IMS (incident management system operations manual)

unified command

An ICS application used when more than one agency has incident jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions.

IMS- communication- radio transmission part 2

e. good radio communication is critical to safe and effective fireground performance clearly at a practiced rate, deliberately control speaking on the radio. f. All communication with the communication center shall be done through the IC. Includes request for additional resources, command transfer and situation reports. individuals, company officers, Division/Group SUP, and branch director shall only communicate with the communication center when making emergency radio transmission. g. radio communication shall be kept to a minimum. h. communication outside of CC should be done face-to-face if possible. i. when an assignment is given to a single resource(unit), the unit ID will be used for all radio transmission. j. when a group or division is est. the radio designation for that group/division will be used instead of the unit ID of the Group/ DIV SUP.

IMS- Rules of engagement: 14. always have FF rehabilitation services in place at all working fires.

ensure FF who endured strenuous physical activity at a working fire are rehabilitated and medically eval for continued duty and before being released from the scene.

ICS organization- Divisions

established to maintain the span of control divisions are a physical and geographical areas of ops. i. person in charge designated SUP. ii. how area divided depends of needs of incident iii. most common way to ID division using alphabet characters that correspond to the clockwise sides of a structure(alpha,bravo,charlie) iv. other ID may be used as long div ID are known assigned responder(div 1, div 2, div 3)

preface part 4

federal agencies also required to use the NIMS framework in domestic incident management and in support of state and local incident response and recovery activities

IMS- incident command- establishing command part 3

functions IC include: i. ASSUMPTION, CONFIRMATION, AND POSITIONING OF INCIDENT COMMAND, II. INITIATE AND MONITOR PERSONNELL ACCOUNTABILITY. III. SITUATION EVALUATION(SIZE UP) IV. INITIATE, MAINTAIN AND CONTROL THE COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS. V. DEVELOPING AN INCIDENT ACTION PLANNING vi. organizational and resource management. vii. review, eval, revise IAP.

IMS- incident command- establishing command part 2

g. if IC has been est. and is inside IDLH second arriving CO shall communicate IC confirm assignment or transfer of IC. h. ICP located outside of incident two views if possible. BC vehicle supplied tools for IC readily Identifiable. Many department use green light designate the ICP. mobile radio within BC vehicle ( forward or rear mounted) preferred over the portable radio. provides greater output.

IMS- incident command- transfer of command part 3

g. new IC initiate (if not already est.) monitor personnel accountability. h. ICS form 201 provides a written record incident for any of the following incident: i. large scale. ii. long duration. iii. complex i. advantageous to have chief of company officer relieved of incident command remain with new IC role of: i. IC aide. ii. ops sect. chief iii. planning sect. chief j. few advantages to having chief of company officer be relieved remain with new IC: i. they est. initial IAP. ii. they retain first-hand knowledge at the incident site. iii. they may observe the progress of the incident and gain experience. k. transfer of IC should be utilized emergency escalates, demobilization phase.

ICS organization-general staff part 1

general staff-5 possible positions 1. operations section: led by ops sect chief i. in charge of all resources, conducted tactical ops to carry out the plan, develops the operational organization, participates daily planning meeting 2. planning section- planning sect chief i. responsible collecting, eval, disseminating tactical info related to incident, preparing and DOC IAP's 3.Logistics section- logistics sect chief i. responsible for providing facilities, services, material for incident response. 4. finance/admin function- finance/admin sect chief i. responsible for all financial, admin, cost analysis aspect of incident.

group:

groups are est. to divide the incident management structure in functional areas of operation b. A group is organizationally between the branch and unit.

IMS- incident command- command presence part 2

in consideration every officer should ask 4 question regarding command presence: 1. do you look like your in control 2. do you carry yourself like you have the ability to resolve the issue? 3. do you act like you are in control? 4. do you speak like you are in control?

preface part 3

incident management manual offers standard approach commanding effectively at any incident, regardless of the characteristics of the incident. these procedures are designed to meet requirements of NFPA 1561. compatible with NIMS required by president Directive-5

IMS- incident command- establishing command part 4

j. as command is transferred so is the responsibility for these functions. FIRST 5 functions shall be addressed immediately from initial est. command. k. chief and staff pers. report to designated location for assignment by IC. l. if the incident is not escalating or unstable first chief may work advisory capacity with IC m. IC in command until transferred assumed or terminated.

fire flow formula: national fire academy

length x width divided by 3 x % involved.

