2009

The Basics of Incident Command

“ICS got its start back in the

1970s as a result of fires in
California”
Rob Vajko

5/1/2009
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The Basics of Incident Command

Defining the Terms
The first step in setting up an ICS (Incident Command System) is to identify the terms:

Incident – FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) defines an incident as “an

occurrence, either caused by humans or natural phenomena, that requires response actions to
prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or the environment.”

This would include earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hazardous material spills, search and rescue
missions, acts of terrorism, fires, crimes and crime scene investigations and more.

The nature of these incidents usually means that there is more than one federal, State or local
agency involved. Furthermore, there may be several different departments involved (emergency,
fire, medical, police, public works, EMS, DOT, etc…). Private contractors may also be present.

Command System – Is exactly what it says it is, namely a system of hierarchy or chain of
command designed to make clear who’s in charge and who is to report to whom and to facilitate
interdepartmental cooperation. In the words of the Homeland security document it “allows its
users to adopt an integrated organizational structure to match the complexities and demands of
single or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries.”

Where ICS got its start

ICS got its start back in the 1970s as a result of fires in California. As they looked at how these
fires were handled, it became clear that there was a lot of work to do to help the various
organizations involved work together better in the future. “Inadequate Management” was the
most serious issue and involved such problems as:

1. Unclear chain of command

2. Poor communication most due to different codes and systems from one department and
agency to the next
3. Lack of planning
4. Poor supervision
5. Rigid structures that didn’t allow for the flexibility needed in such situations

In 2003, Bush signed the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 which mandated a National
Incident Management System (NIMS). At the core of this directive was the implementation of a
procedure for handling multi-departmental emergencies. This was primarily a result of the 9/11

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terrorist attacks that necessitated almost every single agency, including the private sector to work
together.

The Goals and Purposes of ICS

The ICS was designed to:

1. Provide a means of dealing with any incident regardless of the type and size of the
incident.
2. Allow various agencies to work together effectively
3. Provide the logistics and administrative support needed
4. Provide the most cost effective means of dealing with the incident(s)

How ICS goes about attaining their goal

ICS seeks to provide a comprehensive and functional program by following these 14
management characteristics:

1. Common Language - Ban all agency specific codes or jargon. These have been replaced
with cross-departmental and cross-agency words, functions and titles. This common
terminology applies to organizational functions, resources, facilities and titles.
2. Organization - Create a modular approach to the organization of the personnel on site.
This modular approach allows for flexibility. As the complexity of the incident increases,
the organization expands from the top down.
3. Manage by objectives – A step by step procedural approach allows all on-site personnel
to share goals and objectives. This is done by…

a. Establishing overarching incident objectives.

b. Developing strategies based on overarching incident objectives.
c. Developing and issuing assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols.
d. Establishing specific, measurable tactics or tasks for various incident
management functional activities, and directing efforts to accomplish them, in
support of defined strategies.
e. Documenting results to measure performance and facilitate corrective actions. 1
4. Incident Action Planning (IAP) – The IAP may be written or oral. It must contain the
objectives and direction. The purpose of the IAP is to clearly communicate the direction
and goals to all personnel involved in the management of the incident.

1
Taken from the ICS Management Characteristics page of the FEMA website at
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/ICSpopup.htm#item3

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5. Manageable Span of Control – This refers to the number of people or resources that a
single supervisor can effectively manage. The recommended span of control is one
supervisor for five people or resource elements.
6. Incident Facilities and locations necessary for the proper management of the incident
are to be clearly identified and communicated. This may include:
a. the Incident Command Post (ICP) from which the Incident Commander operates

It is identified on the map by this symbol

b. the staging area where personnel and resources are temporarily kept pending
deployment and assignment

It is identified on the map by this symbol

c. the base from which logistics and administration functions

It is identified on the map by this symbol

d. the camp which is a temporary support location which may be necessary if the
base is not accessible to everyone

It is identified on the map by this symbol

e. the Helibase which is the Helicopter central

It is identified on the map by this symbol

f. the Helispot(s) which identify where helicopters may land to aid in incident
management.

