Introduction to the
Incident Command System
for HIGHER EDUCATION
 
 
 
 
 
IS-100.HE Course Summary
Course Summary

Lesson 1: Course Welcome

Incident Command System: Promoting Safer Higher Education Settings

Each year, natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and severe storms affect our
communities. Health-related incidents such as flu outbreaks and food-borne diseases can
threaten all of us. Unfortunately, institutes of higher education are not immune from these
threats and others, such as intruders, crime, and violence. And accidents, whether in research
labs, sporting venues, or on campus shuttles, may occur.

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, the University of Southern Mississippi
incurred an estimated $57 million, and the storm cost Tulane University more than $200 million
in damages. Higher education institutes across the region were affected, not just by the
structural damages, but also by setbacks in their scientific research and medical developments.

Given today’s threats, higher education institutions must be prepared to respond in partnership
with local, State, tribal, and Federal agencies. As partners, you must respond together in a
seamless, coordinated fashion using the same terminology and approach.

The Incident Command System, or ICS, is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazard incident

management approach. ICS allows higher-education personnel and community responders to
adopt an integrated organizational structure that matches the complexities and demands of the
incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. With institutes of higher education
blending into the larger community response system, ICS allows all involved to know their roles
and work together, without jeopardizing anyone’s voice or authority.

The ICS structure is flexible. It can grow or shrink to meet different needs. This flexibility makes
it a very cost-effective and efficient management approach for both small and large situations.
In this course, you’ll learn ICS principles that can be applied to higher-education settings. And,
more importantly, you’ll be better able to interface with other community responders.

Course Goals

The overall course goal is to promote campus safety by:

• Familiarizing you with how ICS principles can be applied in incidents at higher education
instutions.
• Preparing you to interface with community response personnel.

IS-100 for Higher Education follows the National Incident Management System (NIMS) guidelines.
Descriptions and details about the other ICS courses in the series can be found
at: http://training.fema.gov

Overall Course Objectives

At the completion of this course, you should be familiar with:

• ICS applications in incidents at higher education institutions.

• ICS organizational principles and elements.
• ICS positions and responsibilities.
• ICS facilities and functions.
• ICS planning.
In addition, you will learn the steps you should take to be accountable for your actions during an
incident.

Lesson 2: ICS Overview

Lesson Overview

This lesson introduces you to:

• The development of the Incident Command System (ICS).

• The benefits of ICS.
• The ICS mandates.
• The applications of ICS in higher education settings.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Identify three purposes of ICS.

• Identify the requirements to use ICS.

What Is an Incident?

An incident is an occurrence or event, natural or human-caused, that requires a response to

protect life or property.

Examples of the types of incidents that can occur at higher education institutions include:

• Bomb threat/detonation (e.g., 1970 University of Wisconsin – Madison bombing)

• Hostage situation (e.g., 1992 Concordia University massacre)
• Fire (e.g., 2007 Pepperdine University fire; 1999 Texas A&M bonfire collapse)
• Hazardous materials release (e.g., 2008 train derailment near Southern Arkansas University)
• Severe weather (e.g., 2008 Union University tornado)
• Earthquake (e.g., 1994 Cal State Northridge earthquake)
• Armed intruder on campus (e.g., 2007 Virginia Tech massacre)

What Is ICS?

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazard incident

management approach. ICS:

• Is based on proven incident management practices.

• Defines incident response organizational concepts and structures.
• Consists of procedures for managing personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications.
• Is used throughout the lifecycle of an incident (e.g., from threat to parent reunification).
Voices of Experience: ICS

David Burns
Emergency Preparedness Manager
University of California Los Angeles

ICS is a formal process for managing emergencies, tried, true, and tested for over three
decades. I look at ICS as a toolbox. ICS has a set of tools and resources that almost anyone can
draw from and ICS is unique and flexible enough that if I only draw off of the resources and tools
that I need and I leave everything else in the box, but it’s nice to know that I can draw as little or
as much as I need in any given circumstance.

Toni J. Rinaldi
Director of Public Safety
Naugatuck Valley Community College

ICS stands for the Incident Command System, and it’s a standardized approach to incident
management that can be used in any situation under circumstances of a large-magnitude type of
incident to a very, very small-scale contained incident.

Brendan McCluskey
Executive Director, Emergency Management
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

ICS is a tool you can use to manage the incident whether it’s small or large, simple or complex,
or whatever type of nature it might be, if it’s a terrorist incident or a natural disaster or
something else, ICS really fits all of those different things because it’s so flexible.

George Nuñez
Supervising Emergency Management Associate
George Washington University

ICS is a system to allow responders to be able to organize and respond to an incident. It is

specifically useful during on-scene response. It is a format, a system of tools that allow police,
fire, and other personnel to respond to that incident in a systematic way to facilitate the response
but also meet the needs of those impacted.

ICS Benefits

Using management best practices, ICS helps to ensure:

• The safety of responders, students, faculty, workers, and others.

• The achievement of response objectives.
• The efficient use of resources.

The bottom line: ICS saves lives!

ICS Beginnings and Benefits

Historically, weaknesses in incident management were often due to:

• Lack of accountability.
• Poor communication.
• Lack of a planning process.
• Overloaded leaders including the Incident Commander.
• Lack of integration among responders.
The Incident Command System was developed to address these management weaknesses.

ICS Built on Best Practices

The Incident Command System is the result of decades of lessons learned in the organization and
management of emergency incidents.

ICS has been tested in more than 30 years of emergency and nonemergency applications, by all
levels of government and in the private sector.