IMS- Rules of engagement: 13. always have a rapid intervention crew in place at all working fires

obj. cause the IC to have ric/rig in place ready to rescue FF at all working fires. IC shall consider the size and complexity incident RIC/RIG staffing lvl recommended per the countywide RIC/RIG sog

IMS- Rules of engagement: 10. obtain frequent progress reports and revise the action plan

obj. cause the IC, as well all ICS organization officers, to obtain frequent progress reports, continually assess fire conditions and any risk to FF to regularly adjust and revise the IAP maintain safe ops.

IMS- Rules of engagement: 9. maintain frequent two-way communications and keep interior operating companies informed of changing conditions

obj.: ensure that the IC is obtaining frequent progress reports and all interior operating companies are kept informed of changing fire conditions observed form the exterior by the IC, or other ICS organization officer, may affect crew safety

IMS- Rules of engagement: 7: extend vigilant and measured risk to protect and rescue SAVABLE lives

objective : IC to manage search and rescue, supporting FF operations, highly calculated, controlled, cautious manner, while remaining alert to changing conditions, during high risk search and rescue ops where lives can be saved.

IMS- rules of engagement: 6. Extend LIMITED risk to protect SAVABLE property

objective: cause the IC to limit risk exposure to a reasonable, cautious and conservative lvl when trying to save BLD that following a thorough size up is believed to be savable.

IMS- Rules of engagement: 8. Act upon reported unsafe practices and conditions that can harm(stop, eval, decide)

objective: prevent members from engaging in unsafe practices or exposure to unsafe conditions that can cause harm. This will allow any member to raise an alert about safety concern without penalty and mandating the IC and IC organization officers to promptly address the question to insure safe ops.

group supervisor

person responsible for all activity of the group.

Division supervisor

person responsible for all activity within a division.

chain of command:

refers to the orderly line of authority within ranks of the IMS

IMS- incident command- command presence part 3

requires you to convey confidence and self-assuredness before, during, and after you go on duty. confidence knowing in your mind that you can handle the situation. thinking and doing under pressure, not over confidence. competence and confidence are not magically acquired when you are issued a badge and bugles with a promotion. training and preparation required to acquire competencies and develop confidence to take charge. resolve a situation quickly and safely. Mastering continuous learning process. Chief or CO " I've got the badge; i am in chargehere" false competence and confidence rapidly lose credibility and control of situation.

IMS- incident command- general part 1

responsibility IC gathering and eval info relative to preplanning and size up, as well as development and communication of IAP. successful incident commander set up , delegation of authority and responsibility. orders decision-making performed lowest lvl in organization. IC ability to delegate functional authority, although ultimate responsibility in incident. all functions not delegated falls onto IC.

building construction type: type 3 (ordinary)

shall be that type in which exterior walls and structural elements that are portion of exterior walls are of approved noncombustible or limited combustible or limited combustible material, and in which fire walls, interior structural, walls, arches, floors and roofs are entirely or partially of wood of smaller dimensions than required for type 4 construction or are of approved noncombustible, limited-combustible or other approved combustible material.

building construction type: type 4 (heavy timber)

shall be that type in which fire walls, exterior walls, and interior bearing walls and structural elements that are portions of such walls are of approved noncombustible or limited-combustible material, AND other interior structural elements, arches, floors, and roofs shall be of solid or laminated wood without concealed spaces and have dimensions as outlined in NFPA 220 section 4.5.5.

building construction type: type 5 (wood frame)

shall be that type in which structural elements, walls, arches, floors, and roofs are entirely or partially of wood or other approved material.