It is identified on the map by this symbol

7. Resource Management – These are either tactical resources or support resources and it
is important to properly track and manage them in order the maximize efficiency without
duplication as well as for economic reasons.
Resources are either “assigned” (specifically allocated), “Available” (can be used if and
when needed) or “Out-of-service” (which are no longer available or have been retired).
The process by which these resources are managed are crucial as well. Resources must be
categorized, ordered, dispatched, tracked and recovered.
8. Integrated Communications – “interoperability” is a key concept in integrated
communications. It is crucial that all departments and agencies be able to communicate
with each other and that one set of radios or computers, etc… be able to communicate

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with another. The ICS 205 form is designed to facilitate the development of such as
system. You can download it from the NIMS (National Incident Management System)
website at http://www.nims.ws/.
9. Establishment and transfer of Command – From the very onset, it is crucial that there
be no question about who is in charge onsite and, if that jurisdiction authority has to
change for whatever reason it is mandated that the transfer be accurately documented and
handled in such a manner as to make sure that effective operations are maintained at all
times.
10. Chain of Command and Unity of Command. Refers to the line of authority and the
need for every person present to have someone to report to. The chain of command and
the unity of command avoids conflicts in the different departments and makes sure that
there is no redundancy or holes in what needs to be done.
The command may take one of two forms:
a. A Single Command – where one person is in charge of the incident
b. A Unified Command – where multiple agencies and/or departments share
command.
11. Unified Command
Unified commands are needed when…
a. There multiple jurisdictions involved
b. There are more than one agency involved
c. A combination of both multiple jurisdictions and agencies

In a unified command the Incident Action Plan directs the incident activities.

12. Accountability: It is essential that all agencies and all departments be held accountable
for their use of the resources, the way that they spend their time and for the actions that
they take during the length of the incident response. Among the essential guidelines for
which they will be held accountable are the following:

• Check-In/Check-Out – All responders must check-in and check-out in order to

be assigned their duties and/or resources
• Incident Action Planning – Individuals, departments and agencies will be held
accountable for the degree to which they adhere to the IAP.
• Unity of Command – Was the unity of command adhered to? Did every
individual have a single supervisor? Did each responder know who their
supervisor was?
• Span of Control – Did all supervisors feel that the number of responders under
them was adequate and not too large to be controlled effectively?
• Resource Tracking – Were all resources tracked and recorded accurately?

13. Mobilization - Dispatch/Deployment – It is crucial during a response that resources and

personnel only respond or are deployed when requested by the appropriate chain of

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command. Individual initiatives can be a burden to properly allocated resources and

unified commands.
14. Information and Intelligence Management: As crucial as resources or personnel, it is
vital that information be properly shared, analyzed and managed.

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ICS Structures, organizations and functions

Regardless of the incident, there is always an incident commander whose function it is to oversee
all operations, objective and who job it is to set priorities.

Under the Incident Commander, there are four sections:

1. Operations
2. Planning
3. Logistics
4. Finance/Administration

It can be shown like this:

While all five sections are required for every incident, not all five will necessarily be staffed.
Only the Incident Commander will always be staffed. If this position is the only one staffed, for
example, the incident commander would also assume responsibility for the four sections outlined
above.

This is the basic structure. This structure can expand to meet the specific need of the incident
with additional sections and position titles added. We will look at each of them now.

As additional personnel are needed additional titles and positions are assigned in order to
maintain the span of control.

As a result, the structure may look more like this:

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Taken from the Wikipedia website at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incident_Command_System

Any change or transfer of the Incident Commander requires a briefing for the incoming Incident
Commander as well as clear communication to all personnel as to the transfer.

Above the four sections we mentioned earlier there can be three officers who together make up
the Command Staff. There are:

1. The Public Information Officer who job it is to communicate about the incident to all
outside agencies, including media.
2. The Safety Officer who is responsible to monitor the safety of all personnel involved in
the incident.
3. The Liaison Officer whose’ main function is to provide support and effective
communications between the various agencies.