Voices of Experience: ICS Successes

Toni J. Rinaldi
Director of Public Safety
Naugatuck Valley Community College

We had a very suspicious package that was possibly an explosive device that was placed near a
trash can on the second floor of a two-story parking garage facility that sits under a fourth floor
academic building. It was reported to public safety and immediately all the players went into
action. The initial responder who became the original incident commander took control of the
situation and started delegating functional roles that were needed. . . Fortunately, the whole
incident was brought to a successful conclusion after about an hour and a half or two hours.

Paul H. Dean
Deputy Chief of Police/Director of Emergency Management
University of New Hampshire

We hosted the Republican debates at the University of New Hampshire. That brought in a variety
of the academic world, the support services world, as well as State, county, and Federal assets
into the system. ICS allowed all of us to work together as a team and for a successful event.

Richard Lee
Assistant Director of Public Safety
University of Massachusetts Boston

We had what was called a straight-lined thunderstorm come through with a microburst in it which
tore the roof off of one of our buildings, and we used our incident command system. We had
appointed an incident commander who happened to be our facilities director who then started
giving orders about how to make sure power was shut down, what needed to be covered up, and
all the other incidents that needed to be in there such as monitoring alarms and everything else,
and it eventually settled back down from then and we worked it into then where our public safety
director took over and was charged with working the perimeters and everything else until the
incident was resolved.

Dorothy Miller
Emergency Management Coordinator
University of Texas at Dallas

During a hazmat incident at one of our buildings that houses chemistry labs, when I got to the
scene there was already an incident command post set up, the fire chief was in charge, and there
of course was the hazmat teams called out, environmental heath and safety, the police chief. I
talked to the police and fire chiefs because I know who they are. I had ahead of time made that
relationship establishment. That’s incredibly important that when you train, you can’t just have
your classes in a vacuum. You have to include all the responders in your community also and
possibly other campuses because everyone has a different perspective but also you may need
them in the future so you need to know who they are ahead of time.
Without ICS: Confusion and Poor Decisions

More incident responses fail due to poor management rather than from insufficient resources.
Without ICS, incidents typically:

• Lack accountability, including 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.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5)

In response to the attacks on September 11, President George W. Bush issued Homeland
Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5) in February 2003.

HSPD-5 called for a National Incident Management System (NIMS) and identified steps for
improved coordination of Federal, State, local, and private sector response to incidents and
described the way these agencies will prepare for such a response.

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is:

• A consistent, nationwide approach for all levels of government to work effectively and
efficiently together to prepare for and respond to domestic incidents.
• A core set of concepts, principles, and terminology for incident command and multiagency
coordination.

NIMS requires the use of the Incident Command System.

ICS Mandates

NIMS requires the use of ICS for all domestic responses. NIMS also requires that all levels of
government, including Territories and Tribal Organizations, adopt ICS as a condition of receiving
Federal preparedness funding.

This requirement also applies to all colleges and universities receiving emergency preparedness
funding including the U.S. Department of Education Emergency Management for Higher Education
(EMHE) grants.

When Is ICS Used?

ICS can be used to manage any of the following types of incidents:

• Disasters, such as fires, tornadoes, floods, ice storms, or earthquakes.

• Disease outbreaks and prevention measures.
• Hazardous materials accidents in chemistry labs.
• Hostile intruders or other criminal acts.
• Planned events, such as evacuation drills, festivals, sporting events, and graduations.
Lesson 3: ICS Features & Principles
Lesson Overview

The ICS Features and Principles lesson introduces you to:

• ICS management principles.

• ICS core system features.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Describe the basic features of ICS.

• Identify common incident tasks.
• Describe the six basic ICS facilities.
• Identify facilities that may be located together.
• Identify facility map symbols.

Making ICS Work

The features and principles used to manage an incident differ from day-to-day management
approaches. Effective incident management relies on a tight command and control structure.
Although information is exchanged freely through the ICS structure, strict adherence must be
paid to top-down direction.

To make ICS work, each of us must commit to following this command and control approach.

ICS Features

ICS is based on proven management principles, which contribute to the strength and efficiency of
the overall system.

ICS principles are implemented through a wide range of management features including the use
of common terminology and plain language, and a modular organizational structure.

Common Terminology and Clear Text

The ability to communicate within the ICS is absolutely critical. During an incident:

• Communications should be in plain English or clear text.

• Do not use radio codes, institution-specific codes, or jargon.

Why Plain English?

The following meanings of a common acronym illustrate the importance of using clear text.

EMT = Emergency Medical Treatment

EMT = Emergency Medical Technician
EMT = Emergency Management Team
EMT = Eastern Mediterranean Time (GMT+0200)
EMT = Effective Methods Team
EMT = Effects Management Tool
EMT = El Monte, CA (airport code)
EMT = Electron Microscope Tomography
EMT = Email Money Transfer

Command Definition

The National Incident Management System defines command as the act of directing, ordering, or
controlling by virtue of explicit statutory, regulatory, or delegated authority.

At an incident scene, the Incident Commander has the authority to assume command.

The Incident Commander should have the level of training, experience, and expertise to serve in
this capacity. It is quite possible that the Incident Commander may not be the highest ranking
official on scene.

Chain of Command

Chain of command is an orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident management
organization. Chain of command:

• Allows an incident manager to direct and control the actions of all personnel under his or her
supervision.
• Avoids confusion by requiring that orders flow from supervisors.

Chain of command does not prevent personnel from directly communicating with each other to
ask for or share information.

Unity of Command

Under unity of command, personnel:

• Report to only one ICS supervisor.

• Receive work assignments only from their ICS supervisors.

