ICS 200.c Lesson 1 - Incident Command System (ICS)

Question 1

Incident Command System (ICS)

Answer 1

ICS:

• Is a standardized management tool for meeting the demands of small or large emergency or nonemergency situations
• Represents “best practices” and has become the standard for emergency management across the country
• May be used for planned events, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism
• Is a part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

ICS is not just a standardized organizational chart, but an entire management system.

Question 2

Why ICS?

Answer 2

All levels of government, the private sector, and nongovernmental agencies must be prepared to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from a wide spectrum of major events and natural disasters that exceed the capabilities of any single entity. Threats from natural disasters and human-caused events, such as terrorism, require a unified and coordinated national approach to planning and to domestic incident management.

Question 3

Homeland Security Presidential Directives

Answer 3

HSPD-5, Management of Domestic Incidents, identified steps for improved coordination in response to incidents. It required the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate with other Federal departments and agencies and State, local, and tribal governments to establish a National Response Framework (NRF) and a National Incident Management System (NIMS).

HSPD-8, National Preparedness, directed DHS to lead a national initiative to develop a National Preparedness System—a common, unified approach to “strengthen the preparedness of the United States to prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.” Click on this link to view HSPD-8.

Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8), National Preparedness, describes the Nation’s approach to preparedness-one that involves the whole community, including individuals, businesses, community- and faith-based organizations, schools, tribes, and all levels of government (Federal, State, local, tribal and territorial). Click on this link to view PPD-8.

Question 4

National Incident Management System (NIMS) Overview

Answer 4

NIMS provides a consistent framework for incident management at all jurisdictional levels regardless of the cause, size, or complexity of the incident.

NIMS provides the Nation’s first responders and authorities with the same foundation for incident management for terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other emergencies.

Click this link to learn more about implementing NIMS.

Click this link to read the NIMS 2017 doctrine.

Question 5

Major Components of NIMS

Answer 5

Jurisdictions and organizations involved in the management of incidents vary in their authorities, management structures, communication capabilities and protocols, and many other factors.

The major components of NIMS provide a common framework to integrate these diverse capabilities and achieve common goals.

• Resource Management
• Command and Coordination
• Communications and Information Management

The application of all three components is vital to successful NIMS implementation.

Click this link to access all information presented.

Question 6

NIMS Management Characteristics

Answer 6

This course builds on what you learned in ICS 100 about NIMS Management Characteristics. The NIMS Management Characteristics are listed below.

• Common Terminology
• Modular Organization
• Management by Objectives
• Incident Action Planning
• Manageable Span of Control
• Incident Facilities and Locations
• Comprehensive Resource Management
• Integrated Communications
• Establishment and Transfer of Command
• Unified Command
• Chain of Command and Unity of Command
• Accountability
• Dispatch/Deployment
• Information and Intelligence Management

lick this link to refresh your knowledge of these features.