Now, let’s look at the different sections

The Operations Section

This is where the resources are assigned and the fieldwork is done. Under this section, in order to
keep the span of control there may be further sub sections called:

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1. Divisions - divisions are based on geography. The leader of a division is called a

Supervisor. Divisions are most commonly assigned a letter of the alphabet to
differential them.
2. Groups - groups are based on areas of operation. Again, as in divisions, the leader is
called a Supervisor. Groups are most commonly labeled according to the types of work
that group is doing (i.e. electrical group, evacuation group, etc…)
3. Branches - branches can be either geographic or functional and are primarily used
when the number of groups or divisions exceeds the span of control. Branch leaders are
called Directors.

Task Forces, Strike Teams and Single Resources are additional divisions that may be used.

This chart from the OSHA website, outlines the recommendations for the various sections of
Operations, based on the size of the incident.

Operations
SIZE OF INCIDENT (NUMBER OF DIVISIONS)
UNIT POSITION 2 5 10 15 25
Operations Section Chief One Per Operational Period
Branch Director 2 3 4 6
Division/Group Supervisor 2 5 10 15 25
Strike Team Leaders As Needed
Task Force Leaders As Needed
Air Operations Director 1 1 1 1
Air Tactical Group Supervisor 1 1 1 1 1
Air Tanker/Fixed Wing Coordinator As Needed
Helicopter Coordinator As Needed
Air Support Group Supervisor 1 1 1 1 1
Helibase Manager One Per Helibase
Helispot Manager One Per Helispot
Fixed Wing Support Leader One Per Airport
Staging Area Manager One Per Staging Area

For a more in-depth understanding of these various divisions and responsibilities visit the OSHA
website and download the various requirements for each position in a PDF format:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/ics_tasks.html

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The Planning Section

The Planning Section “is responsible for the collection, evaluation, dissemination and use of information
about the development of the incident and the status of resources.”

Under the Planning Section are the following:

1. Resources Unit – this unit is responsible for all check-in and check-out activities as well as
tracking the status of resources. They will also be very involved in the ICP.
2. Situation Unit – This unit is primarily responsible for information. They will be the ones to create
the maps and to keep the maps up-to-date.
3. Documentation Unit – Responsible for copying, updating and archiving all relevant documents.
4. Demobilization Unit- This unit is responsible to the resources, making sure that they are
distributed as needed.
5. Technical Specialists – This unit may be needed if the incident requires special technical
expertise.

As in the Operations section, OSHA has a similar chart for the planning section, as shown below:

Planning
SIZE OF INCIDENT (NUMBER OF DIVISIONS)
UNIT POSITION 2 5 10 15 25
Planning Section Chief One Per Incident
Resources Unit Leader 1 1 1 1 1
Status Recorders 1 2 3 3 3
Check-In Recorders As Needed
Volunteer Coordinator As Needed
Technical Specialists As Needed
Situation Unit Leader 1 1 1 1 1
Field Observer 1 2 2 3
Weather Observer As Needed
Display/Report Processor 1 1 1 2
Aerial/Ortho Photo Analyst As Needed
IR Equipment Operators Two (If Needed)
Computer Terminal Operator 1 1 1 1
Photographer 1 1 1
Environmental Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Documentation Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Demobilization Unit Leader 1 1 1
Staging Area Manager One Per Staging Area

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Again, as in the Operations Section, OSHA has a downloadable description of the various duties involved
for each of these positions.
They are available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/ics_tasks.html

The Logistics Section

The logistics section is responsible for all support and services (equipment, food services,
facilities, transportation, communications, medical,etc…)

Logistics can have two branches with three units under each as follows:

Support Branch
1. Supply Unit – Takes care of supplies needed
2. Facilities Unit – Manages Incident Base and Camps.
3. Ground Support Unit – Arranges transportation

Service Branch
1. Communication Unit – Manages and implements the Incident Communication Plan.
2. Medical Unit – Takes care of the Medical Plan and First Aid
3. Food Unit – Provides food and drink for all personnel during the incident.