Transfer of Command

The process of moving the responsibility for incident command from one Incident Commander to
another is called transfer of command. Transfer of command may take place when:

• A more qualified Incident Commander arrives and assumes command. For example, a faculty
member might act as the initial incident commander for an explosion in a science lab, but
would then relinquish command to a more qualified Incident Commander when firefighters
arrive.
• A jurisdiction or agency is legally required to take command. For example, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) is legally required to take the lead for investigations of terrorist
incidents.
• The incident changes in complexity. For example, an incident might start on campus, but
spread into the surrounding community, affecting multiple jurisdictions, institutions, or
agencies.
• The current Incident Commander needs to rest. On long or extended incidents, there is
normally turnover of personnel to accommodate work/rest requirements.

The transfer of command process always includes a transfer of command briefing,

which may be oral, written, or a combination of both.

Incident Management Roles

The Incident Commander is the primary person in charge at the incident. In addition to
managing the incident scene, he or she must keep officials in the Executive Policy Group
informed and up to date on all important matters pertaining to the incident.

The ICS hierarchy of command must be maintained and not even executives and senior officials
can bypass the system.

The executives/senior officials (Provost, Chancellor, President, etc.) are accountable for the
incident. Along with this responsibility, by virtue of their position, these individuals have the
authority to make policy decisions, commit resources, obligate funds, and obtain the resources
necessary to protect the students and facilities. They delegate authority to the Incident
Commander.

Having the responsibility does not mean that the Executive Policy Group assumes a command
role over the on-scene incident operation. Rather, the Executive Policy Group:

• Provides policy guidance on priorities and objectives based on situational needs and the
Emergency Operations Plan.
• Oversees resource coordination and support to the on-scene command from an Operations
Center.

Emergency Operations Center

The Executive Policy Group may convene at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is
activated to support the on-scene response during an escalating incident by relieving the burden
of external coordination and securing additional resources.

An EOC is:

• A physical location.
• Staffed with personnel trained for and authorized to represent their agency/discipline.
• Equipped with mechanisms for communicating with the incident site and obtaining resources
and potential resources.
• Managed through protocols.
• Applicable at different levels of government.

An EOC consists of:

• Personnel and equipment appropriate to the level of incident.

An EOC is used:

• In varying ways within all levels of government and the private sector.
• To provide coordination, direction, and support during emergencies.

An EOC does not:

• Command the on-scene level of the incident.

Voices of Experience: Incident Management Roles

Paul H. Dean
Deputy Chief of Police/Director of Emergency Management
University of New Hampshire

When it comes to the scene there, the Incident Commander is in charge of his or her scene on
the ground; however, we all have a reporting line to report to. The CEO, the policy group, the
EOC all require information to do their job and any Incident Commander knows that they’re there
to support his or her operation on the ground. Providing them accurate, timely information
allows them to get you the things that you need to do to be successful on the ground. A
properly, well-trained organization of people will know what their roles are. The president will
know that he is, in the end, ultimately responsible for the safety on his college campus but he
also knows that it’s his job to trust his Incident Commander on the street that’s making those
decisions and those relationships need to be done well before an incident takes place and training
such as this is the train that needed to be in place so that confidence is built and that people
have those good conversations well in advance.

Toni J Rinaldi
Director of Public Safety
Naugatuck Valley Community College

The Incident Commander is the person who takes control and command of the incident as the
incident unfolds and that is the person that’s in charge of the incident at the scene. On a college
campus we cannot neglect the fact that our college president or provost or chancellor is obviously
in charge of the campus and will never be asked to give that up; however, he or she will be in
charge of the impact of the incident on the campus versus the incident itself.

Frank Zebedis
Chief of Police
Winthrop University

Well, the Executive Policy Group, they’re responsible for managing what goes on at the
institution. They’re looking at the outcome: How they’re going to get classes back in session?
How are they going to get the word out? The Operations Section in a command post or in ICS—
they’re responsible for resolving the scene, the incident as it unfolds. They’re not worried about
how the president or how the executive officers are going to, you know, notify parents, how
they’re going to bring classes back in sessions or if they’re going to cancel classes. Their
responsibility is making sure that the scene is contained, the scene is resolved, and minimize as
much damages as possible and to mitigate as much life loss or property loss as possible.

Management by Objectives

Incident objectives are used to ensure that everyone within the ICS organization has a clear
understanding of what needs to be accomplished.

Incident objectives are established based on the following priorities:

1. Life Safety
2. Incident Stabilization
3. Property Preservation

ICS Organization

The ICS organization is unique but easy to understand. There is no correlation between the ICS
organization and the administrative structure of any single agency or jurisdiction. This is
deliberate, because confusion over different position titles and organizational structures has been
a significant stumbling block to effective incident management in the past.

For example, someone who serves as a director every day may not hold that title when deployed
under an ICS structure.

Modular Organization

The ICS organizational structure:

• Develops in a top-down, modular fashion that is based on the size and complexity of the
incident.
• Is determined based on the incident objectives and resource requirements. Only those
functions or positions necessary for a particular incident are filled.
• Expands and contracts in a flexible manner. When needed, separate functional elements may
be established.
• Requires that each element have a person in charge.

Reliance on an Incident Action Plan

Every incident must have an Incident Action Plan (IAP) that:

• Specifies the incident objectives.

• States the activities to be completed.
• Covers a specified timeframe, called an operational period.
• May be oral or written—except for hazardous materials incidents,
which require a written IAP.

Elements of an Incident Action Plan

Every IAP must have four elements:

• What do we want to do?

• Who is responsible for doing it?
• How do we communicate with each other?
• What is the procedure if someone is injured?

The important part is having a plan and communicating it. The illustration shows the first plan
and organizational structure developed by the Incident Commander at the Pentagon following the
9/11 attacks.

Manageable Span of Control

Another basic ICS feature concerns the supervisory structure of the organization. Maintaining
adequate span of control throughout the ICS organization is very important.

Span of control pertains to the number of individuals or resources that one supervisor can
manage effectively during an incident.

