The document outlines the outcomes of the Provincial Incident Management Summit held in March 2016, aiming to establish a unified Incident Command System (ICS) for the Gauteng City Region (GCR). It emphasizes the need for a coordinated response to urban disasters and details stakeholder involvement, challenges faced, and resolutions made to improve incident management. The summit also highlighted the importance of training and capacity building among fire and rescue services to enhance disaster resilience in the region.

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Provincial Fire & Rescue Services Unit
OUTCOMES
PROVINCIAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT
16-17 MARCH 2016

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Contents
ACRONYMS........................................................................................................................................................... III
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 4
2. AN EFFECTIVE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM FOR THE GAUTENG CITY REGION.............................................. 5
3. THE PROVINCIAL SUMMIT (16-17 MARCH 2016) ............................................................................................ 7
3.1 Summit purpose.........................................................................................................................................................7
3.2 Summit participants...................................................................................................................................................7
3.3 Workshop presenters and speakers ..........................................................................................................................8
3.3 Presentations delivered at the Summit.....................................................................................................................9
3.4 Resolutions taken.......................................................................................................................................................9
3.5 The way forward......................................................................................................................................................11

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ACRONYMS
CERT - Community Emergency Response Teams
CoGTA - Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Gauteng)
CPR - Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation
D: F&RS - Directorate: Fire & Rescue Services (Gauteng Province)
EDITH - Exit drills in the home
ESC - Essential Services Committee
EPWP - Expanded Public Works Programme
ESKOM - Electricity Supply Commission
GDP - Gross Domestic Product
FBSA - Fire Brigade Services Act No 99 of 1987
KZN - KwaZulu Natal
LRA - Labour Relations Act
NGO - Non-governmental Organization
PDMC - Provincial Disaster Management Centre
PIER - Public Information, Education and Relations
PIER WG - Public Information, Education and Relations Work Group
UNFPA - The United Nations Population Fund
WRDM - West Rand District Municipality

4. 1. INTRODUCTION
Today the majority of the globe’s inhabitants live in cities rather than in rural settings. Far from abating,
this trend is predicted to continue, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) predicts the num-
ber of people living in cities will rise from 3.6 billion in 2011 to five billion in 2030. In addition, the UNFPA
estimates that almost all of the world’s population growth from 2010 to 2030 will take place in urban
areas, particularly in low-and middle-income nations. This increase is more than simple population
growth, but is mostly a result of migration.
The Gauteng City Region is a Global City and offers a variety of economic benefits, present cultural and
social connectivity to its inhabitants, and have centralized services and increased accessibility to these
services available to its citizens. The rapid rate at which the GCR is growing reflects its attractiveness.
Cities are attractive places because they provide opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. The
attractiveness is a result of ongoing globalization, a process of not just economic, but also cultural, social
and technical connection. This has increased the complexity of the Gauteng City Region, permitting
multiple, interdependent flows of a greater variety of goods, services, people, capital, information and
diseases”.
No matter its attractiveness, the GCR can be both the most dangerous or safest place to be when
disasters and emergencies strike. The very characteristics of urban life – such as population
concentrations, places of assembly, compact architectural structures, the variety of economic
opportunities as well as complex, interconnected infrastructure systems – present both challenges and
opportunities in terms of mitigating the impact of major incidents and disasters. Poorly built urban
environments on hazard-prone land, with unregulated construction and inadequate infrastructure, as
well as the low income of many urban communities, significantly increase the vulnerability of
communities. On the other hand, most urban environments offer considerable strengths in terms of
economic production and distribution, human resources, civil society and the availability of services,
which can all be used to significantly reduce disaster risk and vulnerability.
The Province’s most significant natural threats are seismic activities and floods whilst on the manmade
side Informal Settlement Fires, Transportation Accidents and Hazardous Material related emergencies
constitute the most destructive and disruptive of anticipated emergencies. Fire & Rescue Services are
in all the mentioned cases the workhorse public safety agency, i.e.: they are custodians of the majority
skilled workforce, response assets and experience to effectively deal with these events.

