ICS Functional Areas and Command Staff Roles Flashcards
What are the five major Incident Command System functional areas that are the foundation on which an incident management organization develops?
- Command
- Operations
- Planning
- Logistics
- Finance/Administration
What does ICS functional area Incident Command do?
Sets the incident objectives, strategies, and priorities, and has overall responsibility for the incident.
What does ICS functional area Operations do?
Conducts operations to reach the incident objectives. Establishes tactics and directs all operational resources.
What does ICS functional area Planning do?
Supports the incident action planning process by tracking resources, collecting/analyzing information, and maintaining documentation.
What does ICS functional area Logistics do?
Arranges for resources and needed services to support achievement of the incident objectives. Resources can include personnel, equipment, teams, supplies, and facilities.
What does ICS functional area Finance/Administration do?
Monitors costs related to the incident. Provides accounting, procurement, time recording and cost analysis.
What is a sixth ICS function identified in the NIMS?
Intelligence/Investigations or “I/I”.
Why might the Intelligence/Investigations function be established?
To collect, analyze, and disseminate incident-related information and intelligence for incidents involving intensive intelligence gathering and investigative activity
If the Intelligence/Investigations (I/I) function is required, where would the Incident Command (or Unified Command) place it in the Incident Command structure?
It may be placed in multiple locations, based on factors such as the nature of the incident, the level of I/I activity, and the relationship of I/I to other incident activities.
How does the National Incident Management System (NIMS) define command?
The act of directing, ordering, or controlling by virtue of explicit statutory, regulatory, or delegated authority.
What is the only position that is always staffed in ICS applications?
Incident Commander
What are the responsibilities of the Incident Commander?
- Overall management of the incident.
- Ensuring overall incident safety.
- Providing information services to internal and external stakeholders, such as disaster survivors, agency executives, and senior officials.
- Establishing and maintaining liaisons with other agencies participating in the incident.
May the Incident Commander appoint deputies?
Yes. If a deputy is assigned, they should be fully qualified to assume the Incident Commander’s position.
The Incident Commander is responsible for all Incident Command System (ICS) functional areas until the Incident Commander delegates a function. True or False?
True. If a function is not staffed the Incident Commander assumes that function.
In the Incident Command System (ICS) the Command Staff may include what staff?
- Public Information Officer (interfaces with public and/or with other agencies media with incident-related information requirements).
- Safety Officer (monitors incident operations and advises the Incident Command on all matters related to safety, including the health and safety of the incident management personnel.
- Liaison Officer (servers as the Incident Commander’s point of contact for representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector organizations.
incident Commanders can choose to appoint technical specialists (such as legal, medical, science and technology, or access or functional needs) to act as command advisors. True or false?
True
What are the our overarching ares of responsibility that effective incident management consists of?
- Direct tactical response to save lives, stabilize the incident, and protect property and the environment.
- Incident support through resource acquisition, information gathering, and inter-agency coordination.
- Policy guidance and senior level decision making.
- Outreach and communication with the media and public to keep them informed about the incident.
The objectives of effective incident management are accomplished through the use of what?
- Incident Command system (ICS);
- Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs);
- Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) groups; and
- Joint Information System (JIF), respectively.
What does EOC stand for?
Emergency Operations Center
What does MAC stand for?
Multi-Agency Coordination
What does JIF stand for?
Joint Information System
Typically, what function does an Emergency Operations Center perform?
Supports the on-scene response by relieving the Incident Commander of the burden of external coordination and the responsibility for securing additional resources.
What is an Emergency Operations Center?
- A physical or virtual location where the staff from multiple agencies comes together to address imminent threats and hazards.
- Staffed with personnel train for, and authorized to, represent their agency/discipline.
- Equipped with mechanisms for communicating with the incident site.
- Providing support to the incident by obtaining resources.
- Applicable at different levels of the government.
At what levels may the EOC be established?
- Federal
- State
- Territorial
- Tribal
- Local
The Joint Information Center (JIC) may be established to do what?
- Coordinate all incident-related public information activities.
- Serve 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.
Establishing priorities among incidents is an example of what?
Incident Coordination
Synchronizing public information messages is an example of what?
Incident Coordination
Collect, analyze, and disseminate information is an example of what?
Incident Coordination
Establish objectives, make assignments, and order resources is an example of what?
Incident Command