Maintaining an effective span of control is important at incidents where safety and accountability
are a top priority.
Span of Control

The type of incident, nature of the task, hazards and safety factors, and distances between
personnel and resources all influence span of control considerations.

Effective span of control on incidents may vary from three to seven, and a ratio of one supervisor
to five subordinates is recommended.

Accounting for Incident Resources

In ICS, resources refer to personnel, supplies, and equipment. During an incident, it is critical to
know:

• What resources are needed and available.

• Where deployed resources are located.

Effective resource management ensures that response personnel are safe and incident objectives
are achieved.

Resource Management

Resource management includes processes for:

• Categorizing resources.
• Ordering resources.
• Dispatching (activating) resources.
• Tracking resources.
• Recovering resources.

It also includes processes for reimbursement for resources, as appropriate.

Predesignated Incident Locations and Facilities

Incident activities may be accomplished from a variety of operational locations and support
facilities.

The Incident Commander identifies and establishes needed facilities depending on incident needs.
Standardized names are used to identify types of facilities.

In order to integrate with community responders, it is important to be familiar with the standard
ICS facilities.

Incident Facilities Tour

The standard ICS incident facilities include:

• Incident Command Post (ICP): Where the Incident Commander oversees the incident.
• Staging Areas: Where resources are kept waiting to be assigned.
• Base: Where primary logistics and administrative functions are coordinated and administered.
• Camps: Where resources may be kept to support incident operations if a Base is not
accessible.
• Helibase/Helispot: The area from which helicopter operations are conducted.

Incident Facility Map Symbols

In ICS, it is important to be able to identify the map symbols associated with the basic incident
facilities. The map symbols used to represent each of the six basic ICS facilities are:

Integrated Communications

A common communications plan is essential for ensuring that responders can communicate with
one another during an incident.

The response to the Columbine school shooting incident was hampered by response agencies
operating on radios set to different frequencies.

Prior to an incident, higher education institutions must work with local responders to ensure that
communication equipment, procedures, and systems can operate together during a response
(interoperable).

Information and Intelligence Management

The analysis and sharing of information and intelligence is an important component of ICS.
Incident management must establish a process for gathering, sharing, and managing incident-
related information and intelligence.

Intelligence includes other operational information that may come from a variety of different
sources, such as:

• Risk assessments.
• Threats including potential for violence.
• Surveillance of disease outbreak.
• Weather forecasts.
• Structural plans and vulnerabilities.
Accountability

Effective accountability during incident operations is essential. Individuals must abide by their
institutional policies and guidelines and any applicable local, State, or Federal rules and
regulations.

The following principles must be adhered to:

• Check-In. All responders must report in to receive an assignment in accordance with the
procedures established by the Incident Commander.
• Incident Action Plan. Response operations must be coordinated as outlined in the IAP.
• Unity of Command. Each individual will be assigned to only one supervisor.
• Span of Control. Supervisors must be able to adequately supervise and control their
subordinates, as well as communicate with and manage all resources under their supervision.
• Resource Tracking. Supervisors must record and report resource status changes as they
occur.

Dispatch/Deployment

As campus personnel, you should be mobilized or activated to join the incident

response. Unless you must take an immediate life-saving action, you should not start
responding without being deployed. The deployment process improves safety and cuts down on
chaos.

After being deployed, your first task is to check in and receive an assignment.

After check-in, you will locate your incident supervisor and obtain your initial briefing. The
briefings you receive and give should include:

• Current assessment of the situation.

• Identification of your specific job responsibilities.
• Identification of coworkers.
• Location of work area.
• Identification of break areas, as appropriate.
• Procedural instructions for obtaining needed resources.
• Operational periods/work shifts.
• Required safety procedures and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as appropriate.

Lesson 4: Incident Commander & General Staff Functions

Lesson Overview

This lesson introduces you to the:

• Five major management functions.

• ICS organizational structure.
• Incident Commander roles and responsibilities.
• Selection and transfer of Incident Commanders.
• Command Staff roles and responsibilities.
Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Identify the five major ICS management functions.

• Identify the position titles associated with the Command Staff.
• Describe the role and function of the Incident Commander.
• Describe the selection and transfer of Incident Commanders.
• Describe the role and function of the Command Staff.

Performance of Management Functions

Every incident requires that certain management functions be performed. The problem must be
identified and assessed, a plan to deal with it developed and implemented, and the necessary
resources procured and paid for.

Regardless of the size of the incident, these management functions still will apply.

Five Major Management Functions

There are five major management functions that are the foundation
upon which the ICS organization develops.

These functions apply whether you are handling a routine

emergency, organizing for a major nonemergency event, or
managing a response to a major disaster.

Management Function Descriptions

Below is a brief description of the major ICS functions:

Sets the incident objectives, strategies, and priorities and has

overall responsibility for the incident.

Conducts operations to reach the incident objectives. Establishes

the tactics and directs all operational resources.

Supports the incident action planning process by tracking

resources, collecting/analyzing information, and maintaining
documentation.

Provides resources and needed services to support the achievement

of the incident objectives.
 Monitors costs related to the incident. Provides accounting,
procurement, time recording, and cost analyses.

Incident Commander

The Incident Commander has overall responsibility for managing the incident by establishing
objectives, planning strategies, and implementing tactics. The Incident Commander is the
only position that is always staffed in ICS applications. On small incidents and events, one
person, the Incident Commander, may accomplish all management functions.

The Incident Commander is responsible for all ICS management functions until he or she
delegates the function.