building construction type: type 1 (fire resistive)

shall be those type in which the fire walls, structural element, walls, arches, floors, and roofs are approved noncombustible or limited-combustible materials which have greater fire resistance rating than type 2

building construction type: type 2 ( non-combustible)

shall be those type in which the fire walls, structural element, walls, arches, floors, and roofs are approved noncombustible or limited-combustible materials which have less fire resistance than type 1

ICS

standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of emergency response providing a common hierarchy within which responders from multiple agencies can be effective. the ICS has five major functional areas: a. command b. operations c. planning d. logistics e. finance/administration

incident objective

statements of guidance and direction that are specific, measurable attainable, results oriented, timely, and necessary for the selection of appropriate strategy(s), and the tactical direction of resources.

event action plan (EAP)

the EAP is a formal written plan, developed by the sponsoring agency of the event and the responsible municipal, county, and State officials, which ID potential emergency conditions at the event site and prescribes the procedures to be followed to minimize or prevent loss of life and property.

STEALTH

the acronym for the steps needed conclude the incident and est. lessons learned. SET time, TONE, EXECUTION, ANALYZE, LESSONS, TRANSFER lessons learned, HIGH note.

RECEOVS

the acronym that is used to help with developing strategies at an incident. RESCUE, EXPOSURES, CONFIDEMENT, EXTINGUISHMENT, OVERHAUL, VENTILATION and SALVAGE.

command

the act of directing, ordering and/or controlling resources by virtue of explicit legal, agency, or delegated authority.

360-degree size up

the act of obtaining information about all conditions of an incident from each side of the fire ground or incident response area.

incident management

the broad spectrum of activities and organizations providing operations, coordination, and support applied at all levels of government, using both governmental and nongovernmental resources to plan for, respond to, and recover from an incident, regardless of cause, size, or complexity.

command staff

the command staff report directly to the IC and consist of: liaison officer PIO safety officer command staff advisors

strategy

the general course of action or direction to accomplish incident objective.

incident command

the ics organizational element responsible for overall management of the incident and consisting of the incident commander or unified command and any additional command staff activated.

span of control

the number of subordinates for which a SUP is responsible, usually expressed as the ratio of supervisors to individual.

Base manager

the person designated by the IC to track and deploy resources located at the base.

company officer

the person responsible for a single company (rescue, engine, AE) this is most often a LT, Ops Capt, but is not absolute as this assignment of function, not rank.

incident commander

the position is responsible for every phase of the incident. the IC assumes all responsibility for the protection of lives and property at the emergency scene.

preface part 2

this manual original compilation was collaborative initiative utilizing senior fire service leaders currently working in PBC the info within this manual is based on a review of DOC and publications form the following: international ass of FF(IAFF) international society of fire service instructors(ISFSI) NFA IAFC NIMS FEMA OSHA Florida statute Florida Rule ft.lauderdale incident management manual WPB incident management SOG PBCFR IMS NIST UL IFSTA FFOG fire engineering and fire rescue mag and incident mange publication.

IMS- incident command- transfer of command part 2

transfer IC should include: i. mode of ops ii. current situation iii. current unit location iv. current assignments v. what has been done vi. what is planned. f. after transfer new IC shall notify(when applicable uncluding new ICP loc) i. CC ii. general staff (if designated. iii. command staff (if designated). iv. all incident personnel .

emergency evacuation

used to advice personnel of imminent danger, requiring the evac of the scene or area to an est. safe place (rally point)

emergency traffic

used to advice personnel of imminent danger, which is announced by the dispatcher and can be requested by any company that has an immediate communication that needs to be broadcasted

NIMS components

NIMS is comprised of several components that works together and include: a. command and management b. preparedness c. resources management. d. communication and information management e. supporting technologies f. ongoing management and maintenance.

preface: part1

PBC chiefs association requested that their subject matter experts review contemporary approaches to incident management systems at emergency scenes and special events. the last time that this endeavor was undertaken was 2008. it is recommended that future revisions be completed on a biennial basis.

