Incident Command System in the Private Sector - An Overview

Emergency Management &
Safety Solutions

Incident Command System – Best
Practices in Emergency Management

Emergency Management & Safety Solutions
Agenda
•  ICS 101 – what is ICS and why you should use it!
•  The eight hallmarks of ICS
•  The journey to change a company – converting
PG&E to ICS.
•  The tools that were developed.
•  How it was rolled out.
•  Lessons learned and suggestions for you.
•  Orientation exercise highlighting the Incident Action
Planning process

March 2010 www.ems-solutionsinc.com 2

My Observation…
•  If companies can do THREE things at the beginning
of an incident they will be FAR ahead of the game.
1.  Need to have a clearly defined assessment
process, team and triggers.
2.  Clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
3.  Able to develop a succinct action plan with
clearly written strategic objectives, assignments
and working periods (operational periods) before
reconvening.


My Goal
To demonstrate that the Incident
Command System (ICS)
provides an ideal structure in
a utility and business setting
for:
1.  Command
2.  Control
3.  Coordination
4.  Collaboration
5.  Communication
6.  Consistency


What is the Incident Command System (ICS)?
•  ICS is a well organized, team approach for managing critical
incidents.
–  Was developed in the Fire Service in the 70’s in California to
deal with fast moving wildfires.
•  ICS is now used widely throughout the United States:
–  National Response Plan (NRP).
–  Foundation to NIMS
–  Homeland Security Presidential Directive #5 (HSPD-5).
•  Mandatory for all federal agencies and in order to remain
eligible for federal funding, state governments must use
ICS.


ICS History
• ICS was designed to manage
rapidly moving wildfires and to
address reoccurring problems.
• Too many people reporting to one
supervisor
• Different emergency response
organizational structure
• Lack of reliable incident
information
• Inadequate and incompatible
communications


ICS History
§ Lack of structure for
coordinated planning
among agencies
(departments).
§ Unclear lines of authority.
§ Terminology differences
among agencies
(departments).
§ Unclear or unspecified
incident objectives.


Hallmarks of ICS
•  It has the following eight hallmarks:
1.  Manageable Span of Control
2.  Common Terminology
3.  Modular/Scalable Organization
4.  Integrated Communications
5.  Unified Command Structure
6.  Consolidated Action Plans
7.  Pre-designated Command Centers
8.  Comprehensive Resource Management


Manageable Span of Control
•  A manageable span of control is defined as the
number of individuals one supervisor can manage
effectively.
–  Management theory notes that the number of
subordinates one supervisor can manage
effectively is usually 3-7, the optimum is 5.


Common Terminology
•  Common terminology is essential in any system,
especially when diverse groups are involved in the
response.
–  Multiple departments and/or locations.
–  Critical when it is not an activity you perform on a
“regular” basis.
•  When possible, minimize use of abbreviations,
acronyms or confusing terminology to improve
communication.


Modular/ Scalable Organization
• A modular organization
develops from the top-down
at any incident.
– All incidents regardless of
size or complexity will always
have an Incident
Commander (IC).
• The organization can
expand/shrink according to
the needs of the situation.
– Only activate what you
need.


Integrated Communications
• Integrated communications is a
system that uses:
– Standard operating
procedures.
– Common communications
plan.
– Common equipment.
– Common terminology.
• The sophistication will likely
depend on the size and
complexity of the organization
and the incident.


Unified Command Structure
•  A unified command allows all departments or groups
with responsibility for the incident, to manage an
incident.
–  By establishing a common set of incident
objectives and strategies.
•  Unified command does not mean losing or giving up
agency (departmental) authority, responsibility, or
accountability.
–  It simply provides for a coordinated response.


Consolidated Action Plans (AP)
•  Consolidated AP’s describe:
–  Current status of the incident.
–  Strategic objectives.
–  Team assignments.
–  Resource allocations.
•  Action plans are written around an operational periods (OP):
–  The OP is the time your team has to work on the action plan
before the team leaders and IC meet to discuss progress
and chart a new course.
–  At the beginning of an incident the time frame is often short,
2 - 4 hours and expands with time.
–  The Incident Commander and team leads determines the
length of the OP.


Pre-designated Command Centers

•  Pre-designated command
centers that are appropriate
for the risk and hazards.
–  Primary.
–  Secondary.
–  Tertiary (if appropriate
based on your risk
assessment).
•  Determine location once you
have done a hazard analysis.


Comprehensive Resource Management
• Comprehensive resource
management allows an
organization to:
– Maximize resource use.
– Consolidate control of
single resources.
– Reduce the
communications load.
– Provide accountability.
– Ensure personnel safety.