Voices of Experience

Richard W. Lee
Assistant Director of Public Safety
University of Massachusetts Boston

Who’s in charge? Well, that’s a complex question. It’ll depend on the incident. It’ll depend on
the location. It’ll depend on the jurisdiction. There’s a lot of things that come into it but basically
the best qualified person who’s at the scene when the incident becomes, starts will be in charge
and then it will move up the line as more qualified or better qualified or other people show up on
the scene. It’s very flexible in that respect and ICS and who’s in charge doesn’t, it’s more of a
function than it is a person. It’s going to be the best person to do the job at the time as opposed
to looking around for an arbitrary figure that has a title.

Frank Zebedis
Chief of Police
Winthrop University

Who’s in charge initially, on the onset of an incident, it could be the first, first responder which
could be a professor; it could be a faculty member, a staff member, a coach, a citizen, or the first
emergency responder who shows up on the scene is in charge, but as the event grows and more
qualified people arrive to the scene, whoever is in charge then gets passed off to the more
qualified person till eventually you have yourself an Incident Commander who is in position to
manage the scene but until that time it takes a while for these responders to get there. It
doesn’t happen in a matter of seconds or minutes, so that initial person is actually in charge until
the scene grows.

Brendan McCluskey
Executive Director, Emergency Management
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

The Incident Commander is in charge and that’s a principle of ICS that makes it clear who has
the authority or who has the responsibility for overseeing what goes on at an incident scene, and
regardless of where you come from, whether you are from the outside or the inside of the
institution, whether you are police or fire or public works or public health or student services, the
Incident Commander is the one who is going to be running the show. So it doesn’t really matter
where you’re from, what your title is, what level of responsibility you have on a day-to-day basis,
once you become part of that incident response, then you look up to that Incident Commander to
be the one who is in charge.
Delegating Incident Management Functions

As you learned in the previous lesson, the ICS organization is modular and has the capability to
expand or contract to meet the needs of the incident. On a larger incident, the Incident
Commander may create Sections and delegate the Operations, Planning, Logistics, and
Finance/Administration functions.

Remember . . . The Incident Commander only creates those sections that are needed. If a
Section is not staffed, the Incident Commander will personally manage those functions.

Incident Commander's Overall Role

The Incident Commander must have the authority to manage the incident and be briefed fully. In
some instances, a written delegation of authority should be established.

Personnel assigned by the Incident Commander have the authority of their assigned positions,
regardless of the rank they normally hold within the administration.

Incident Commander Responsibilities

In addition to having overall responsibility for managing the entire incident, the Incident
Commander is specifically responsible for:

• Ensuring overall incident safety.

• Providing information services to internal and external stakeholders, such as parents.
• Establishing and maintaining liaison with other agencies participating in the incident.

The Incident Commander may appoint one or more Deputies. Deputy Incident Commanders
must be as qualified as the Incident Commander.

Selecting and Changing Incident Commanders

As incidents become more or less complex, command may change to meet the needs of the
incident.

Rank, grade, and seniority are not the factors used to select the Incident Commander. The
Incident Commander is always a highly qualified individual trained to lead the incident
response.

A formal transfer of command at an incident always requires a transfer of command briefing for
the incoming Incident Commander.

Deputy Incident Commander

A Deputy Incident Commander may be designated to:

• Perform specific tasks as requested by the Incident Commander.

• Perform the incident command function in a relief capacity.
• Represent an assisting agency that shares jurisdiction.

Note that if a Deputy is assigned, he or she must be fully qualified to assume the Incident
Commander’s position.

Expanding the Organization

As incidents grow, the Incident Commander may delegate authority for performance of certain
activities to the Command Staff and the General Staff. The Incident Commander will add
positions only as needed.

Command Staff

Depending upon the size and type of incident or event, the Incident Commander may designate
personnel to provide information, safety, and liaison services. In ICS, the following personnel
comprise the Command Staff:

• Public Information Officer, who serves as the conduit for information to internal and
external stakeholders, including the media or parents.
• Safety Officer, who monitors safety conditions and develops measures for assuring the safety
of all response personnel.
• Liaison Officer, who serves as the primary contact for supporting agencies assisting at an
incident.

The Command Staff reports directly to the Incident Commander.

Meet the Command Staff

Public Information Officer

I report directly to the Incident Commander. I am the primary contact for anyone who wants
information about the incident and our response to it. I provide information to the media, public,
and the campus community. Campus incidents attract a lot of media attention. Without me,
media requests would overwhelm the Incident Commander. I also coordinate communications to
our internal audiences including both incident staff and campus personnel. It's very important for
me to coordinate with other public information staff in the policy group to ensure that we do not
issue confusing or conflicting information.
Accurate information is essential. In the end, the Incident Commander will approve all
information released at the scene. Other information may be released by the Executive Policy
Group. During a complex incident, I may need an assistant to help me.

Safety Officer

My job is to ensure the safety of responders. I advise the Incident Commander on issues
regarding incident safety, but I would like to emphasize that safety is everyone's responsibility. I
work very closely with responders to make sure they are as safe as possible under the
circumstances. I conduct risk analyses and implement safety measures. I have the authority to
stop any unsafe activity that I observe. During a complex incident, I may need quite a few
assistants to be my eyes and ears.

Liaison Officer

I'm the go-between. I assist the Incident Commander by serving as the point of contact for other
response organizations providing resources at the scene. I facilitate coordination with the
Executive Policy Group, adjacent jurisdictions, and nongovernmental organizations. I respond to
requests from incident personnel for contacts among the assisting and cooperating agencies. I
also monitor incident operations in order to identify any current or potential problems between
the institution and response agencies.

Training and Qualifying Command Staff

Review the descriptions below and identify the campus personnel who may be able to be
assigned to each ICS position.