IMS- incident command- transfer of command part 1

a. process of moving the responsibility for incident command from one incident commander to another IC "transfer of command" . recognized transition of command expanding incident is to be expected. does not reflect competency of current IC. b. arrival of chief, IC not automatically transferred to that office. IC only transferred when transfer of IC process completed. higher-rank officer wants effect change in management of incident, they shall be present on the scene and utilize formal transfer of incident command procedure. c. first chief is expected to assume IC if incident escalating or unstable. d. transferred by radio preference face to face briefing.

Branch

a. that organizational level having functional, geographical or jurisdictional responsibility for major parts of the incident. b. branch lvl is organizationally between section and DIV/group in the operations section. c. Branch ID by use of roman numeral or by functional area.

incident command post

a. the field location where the primary functions of incident command are performed. b. the incident command post may be co-located with the incident Base or other incident facilities c. there is only one incident command post per incident

Division

a. the organizational level having responsibility for operations within a defined Geographic area. b. a DIVISION is organizational between branch and unit.

ICS organization-general part 1

a. under ICS ultimate control and direction of all resources fall under single unit individual IC, except where unified command is EST. IC responsible for overall incident response effort and implementation of the appropriate portions of his plan. ICS flexible IC can activate, consolidate, delete various positions depending needs. this structure designed for full or partial implementation. important all positions roles are reviewed. ensure vital functions and not overlooked.

offensive mode

an offensive mode involves taking direct action to mitigate the problem. this means an aggressive interior fire attack will be used because initial crews believe there is a chance that occupants may be inside the structure and conditions may be such that they could still be alive.

incident action plan (IAP)

an oral or written plan contacting the objective established by the incident commander or unified command and addressing tactics and support activities for the planned operational period, generally 12-24 hrs.

National preparedness system

an organized process to achieve the national preparedness goal of a secure and resilient Nation

strike team:

area a set number of resources of the same kind of type, which have an est. minimum number of PERS, common communications, and leader.

area command-

area command is an expansion of the incident command function primarily designed to manage a major or complex incident that has the need for additional command staff.

IMS- incident command- general part 2

b. IC shall DIRECT available resources accomplish incident goals. responsive organization proper incident management by coordination of command, tactical operations, support functions . IC shall communicate effectively organization assess feedback. effective communication direct orders with task specific direction using terms that are understood by all resources. c. IC responsible for development IAP. they shall measure overall effectiveness continually eval IAP ensure ops decisions correct properly applied. IC utilize forms of feedback determine adjustment need to IAP.

ICS organization-general part 2

b. ICS is not a rank structure, but can be filled from whatever positions best suited for needs of indiv organization. this modular escalation will allow manageable span of control for all participants throughout incident. c. under IC two types of positions: command staff and general staff.

IMS- communication-communication model part 2

c. span of control encompasses " span of communications", meaning that except for emergency transmission. all positions in ICS communicate only with those positions directly above or below them in the chain of command d. anytime a company enters or exits an IDLH notify CC, IC, or person holding their passport. that they entering or exiting IDLH. i. communication TAC ch or face to face. ii.

IMS- Rules of engagement: 11. ensure accurate accountability of every FF location and status

cause IC, chief officers and CO maintain a constant and accurate accountability of the LOC and status of all FF within their command.

IMS- Rules of engagement: 12. if after completion of the primary search, little or no progress towards fire control has been achieved, seriously consider a defensive mode of operation.

cause a benchmark decision point, following completion of the primary search, requiring the IC to consciously determine if its safe to continue an offensive mode of ops where progress in controlling the fire is not being achieved and there are no lives to be saved.

pre-incident planning

cornerstone to managing an emergency incident. company officer and chief officers should review and be familiar with NFPA 1620, standard for pre-incident planning. info that should be in it.

defensive mode:

defensive mode conducted suppression operations outside the fire structure; these operations feature the use of large-capacity fire streams placed between the fire and the exposure to prevent fire extension.

tactics

deploying and directing resources on an incident to accomplish the objective.

ICS organization-groups

describe functional area of operartions i. person in charge desig SUP. ii. kind of group to be est. determine by needs iii. groups are normally labeled according to the job that they are assigned iv. groups will work whenever assigned task not limited geographically. d. once a group/division has been est. all units communicate and report directly to that SUP no longer report to IC

working fire

describes a fire that shall require the use of the first alarm units.

