management component of NIMS is designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing a flexible, standardized incident management structure. The structure is based on three key organizational constructs: the Incident Command System, Multiagency Coordination Systems, and Public Information.
Unified Command Features: Coordinated Process for Resource Ordering
The Incident Commanders within the Unified Command work together to establish resource ordering procedures that allow for: Deployment of scarce resources to meet high-priority objectives. Potential cost savings through agreements on cost sharing for essential services.
Command and Management Elements
The NIMS Command and Management component facilitates incident management. This component includes the following elements: Incident Command System, Multiagency Coordination Systems, and Public Information.
Unified Command
The Unified Command organization consists of the Incident Commanders from the various jurisdictions or agencies operating together to form a single command structure in the field.
Emergency Operations Center Role
Typically, an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) supports the on-scene response by relieving the Incident Commander of the burden of external coordination and securing additional resources.
Unified Command Features: Single Planning Process and Incident Action Plan
Unified Command uses a single planning process and produces one Incident Action Plan. The planning process for Unified Command is similar to the process used on single-jurisdiction incidents.
Scenario: A tornado collapsed a wing of the hospital that was under construction, trapping 15 people. Response to the incident involves search and rescue, law enforcement, and emergency medical services personnel. What is the optimal incident command structure?
Unified Command: Using a Unified Command creates a single ICS incident command structure with a built-in process for an effective and responsible multijurisdictional or multiagency approach. Separate Commands: Dividing the incident into separate command structures may be the simplest political solution but is often not effective. If separate commands were used, there is a danger of: Critical life-safety incident objectives being missed because each command assumed that another one was taking responsibility. Duplication of efforts and competing for the same scarce resources. Inconsistent messages being reported to the media and stakeholders
Operations Section: Unity of Command
Unity of command is maintained within the Operations Section. Each responder reports to a single supervisor within his or her area of expertise. Within a Unified Command, a police officer would not tell the firefighters how to do their job nor would the police direct search and rescue tactics.
Incident Commanders Work Together
When implemented properly, Unified Command enables agencies with different legal, geographic, and functional responsibilities to coordinate, plan, and interact effectively. -The Incident Commanders within the Unified Command make joint decisions and speak as one voice. Any differences are worked out within the Unified Command.
NIMS Components: Ongoing Management and Maintenance
Within the auspices of Ongoing Management and Maintenance, there are two components: the National Integration Center (NIC) and Supporting Technologies. The components of NIMS were not designed to stand alone, but to work together.