Incident Commander • Authority to commit campus resources

• Past experience as incident responder
• Ability to:
• Take command
• Balance response initiatives with safety concerns
• Motivate responders
• Communicate clear directions
• Size up the situation and make rapid decisions
• Assess the effectiveness of tactics/strategies
• Be flexible and modify plans as necessary
Public Information • Media relations training/experience
Officer
• Authority as designated spokesperson
• Ability to maintain grace under fire
Safety Officer • Worker safety and HazMat training/experience
• Ability to assess risk and develop safety measures
Liaison Officer • Ability to represent the concerns and needs of all parties
involved in a response
Lesson 5: General Staff Functions
Lesson Overview

In the previous lesson, you learned that the Command Staff is responsible for overall
management of the incident. This lesson introduces you to the General Staff, including:

• Roles and responsibilities.

• Position titles.

You will learn how the General Staff expands and contracts to meet incident needs.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Identify the ICS titles used for General Staff members.

• Describe the role and function of the Operations Section.
• Describe the role and function of the Planning Section.
• Describe the role and function of the Logistics Section.
• Describe the role and function of the Finance/Administration Section.

General Staff

To maintain span of control, the Incident Commander may establish the following four Sections:
Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.

The General Staff report directly to the Incident Commander.

General Staff Overview

The General Staff overall responsibilities are summarized below:

In an expanding incident, the Incident Commander first establishes the Operations Section. The
remaining Sections are established as needed to support the operation.
ICS Position Titles

Additional levels of supervision are added as the ICS organization expands. Let’s review the ICS
supervisory titles:

Organizational Level Title Support Position

Incident Command Incident Commander Deputy

Command Staff Officer Assistant

General Staff (Section) Chief Deputy

Branch Director Deputy

Division/Group Supervisor N/A

Unit Leader Manager

Strike Team/Task Force Leader Single Resource Boss

ICS Section Chiefs and Deputies

As mentioned previously, the person in charge of each Section is designated as a Chief. Section
Chiefs have the ability to expand their Sections to meet the needs of the situation.

Each of the Section Chiefs may have a Deputy, or more than one, if necessary. The Deputy:

• May assume responsibility for a specific portion of the primary position, work as relief, or be
assigned other tasks.
• Should always be as proficient as the person for whom he or she works.

Increasing Interagency Coordination

When an incident involves multiple agencies, assigning Deputies from other

organizations can increase interagency coordination.

For example, in the case of a bomb threat, Incident Command may be

transferred to a first response organization while a campus official may
serve as a Deputy. When first responders and campus personnel are
integrated into the same ICS organizational structure, valuable information
can be shared and crisis decisionmaking improved.
Operations Section Chief

Typically, the Operations Section Chief is the person with the greatest technical and tactical
expertise in dealing with the problem at hand. The Operations Section Chief:

• Develops and implements strategy and tactics to carry out the incident objectives.
• Organizes, assigns, and supervises the response resources.

Operations Section: Single Resources

Single Resources are individuals, a piece of equipment and its personnel complement, or a crew
or team of individuals with an identified supervisor. On a smaller incident, the Operations Section
may be comprised of an Operations Section Chief and single resources.

Operations Section: Teams

Single resources may be organized into teams. Using standard ICS terminology, the two types of
team configurations are:

• Task Forces are a combination of mixed resources with common communications operating
under the direct supervision of a Leader.
• Strike Teams include all similar resources with common communications operating under
the direct supervision of a Leader.

Sample Strike Teams and Task Forces

The Operations Section organization chart shows possible team assignments in a campus
incident. Each team would have a Team Leader reporting to the Operations Section Chief.

Note that these are examples of possible teams. Teams should be established based on the
type of incident and unique requirements of the campus.
Too Many Teams!

To maintain span of control, each team should be comprised of a Team Leader and no more than
five to seven team members. As teams are added, what happens to the Operations Section
Chief’s span of control?

The Solution: Add Groups or Divisions

On a large, complex incident the Operations Section may become very large. Using the ICS
principle of modular organization, the Operations Section may add the following elements to
manage span of control:

• Groups are used to describe functional areas of operation.

• Divisions are used to divide an incident geographically.

Maintaining Span of Control: Groups

The organizational chart below illustrates how Groups can be used to maintain span of control
within the Operations Section.
Maintaining Span of Control: Groups and Divisions (Geographic Areas)

The organizational chart below illustrates how Groups and Divisions can be used together to
maintain span of control within the Operations Section. The use of Divisions would be effective if
the incident covered a large or isolated area of the campus. Note this complex organization would
include both campus and community responders.

Operations Section: Establishing Branches

The Operations Section Chief may add Branches

to supervise Groups and Divisions and further
reduce his or her span of control.

The person in charge of each Branch is

designated as a Director.

Review the chart.

What are the advantages of reducing the

Operations Section Chief’s span of control?

Managing the Operations Section

Operations Section: Expanding and Contracting

The Operations Section Chief at an incident may work initially with only a few single resources or
staff members.

The Operations Section usually develops from the bottom up. The organization will expand to
include needed levels of supervision as more and more resources are deployed.

Single resources may be grouped into Strike Teams or Task Forces who report to a Leader.
Remember, Strike Teams are comprised of similar resources while Task Forces combine different
types of resources.

Groups may be added to supervise the growing number of resources, teams, or task forces. Or,
geographic Divisions along with Groups may be used.

The Operations Section Chief may add Branches to supervise the Groups and Divisions and
further reduce his or her span of control.

At some point, the Operations Section and the rest of the ICS organization will contract. The
decision to contract will be based on the achievement of incident objectives.

Demobilization planning begins upon activation of the first personnel and continues until the ICS
organization ceases operation.

Planning Section

The Incident Commander will determine if there is a need for a Planning Section and if so, will
designate a Planning Section Chief. If no Planning Section is established, the Incident
Commander will perform all planning functions. It is up to the Planning Section Chief to activate
any needed additional staffing.

