Understanding the Incident Command System to Effectively Manage Emergencies

The Incident Command System

The Incident Command System is a standardized on site incident management model intended to allow responders to adopt a temporary integrated organizational structure. This emergency response structure should result in an incident management model aligned with the complexity and demands of any single incident or multiple incidents without being hampered by the limitations of the operational management structure. The operational management structure is normally designed to achieve the optimum management ability in a stable and structured environment. During emergencies it has been demonstrated that the normal management model utilized in a company is not the best structure to effectively manage the incident.

A well designed command system for emergencies should be designed to have a significant ability of structural flexibility. It should be able to expand or contract, dependant on the needs of any particular emergency. This designed in flexibility is one of the primary factors that makes it an effective, practical and commercially viable alternative to the traditional way of managing both small and large emergencies.

Communications

One of the critical success factors of this system is the ability to effectively communicate internally as well as externally. This requirement is often confused with the availability of suitable communications hardware.

The importance of communications hardware is not disputed however an essential component for ensuring effective communications is the utilization of a common emergency response language. This implies that standard terminology is used and that codes, such as those normally used during radio communications, are kept to the absolute minimum.

Structure

An effective organizational structure to manage a crisis is one that can be deployed in a modular way, based on the size and complexity as well as the specific hazard associated with the incident. The structure should be implemented in a top-down manner congruent with the extent and severity of the emergency that needs to be dealt with.

It is the norm to expand the emergency response organization structure from the top down as the complexity and extent of the incident increases and the functional responsibilities are delegated.

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