Again, as in the Operations Section and the Planning Section, OSHA has a downloadable description of
the various duties involved for each of these positions.
They are available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/ics_tasks.html

The OSHA chart for the logistics section is shown below:

Logistics
SIZE OF INCIDENT (NUMBER OF DIVISIONS)
UNIT POSITION 2 5 10 15 25
Logistics Section Chief One Per Incident
Service Branch Director As Needed
Communications Unit Leader 1 1 1 1 1
Incident Communications Manager 1 1 1 1 1
Incident Dispatcher 1 2 3 3 4
Message Center Operator 1 1 2 2
Messenger 1 2 2 2

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Communications Technician 1 2 4 4
Medical Unit Leader 1 1 1 1 1
Medical Unit Leader Assistant As Needed
Responder Rehabilitation Manager As Needed
Food Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Food Unit Assistant (each camp) As Needed
Cook 1 1 2 2
Assistant Cook 2 2 6 12
Helper 8 8 16 24
Support Branch Director As Needed
Supply Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Camp Supply Assistant (each camp) As Needed
Ordering Manager 1 1 1
Receiving/Distribution Manager 1 1 1 1
Tool/Equipment Specialist 1 1 1
Recorders 1 1 2 2
Helpers 2 2 2 2
Facility Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Base Manager 1 1 1 1
Camp Manager (each camp) As Needed
Facility Maintenance Specialist 1 1 1 1
Security Manager 1 1 1 1
Helpers 6 6 12 12
Ground Support Unit Leader 1 1 1 1 1
Equipment Manager 1 1 1 1
Assistants As Needed
Equipment Timekeeper 1 1 1 1
Mechanics 1 1 3 5 7
Drivers As Needed
Operators As Needed
Vessel Support Unit Leader As Needed

The Finance/Administration Section

The Finance/Administration section is responsible for “responsible for all financial, administrative, and
cost analysis aspects of the incident” (cost analysis, compensation, timekeeping, contract negotiations).

There are four units under the Finance/Administration Section:

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1. Procurement Unit – Deals with contracts, leases and other financial matters.
2. Time Unit – Tracks and monitors timekeeping for all personnel.
3. Cost Unit – Cost analyses, estimates and recommendations
4. Compensation/Claims Unit – Handles all compensation claims for injuries and claims pertaining
to the incident.

Again, as in the other Section, OSHA has a downloadable description of the various duties involved for
each of these positions.
They are available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/ics_tasks.html

The OSHA chart for the Finance/Administration section is shown below:

Finance/Admin
SIZE OF INCIDENT (NUMBER OF DIVISIONS)
UNIT POSITION 2 5 10 15 25
Finance/Administration Section
One Per Incident
Chief
Time Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Time Recorder, Personnel 1 3 3 5
Time Recorder, Equipment 1 2 2 3
Procurement Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Compensation/Claims Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Compensation Specialist As Needed
Claims Specialist As Needed
Cost Unit Leader 1 1 1 1
Cost Analyst 1 1 1

Conclusion:
I have referred readers to the OSHA website several times in the course of this article. It is the best place
to get all the necessary information that is not covered in the very condensed overview of the Incident
Command System.

If you are going to be a part of the Incident Command System, you will need to learn about certification,
understand your particular position thoroughly and a lot more. The OSHA website is the best place to
start.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/

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Additional Note about Incident Command Vests:

One of the keys to the ICS is being able to identify all personnel on site. Because of this there are
special needs with regards to Incident Command Vests.

M. L. Kishigo has an extremely versatile system that allows for interchangeable labels on the
vests.

3700 Series Incident Command Vests

4700 Incident Command Vests

Additionally, Public Safety Vests are available specifically for Police, Fire, EMS, Sheriff and
Security in two configurations

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PSV Pro 200 Series

PSV Pro 300 Series

Read more about any of these vests at http://www.nationalsafetyinc.com/16179/Incident-

Command-Vests.html

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