Planning Section: Major Activities

The major activities of the Planning Section may include:

• Collecting, evaluating, and displaying incident intelligence and information.

• Preparing and documenting Incident Action Plans.
• Tracking resources assigned to the incident.
• Maintaining incident documentation.
• Developing plans for demobilization.

Planning Section: Units

The Planning Section can be further staffed with four Units. In addition, Technical Specialists who
provide special expertise useful in incident management and response may also be assigned to
work in the Planning Section. Depending on the needs, Technical Specialists may also be
assigned to other Sections in the organization.

• Resources Unit: Conducts all check-in activities and maintains the status of all incident
resources. The Resources Unit plays a significant role in preparing the written Incident Action
Plan.
• Situation Unit: Collects and analyzes information on the current situation, prepares situation
displays and situation summaries, and develops maps and projections.
• Documentation Unit: Provides duplication services, including the written Incident Action Plan.
Maintains and archives all incident-related documentation.
• Demobilization Unit: Assists in ensuring that resources are released from the incident in an
orderly, safe, and cost-effective manner.

Logistics Section

The Incident Commander will determine if there is a need for a Logistics Section at the incident,
and if so, will designate an individual to fill the position of the Logistics Section Chief.

The Logistic Section Chief helps make sure that there are adequate resources (personnel,
supplies, and equipment) for meeting the incident objectives.

Logistics Section: Major Activities

The Logistics Section is responsible for all of the services and support needs, including:

• Ordering, obtaining, maintaining, and accounting for essential personnel, equipment, and
supplies.
• Providing communication planning and resources.
• Setting up food services for responders.
• Setting up and maintaining incident facilities.
• Providing support transportation.
• Providing medical services to incident personnel (not injured students).

Logistics Section: Branches and Units

The Logistics Section can be further staffed by

two Branches and six Units.

The titles of the Units are descriptive of their

responsibilities.

Service Branch

The Logistics Service Branch can be staffed to include a:

• Communication Unit: Prepares and implements the Incident Communication Plan (ICS-205),
distributes and maintains communications equipment, supervises the Incident Communications
Center, and establishes adequate communications over the incident.
• Medical Unit: Develops the Medical Plan (ICS-206), provides first aid and light medical
treatment for personnel assigned to the incident, and prepares procedures for a major medical
emergency.
• Food Unit: Supplies the food and potable water for all incident facilities and personnel, and
obtains the necessary equipment and supplies to operate food service facilities at Bases and
Camps.
Support Branch

The Logistics Support Branch can be staffed to

include a:

• Supply Unit: Determines the type and

amount of supplies needed to support the
incident. The Unit orders, receives, stores, and
distributes supplies, services, and
nonexpendable equipment. All resource orders
are placed through the Supply Unit. The Unit
maintains inventory and accountability of
supplies and equipment.
• Facilities Unit: Sets up and maintains
required facilities to support the incident.
Provides managers for the Incident Base and
Camps. Also responsible for facility security and facility maintenance services such as
sanitation, lighting, and cleanup.
• Ground Support Unit: Prepares the Transportation Plan. Arranges for, activates, and
documents the fueling, maintenance, and repair of ground resources. Arranges for the
transportation of personnel, supplies, food, and equipment.

Finance/Administration Section

The Incident Commander will determine if there is a need for a Finance/Administration Section at
the incident, and if so, will designate an individual to fill the position of the
Finance/Administration Section Chief.

Finance/Administration Section: Major Activities

The Finance/Administration Section is set up for any incident that requires incident-specific
financial management. The Finance/Administration Section is responsible for:

• Contract negotiation and monitoring.

• Timekeeping.
• Cost analysis.
• Compensation for injury or damage to property.
• Documentation for reimbursement (e.g., under Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs)).

Finance/Administration Section: Units

The Finance/Administration Section may staff four Units.

• Procurement Unit: Responsible for administering all financial matters pertaining to vendor
contracts, leases, and fiscal agreements.
• Time Unit: Responsible for incident personnel time recording.
• Cost Unit: Collects all cost data, performs cost effectiveness analyses, provides cost
estimates, and makes cost savings recommendations.
• Compensation/Claims Unit: Responsible for the overall management and direction of all
administrative matters pertaining to compensation for injury-related and claims-related
activities kept for the incident.

Training and Qualifying General Staff

Review the descriptions below and identify the campus personnel who may be able to be
assigned to each ICS position.

• Past experience as incident responder

Operations Section
Chief • Completion of ICS training
• Ability to:
• Size up the situation and make rapid decisions
• Communicate clear directions
• Balance response initiatives with safety concerns
• Lead and motivate responders
• Assess the effectiveness of tactics/strategies
• Be flexible and modify plans as necessary

• Completion of ICS training

Planning Section Chief
• Ability to:
• Organize and analyze information
• Write clear, accurate documents
• Interpret diagrams and maps
• Develop and present briefings
• Use computer-based applications including databases and
spreadsheets
• Direct others in a crisis

• Completion of ICS training

Logistics Section Chief
• Knowledge of campus logistics (food services, sheltering,
transportation, emergency caches, etc.)
• Ability to:
• Organize and prioritize resource requests
• Anticipate and plan for resource needs
• Maintain records and documentation
• Track resource requests
• Solve resource problems creatively
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Direct others in a crisis
 • Completion of ICS training
Finance/Administration
Section Chief • Knowledge of workers’ compensation, insurance claims, and
contracting requirements
• Ability to:
• Keep accurate accounting records
• Purchase/contract for needed resources
• Process insurance and workers’ compensation claims
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Direct others in a crisis

Lesson 6: Unified Command

Lesson Overview

The previous lessons covered the Incident Command Systems (ICS) fundamentals. This lesson
introduces you to a more advanced concept, called Unified Command.