Five Teams in ICS

Command - Executive
Incident Commander Management

Planning &
Operations Logistics Finance
Intelligence


The One Word Definition
•  Command
–  Manages
•  Operations
–  Does
•  Logistics
–  Cares
•  Planning & Intelligence
–  Plans
•  Finance
–  Pays


Command
•  Sets priorities and objectives and is responsible for overall
command and responsibility of the incident.
•  In charge of all functions.
•  Directs, controls, orders resources.
•  Resolves conflict in the teams.
•  Implements policy decisions.
•  Provides interface to Executive Management.
•  Who makes a good IC?
–  Strong leadership skills.
–  Decisive - not afraid to make a decision.
–  Good overall understanding of the business.
–  Well respected by their peers and senior management.


Operations
•  The responsibility for all tactical operations necessary to carry
out the plan (response and recovery).
–  Initial damage inspection.
–  Establish situation control.
–  Develop situation status reports (sit reps).
–  Front line responders - they resolve the issues.
•  Goal - restore business back to “business as usual”
•  Team includes the key “backbone” aspects of the business:
–  Facilities.
–  Security.
–  IT/Telecom.
–  Safety.


Planning & Intelligence
•  Responsible for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of
information concerning incident development.
•  Takes the situation reports (from Ops) and evaluates
information.
•  Applies “intelligence” to the situation and action plans.
•  Make recommendations for action based on event & plans.
•  Team is comprised of:
–  BCP.
–  Key lines of business.
–  Corporate Communications.
–  Legal.
–  Investor Relations.


Logistics
•  Responsible for providing the necessary support to meet
incident human needs.
–  Food.
–  Shelter.
–  Transportation.
–  Medical support.
–  Counseling.
•  Primary responsibility is the “care & feeding” of the teams.
–  All of the human aspects of the disaster.
–  Human Resources.
–  Meeting Services/Travel.
–  Employee Assistance.


Finance
•  Responsible for monitoring and documenting all costs. Provides
the necessary financial support related to the incident.
•  Establishes a paper trail for all expenditures.
•  Payroll, emergency purchase orders and cash, “P” cards and
other critical cash issues.
•  Works with insurance companies regarding reimbursement &
worker’s compensation insurance.
–  Finance.
–  Risk.
–  Insurance.
–  Payroll.
–  Treasury Operations
–  Procurement (although sometimes in Logistics)


ICS Benefits
•  Flow of information and resources within and
between all teams and at all levels of the
organization.
–  Especially helpful for companies with multiple
locations.
•  Coordination between teams.
•  Rapid mobilization, deployment & tracking of
resources.
•  Development of trends & patterns.
•  Minimizes confusion & errors.


Executives - Where are they?
•  Ideally not part of the Incident Response Team.
•  They have four overall responsibilities:
1.  Strategic and policy oversight
2.  Approval of large expenditure requests.
3.  Senior statesperson role to all key stakeholders-
employees, major customers, investor
community, board of directors, etc.
4.  Media spokesperson if the situation warrants it.


What do you call this team?
•  Years ago they were typically called Local Incident
Crisis Management Teams. Response Team
•  Now there are more likely to be called
as Corporate Incident Response
Team or the Corporate Incident
Management Team. Corporate
•  Why a change? Incident
Response Team
–  Teams activate for many
occasions not just a crisis.
–  Crisis implies that you are
overwhelmed and that the situation Executive
has gotten ahead of you. Management
(EMT)


International Insurance Company
Command Executive
•Legal
•Sr Comm Mgmt.

Operations Logistics Planning/ Finance
•Real Estate •HR Intelligence •Finance
•Facilities •Employee •BCP •Purchasing/
•IS Relations •Corp Comm. Procurement
•Telecom •Corp Meeting •Insurance •Payroll
•Corp. Security & Travel •Legal
•Safety & •Aviation •Security
Health •Admin Supp. •Six Strategic
SBU’s

International Bank
Executive
Management
Incident Command

Planning and Finance and
Operations Logistics
Intelligence Administration
Corporate Business Units Human Resources Accounting
Real Estate
Corporate Benefits Insurance
Life Safety Communications
EAP Payroll
Protective Services Corporate Marketing
Admin. Support Purchasing
IT/Telecom Investor Relations
Legal


Prestigious University
Policy
Group

Public
Command Information

Planning & Logistics &
Operations Intelligence Finance


ICS to the Rescue!

ICS



THANK YOU!

Regina Phelps, CEM, RN, BSN, MPA
San Francisco, California
415-643-4300
www.ems-solutionsinc.com


Incident Command System in the Private Sector - An Overview

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