IMS- communication-communication model part 3

e. companies entering and exiting IDLH shall communicate: i. unit ID ii. LOC entering or exting iii. PAR of number of PERS. iv. assignment (if relevant) v. direction of travel(if relevant)

IMS- incident command- establishing command part 1

a. first arriving unit est. IC b. IC position is a function of role, not rank. c. incident requires the response of only one company, not expected to escalate beyond the commitment of this company, does not require the activation ICS d. any incident other than typical med emergencies, involving two or more companies require ICS activation. e. multiple units simultaneously or in close order none are chief default commander role goes to first due ops capt. f. situation evaluation(size up) allows IC to enter an IDLH, consideration to transferring IC to outside CO should occur prior to entering.

IMS- communications-radio procedures

a. in this policy PBC tp use clear text common terminology all radio communications b. no signal or codes shall be used except for purpose of security or confidentiality intent is to paint a clear picture and reduce confusion.

IMS- rules of engagement: 1. rapidly conduct, or obtain, a 360 size up of incident.

1. rapidly conduct, or obtain, a 360 size up of incident. a. objt. IC obtain 360 size up and risk assessment of the fire ground determine safest approach to tactical ops before FF are placed in substantial risk

IMS- rules of engagement: 5 . DO NO risk FF lives for lives or property that cannot be saved. seriously consider a Defensive mode of operations (risk vs benefit)

5. objective prevent the commitment of FF to high risk search and rescue and FF operations that may harm them when a fire conditions prevent occupant survival and significant or total destruction of the building id inevitable.

ICS organization-general staff part 2

5. intelligence/investigation function: purpose function within ICS is to determine the source cause of the incident. (disease outbreak, fire, complex coordinated attack) to control impact and/or help prevent the occurrence of similar incident involves: 1. collecting, analyzing, sharing info and intel. 2. info incident ops to protect lives and safety of response PERS as well as public 3. interfacing with counterparts outside ICS organization to improve situational awareness. ii. typically performed by staff in the ops and planning sections iii. organized one in following: within command staff( advisor), within planning section(as a unit), within ops section (branch), separate general staff (section)

IMS- rules of engagement: 2. determine the rescue profile

2. determine the rescue profile a. IC consider fire conditions in relation to possible occupant survival before committing FF to high risk ops.

IMS- rules of engagement: 3. conduct an initial risk assessment and implement a SAFE ACTION PLAN

3. conduct an initial risk assessment and implement a SAFE ACTION PLAN a. develop a safe action plan by conducting a size up, assess rescue profile completing a risk assessment before FF are placed in high risk positions on the fire ground.

ICS organization-command staff

4 possible positions command staff: 1. incident safety officer: indiv monitor safety conditions and develops measures for assuring the safety of Pers. others serve AISO 2. PIO-point of contact for media or other seeking info. one PIO per incident. others APIO 3. liaison officer- coordinates with all agencies involved in incident 4. command staff: additional staff positions may be necessary, depending incident specific requirements est by IC. IC or unified command may appoint technical specialist to serve as command staff advisor(distinguish from officers they serve in advisory capacities and lack of authority to direct incident activities.

IMS- rules of engagement: 4. if there are insufficient resources to safely support and protect FF, defensive mode of ops should be seriously considered.

4. if there are insufficient resources to safely support and protect FF, defensive mode of ops should be seriously considered. a. prevent the commitment of FF to high risk tactical objective that cannot be accomplished safely due to inadequate resources on the scene.

preface part 5 committee members

Chair James Schaffner, DIV chief of training(RET) PBCFR VICE CHAIR kevin green, assistant chief of ops delray beach FR marty de Loach, fire program director palm beach state college fire academt daniel hanes, Fire chief WPB FR daryl scott, assistant chief of ops(RET) boca raton FR

CANS-in the communication section:

Conditions Actions Needs Statement of command name

IMS- communication-communication model part 1

In high stress, fast moving situations, the communications order model should be applied to face to face communications. b. Pers.(including IC) should "echo back" fireground/tactical orders to make sure they are understood. ii. this does not need to be word for word of the original message, should be brief concise summary of the intent of the message or order from sender. iii. format of the echo back assure sender message received understood correct action will be taken iv. the benefit of communication order model is best illustrated when the receiver misunderstood the message and is taking incorrect action. during the eco back, the sender has the opportunity to detect the error and make corrections before inappropriate actions are taken.

