Intro to ICS Lesson 1 Flashcards
What Is the Incident Command System?
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized approach to incident management that:
• Enables a coordinated response among various jurisdictions and agencies.
• Establishes common processes for planning and managing resources.
Allows for the integration of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure.
Disaster can strike anytime, anywhere and take many forms such as:
A hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado, a
flood, a fire or a hazardous spill, or an act of terrorism.
TRUE or FALSE
An incident can build over days or weeks, or hit suddenly, without warning.
TRUE- An incident can build over days or weeks, or hit suddenly, without warning.
ICS is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards approach to incident management.
ICS allows all responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure that matches the complexities and demands of the incident while respecting agency and jurisdictional authorities.
Does ICS allow for flexibility?
YES- ICS is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards approach to incident management.
ICS allows all responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure that matches the complexities and demands of the incident while respecting agency and jurisdictional authorities.
Although ICS promotes standardization, it is not without needed flexibility.
For example, the ICS organizational structure can expand or contract to meet incident
needs.
What is origin of Incident Command System?
The Incident Command System was developed in the 1970s following a series of catastrophic fires in California.
Property damage ran into the millions, and many people died or were injured.
Homeland Security Presidential Directives
In response to attacks on September 11, 2001, the President issued the following Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs): HSPD-5 and HSPD-8 refer to?
HSPD-5 identified steps for improved coordination in response to incidents.
It requires 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 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.”
National Incident Management System (NIMS)
NIMS provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment.
National Response Framework (NRF)
The NRF is a guide to how the Nation conducts all-hazards response – from the smallest incident to the largest catastrophe.
This key document establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response.
The Framework identifies the key response principles, roles, and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government, and private-sector and nongovernmental partners apply these principles for a coordinated, effective national response.
NIMS is a consistent, nationwide, systematic approach that includes the following components:
Preparedness
Communications & Information Management
Resource Management
Command and Management
Ongoing Management and Maintenance
Command and Management Elements
NIMS Components: Preparedness
Effective emergency management and incident response activities begin with a host of preparedness
activities conducted on an ongoing basis, in advance of any potential incident. Preparedness involves an
integrated combination of assessment; planning; procedures and protocols; training and exercises;
personnel qualifications, licensure, and certification; equipment certification; and evaluation and revision.
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.
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.
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.
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.
NIMS Components: 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
Public Information.
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.
Without ICS, incident responses typically:
Lack accountability, because of unclear chains of command and supervision.
Have poor communications, due to both inefficient uses of available communications systems and
conflicting codes and terminology.
Use unsystematic planning processes and fail to reach objectives.
Are unable to efficiently integrate responders into standard organizational structures and roles.
ICS is based on decades of lessons learned. Using management best practices, ICS helps to ensure:
The safety of responders, community members, and others.
The achievement of response objectives.
The efficient use of resources.
ICS has been tested in more than 30 years of emergency and nonemergency applications, by all levels of
government and in nongovernmental and private–sector organizations.
ICS can be used to manage any type of incident, including a planned event (e.g., traffic checkpoint, parade, etc.).
The use of ICS is applicable to all hazards, including:
Natural Hazards: Disasters, such as fires, tornadoes, floods, ice storms, earthquakes, or epidemics.
Technological Hazards: Dam breaks, radiological or hazmat releases, power failures, or medical
device defects.
Human-Caused Hazards: Criminal or terrorist acts, school violence, or other civil disturbances.
ICS: Not Just For Large-Scale Incidents
As a system, ICS is extremely useful. Not only does it provide an organizational structure for incident management,
but it also guides the process for planning, building, and adapting that structure.
Using ICS for every incident or planned event helps improve and maintain skills needed for the large-scale
incidents.