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All of Gauteng’s Fire & Rescue Services and other agencies see significant incident volumes, amongst
them the busiest services in the country. They attend to events ranging from complex industrial fires,
hazardous material emergencies and informal settlement fires to more routine dwelling and vegetation
fires as well as traffic accidents. The majority of these Services also render Pre-hospital Care
(Ambulance) Services on an agency basis for the Province which, considering the Province’s high rate of
motor vehicle accidents and incidents of crime, count amongst the busiest response units in the world.
The Gauteng Province consists of three metros (Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane), local
municipalities and District Councils, all co-existing alongside a provincial form of government. The
Gauteng Province is aiming to build Gauteng into a Globally Competitive City Region – hence the
Province is exploring options of how to optimally reconfigure the administrative structures of
government in order to give the Gauteng Region a competitive edge globally.
There are many linkages between the existing three metros in Gauteng, and between other areas of the
province and the metros. Thus, in many respects, a large portion of the province is inter-dependent and
constitutes a city region. Internationally, city regions are expanding in importance in the global economy,
in many cases superseding that of individual cities and even the nation state. While the economy of
these city regions expands (often rapidly) the legal and institutional structures of government often lag
behind and battle to adapt to the new economic climate and activities.
2. An effective Incident Command system for the Gauteng City Region
An effective Incident Management System (IMS) presents standardized organizational structure,
functions, processes, and terminology. An important component of the IMS is a standardized
organizational structure outlining the command and control chains. The standardized functions under
IMS are Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance & Administration. Standardized
processes allow all who respond to the same incident to formulate a unified plan to manage the incident.
The use of standardized IMS plain-language terminology reduces the risk of miscommunication among
the many responders.
The risk profile of the Gauteng City Region (GCR) necessitates the implementation of a single, province-
wide incident management system that is capable of ensuring the effective, coordinated response to
large-scale and complex incidents by the GCR’s various response organizations.

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The need for such a system was borne out of the experiences from several major informal settlement
and other fires over the last few years and months, and was reinforced by the recent train accident at
Booysens Station and several structural collapses, most recently the Grayston Bridge incident.
These incidents underscored the need for us to develop an improved attitude for dealing with incidents
in a well-coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach.
It is necessary to develop a GCR-specific ICS in order to respect and incorporate the unique structures
and relationships that exist within the GCR, while ensuring that the system would also be consistent with
other systems practiced in neighbouring, municipalities and provinces. Wide-scale stakeholder
implementation of the ICS in the GCR is the desired outcome. Even though there has previously been no
standardized province-wide system, there is recognition that many organizations have already been
using versions or aspects of ICS.
The ICS doctrine should be developed with the input of a wide cross-section of the emergency services,
private sectors and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) stakeholders, who represent the views of
associations, service organizations, and the three levels of government. Everyone’s participation will
help to ensure that the doctrine addresses their organizational interests, and should lead to broad
stakeholder implementation, as organizations reference IMS in appropriate policies and plans.
Adopting the principles of ICS, and implementing them in a consistent manner, will contribute towards
more effective & efficient incident management, hence making the GCR safer and more disaster
resilient.
Managing a major response within the GCR – especially a complex, multi-disciplinary response – is one
of the most important challenges facing Fire & Rescue Services today. Effective coordination among
local, provincial, national responders as well as NGOs at the scene of a response is a key factor in
ensuring successful responses to major incidents.
An Incident Command System/Unified Command (ICS/UC) is an efficient on-site tool to manage all
emergency response incidents, and UC is a necessary tool for managing multi-jurisdictional responses to
oil spills or hazardous substance releases.
Understanding the concepts of ICS/UC is as important for local responders, who generally arrive on-
scene first and thus are most likely to implement the management system, as it is for state and federal
organizations that may be joining the ICS/UC.

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3. The Provincial Summit (16-17 March 2016)
3.1 Summit purpose
1. The primary purpose of the Summit is to gain an understanding of the various types of
Incident Management and Command approaches currently in use within the Gauteng City
Region.
2. The secondary purpose is to formulate the basis for the adoption of a common interoperable,
unified and compatible Incident Management and Command system for the GCR.
3. Each stakeholder organization was therefore kindly requested to delegate a responsible
person to present a slideshow presentation on the principles of their respective Incident
Management and Command Systems, highlighting the following:
a. Background;
b. Overview of the IMS
c. Successes and challenges experienced;
d. Training and development program to develop the system;
e. Plans for expansion of the IMS
3.2 Summit participants
a. Provincial Fire & Disaster Management Units
b. District, Metro and Local Fire & Disaster Management Units
c. Bombela Operating Company
d. Provincial EMS
e. SANRAL
f. PRASA
g. Off Road Rescue
Other participants who were invited, but were unable to attend are SAPS and SANRAL.

8. 3.3 Workshop presenters and speakers
SPEAKER ORGANIZATION DESIGNATION TOPIC
1. Dr BE Sithole Gauteng Provincial Disaster
Management Centre
Head: Provincial Disaster
Management Centre
GCR Concept
2. Ms L Ngubane Gauteng Provincial Disaster
Management Centre
Director: Provincial Disaster
Management Services
Incident Management – Disaster
Management Perspective
3. Mr RG Hendricks Gauteng Provincial Disaster
Management Centre
Director: Provincial Disaster
Management Services
Legal Framework for ICS in Gauteng
GCR
4. Mr C Masinge Lesedi Local Municipality Chief Fire Officer Case Study: Lesedi Incident
5. Mr A Mucavele City of Johannesburg EMS Deputy Director: Fire Services
Operations
Case Study: Booysens Train Accident
6. Mr K Malebana Provincial EMS Director: Operations EMS Incident Management
7. Mr H Luvalo Bombela Operating
Company
Executive: SHEQ Gautrain Project and Response Plan
overview and incident Case Study
8. Mr I Rimmer Gauteng Off Road Rescue Training Officer Incident management procedures and
incident case study
9. Mr C Jordaan West Rand District
Municipality Disaster
Management Centre
Coordinator: Disaster
Management Centre
Case Study: Key West Building
Collapse Incident
10.Mr Sean Links PRASA SHEQ Manager PRASA IMS System and incident case
Study