ICS organization-branches

a. number of group/div exceeds the span of control, may be necessary est. another lvl of organization within the ops sect. b. person in charge designated as a director. c. deputies may also be used at the branch lvl. branches can be divided into groups or divisions or combination of both.

ICS organization-span of control

a. number of subordinates for which a SUP is responsible, usually expressed ratio SUP to indiv b. optimal in ICS (5), acceptable spread 3-7 c. situation not yet under control, no one under ICS should have more than 5 PERS report to them d. number of reporting elements falls outside of these ranges, expansion, consolidation of organization may be necessary.

unity of command:

a NIMS guiding principle stating that each individual involved in incident management reports to and takes direction from only one person.

general staff:

a group of incident personnel organized according to function and reporting to the IC or unified command. The ICS general staff consist of : a. operational section chief b. planning section chief c. logistics section chief d. finance/administration sec chief e. intelligence/investigations section chief(if est.)

incident management team

a rostered group of ICS-qualified personnel assigned to key ICS positions.

task force.

a set number of resources of different kinds and/or types, which have an est. minimum number PERs, common communication, and leader.

chief officer:

a single unit resources at the rank of EMS capt or higher.

CAN REPORT:

a situational report consisting of current: conditions, actions, needs

staging area:

a temporary location for available resources in which personnel, supplies, and equipment awaits operational assignment.

IMS- communication- radio transmission part 1

a. "military order model" hey you its me. unit ID of receiver first, followed by unit ID sender. Separate # ID unit. b. BLD side are exposure shall be ID using phonetic spelling. c. when an interruption does occur, the person who initiated the original communication should tell the interrupting unit to "stand-by" and then continue with original communication. d. RADIO discipline should be utilized during all IDLH incidents, especially when companies are first entering an IDLH. Personnel should avoid nonessential transmission during this time.

IMS- communication- additional Tac channels

a. CC shall advice radio CH to opr on. if situation indicates IC may request separate tactical CH. b. 800MHz radios have limited range in large reinforced structures. Radios that are unable to communicate inside BLD on a repeated TAC ch should switched to fireground simplex 14A, 15A (op within a radius 1 mile) d. IC may consider requesting additional TAC CH during incident for incident management assignments.

Base

a. LOC where Pers coordinate and administer logistic functions for an incident. b. only one base per incident. c. for high-rise fires, base term for staging of resources prior to entering the incident scene.

SECTION

a. The ICS organizational element having responsibility for a major functional area of incident management(operational, planning, logistics, finance/admin) b. The section level is organizationally between incident command and branch.

National incident management system(nims)

a. a systemic, proactive approach to guide all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the effects of incident. b. NIMS provides stakeholders across the whole community with shared vocabulary, system, and process to successfully deliver the capabilities described in the national preparedness system c. NIMS provides a consistent foundation for dealing with all incidents, ranging from daily occurrences to incidents requiring a coordinated federal response.

IMS- incident command- Assumption of command

a. anytime non-collaborative/ face-to-face change of command; considered an assumed command. radio "assuming command" may also be used anytime to acknowledge the transfer.

IMS- incident command- command presence part 1

a. chief or CO formal role and responsibility strive est. command presence in workplace at all times. a person presenting themselves as someone in authority, trusted and respected. critical to successfully overcoming difficult incidents respected. critical to successfully overcoming difficult incidents especially early in the incident partially done through messaged by : i. how you LOOK ii. how you CARRY YOURSELF iii. how you ACT iv. how you SPEAK. b. every IC create their own style. however first impressions are a lasting one. c. Often it is easier to describe a lack of command presence. ex. boisterous officer who: talks loud, shout orders, and come across as demanding or controlling.