9. 3.3 Presentations delivered at the Summit
Day 1:
1. Dr BE Sithole – Gauteng City Region Concept
2. RG Hendricks – Overview of ICS within municipal Fire & Rescue Services
a) Historic Overview of ICS
b) Principles of ICS
c) Incident Command, Command Staff and General Staff
3. Ms Lindo Ngubane – IMS: Disaster Management Perspective
4. Mr Hubert Luvalo: Project Overview; Emergency Response procedures
5. Mr Kgati Malebana; EMS MIMMS
6. Mr Ivor Rimmer – Gauteng Off Road Rescue
Day 2:
1. Mr Hubert Luvalo – Case Study: Muckleneuk Train Incident
2. Mr Casper Jordaan – Case Study: Key West Building Collapse
3. Ms Dorcas Mokoena – Overview of PRASA Incident Command System
4. Mr Andries Mucavele – Case Study: Booysens Train Incidents
5. Mr Sean Links – Case Study: Denver Train Incident
6. Mr Clement Masinge: Case Study: Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve Fire
3.4 Resolutions taken
Incident Command Systems
1. Existing ICS amongst Fire Services are very similar; this makes switching to the unified ICS
amongst Fire Services much easier;
2. EMS, PRASA, Gautrain, SAPS and other have their own strong ICS systems which can be
accommodated under the Unified Command structure provided by ICS;
3. Mutually acceptable Incident Typing is required within the GCR;
4. A need exists for joint training ventures to educate each other on the various ICS plans.
5. Incident Command is what we do and forms a core part of our business;
6. A Unified Command System is required for integrated and coordinated management of multi-
agency response operations;

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7. A comprehensive guidance framework is also required to all agency responsibilities on ICS
with GCR;
Capacity Building
1. There is a need for Provincially Coordinated exercises to be held more regularly - Lack of
exposure can lead to risk aversion and decision inertia.
2. Training, training and more training – The experience gap must be bridged
3. The ‘professionalization’ of incident command – assertive, effective and safe incident
commanders.
The future of ICS
1. The operational arena remains dynamic and ever changing; there is a great need to gain
and maintain competence across a widening range of incidents.
2. The Provincial risk profile dictates that a coordinated approach is required to deal with the
complexity of incidents.
Command Systems
1. There is a need for more interagency discussions and/or multi-disciplinary exercises are
required;
2. Command establishment, identification, location and functioning are provided for;
3. Unified command is catered for through establishment of crisis teams placed within JOC,
forward control points, Control centers etc.
4. Chain of command and unity of command;
5. Incident typing are in place; although it differs across the various agency plans;
6. Makes provision for Action Plan, record keeping, activation, mobilization and demobilization
of resources;
7. Staging of Resources;
8. All risk approach
9. Command, support and general staff roles and responsibilities are in place
Challenges with ICS
1. On-scene coordination
2. Record management

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3. Stakeholder participation
4. Crowd control during incidents
5. Media Liaison
6. Slow escalation of incidents
7. Lack of Pre-planning
8. Mutual Aid agreements
9. Lack of Preparedness exercises
3.5 The way forward
It was resolved that continued engagement with stakeholders are required to:
1. Identify areas of interagency interface;
2. To improve support amongst stakeholders;
3. To ensure greater understanding of the Unified Command;
4. Desk top exercise within 4 weeks form last day of Summit to test the current level of
preparedness and to determine the gaps;
5. Compilation of Action Plan to deal with ICS and the roll-out of joint training plan.
Provincial Fire & Rescue Services Commitment
It was also resolved that the P: F&RS take the lead establishment of unified ICS:
1. A follow-up meeting will be coordinated by P: F&RS, hosted by PRASA;
2. The P: F&RS recognizes the need for ICS system to effectively manage all risks within the
GCR;
3. Roll-out of ICS within the GCR forms part of APP and Operational Plans for 2016/2017;
4. Also forms the basis of its Strategic Plan for 2014/2020;
5. Funding available for ICS training and simulation exercises;
6. Parallel process of improving resources and capacity building needs within Districts and LM –
first responder capabilities;