Unified Command:

• Applies ICS in incidents involving multiple jurisdictions or agencies.

• Enables institutions and agencies with different legal, geographic, and functional
responsibilities to coordinate, plan, and interact effectively.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Define Unified Command.

• List the advantages of Unified Command.
• Identify the primary features of Unified Command.
• Describe the roles and reporting relationships between campus personnel and emergency
responders under a Unified Command.

Unified Command

The Unified Command organization consists of the Incident Commanders from the various
jurisdictions or agencies operating together to form a single command structure.

Unified Command Benefits

In a Unified Command, institutions and responding agencies blend into an integrated, unified
team. A unified approach results in:

• A shared understanding of priorities and restrictions.

• A single set of incident objectives.
• Collaborative strategies.
• Improved internal and external information flow.
• Less duplication of efforts.
• Better resource utilization.

Incident Commanders Work Together

When implemented properly, Unified Command enables agencies with different legal, geographic,
and functional responsibilities to coordinate, plan, and interact effectively.

The Incident Commanders within the Unified Command make joint decisions and speak as one
voice. Any differences are worked out within the Unified Command.

Unity of command is maintained within the Operations Section. Each responder reports to a
single supervisor within his or her area of expertise. Within a Unified Command the police officer
would not tell the firefighters how to do their job nor would the police tell campus personnel how
to manage student notification.

Unified Command and NIMS

NIMS encourages the use of Unified Command.

“As a team effort, Unified Command overcomes much of the inefficiency and duplication of effort
that can occur when agencies from different functional and geographic jurisdictions, or agencies
at different levels of government, operate without a common system or organizational
framework.”

Single Integrated Incident Organization: Command Staff

Unified Command results in a single integrated incident organization. Below is a sample

Command Staff organizational chart for the campus protest incident. Notice that personnel from
the different agencies often are assigned as Assistant Officers.

Single Integrated Incident Organization: Operations Section

In a Unified Command there is only one Operations Section Chief. The Operations Section Chief
should be the most qualified and experienced person available. Below is a sample Operations
Section organization chart for the campus protest incident.
Unified Command Features

Collocated (Shared) Facilities

In a Unified Command incident facilities are collocated or shared.

Bringing the responsible officials, Command Staffs, and planning elements together in a single
Incident Command Post can promote coordination.

Single Planning Process and Incident Action Plan

Unified Command uses a single planning process and produces one Incident Action Plan (IAP).
The planning process for Unified Command is similar to the process used on single jurisdiction
incidents.

Integrated General Staff

Integrating multijurisdictional and/or multiagency personnel into various other functional areas
may be beneficial. For example:

• In Operations and Planning, Deputy Section Chiefs can be designated from an adjacent
jurisdiction.
• In Logistics, a Deputy Logistics Section Chief from another agency or jurisdiction can help to
coordinate incident support.

Incident Commanders within the Unified Command must concur on the selection of the General
Staff Section Chiefs. The Operations Section Chief must have full authority to implement the
tactics within the Incident Action Plan.

Coordinated Process for Resource Ordering

The Incident Commanders within the Unified Command work together to establish resource
ordering procedures that allow for:

• Deployment of scarce resources to meet high-priority objectives.

• Potential cost savings through agreements on cost sharing for essential services.
Unified Command and Preparedness

For Unified Command to be used successfully, it is important that higher education institutions
and agencies prepare by:

• Including Unified Command in local operations plans.

• Train often as a team. Incident Commanders who work and train together will be better able to
manage incidents together.

Voices of Experience

James K. Hamrick
Assistant Chief of Police
University of Maryland

I think that communication is a vitally important element of the Incident Command System
because if you look at lessons learned from just about every major critical incident that has been
debriefed around the country, you are going to find that communication is near the top of the list,
some element of breakdown in communication in terms of that incident and so communication
becomes an important element of the Incident Command System in being able to talk across
different agencies that may be represented in the response of that and being able to manage the
flow of information both down and up the incident command structure and then the flow of
information to any coordinating agency such as an emergency operations center as well as a
policy group, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Provost of the institution who have an interest in
continuity of operations for the institution.

Brendan McCluskey
Executive Director, Emergency Management
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Unified command is somewhat of a difficult concept for people to understand because while no
individual Incident Commander is giving up control over their jurisdiction or their assets. They all
need to come together to work toward common goals and objectives. While we have this group
of people together making decisions, essentially the unified command is acting as a
conglomeration and as a single body to make decisions. Essentially they become the Incident
Commander and I think that’s a very difficult concept for people to understand because if you’re
a police officer and you traditionally command police, you wouldn’t want a firefighter saying what
to, what should be done, but in unified command model everybody gets together and collectively
makes those important decisions.

Frank Zebedis
Chief of Police
Winthrop University

Basically you are dealing with different agencies, different disciplines coming together as the
scene unfolds. You’re going to have an Incident Commander who is going to be in charge but as
other agencies get involved and other special entities are required or needed then that Incident
Commander goes into what is called unified command, and at that point the different agencies
and entities come together and they work in a very understanding environment to solve the
situation or resolve the scene and nobody gives up their authority because if I’m fire, I’m the
expert in the fire field. If I’m law enforcement, I’m the expert in the law enforcement field. I
don’t tell firefighters how to do their job; they don’t tell me how to do my job as a police officer;
so we look to each other for assistance and the professional in that field do what they need to do.
Lesson 7: Putting It All Together
Lesson Overview

You should now be familiar with the core system features of ICS and the ICS organizational roles
and responsibilities.

Putting it all together means that:

• You are personally ready to follow the ICS principles.

• Your institution is ready to implement ICS.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Describe the steps to take to ensure you are ready to assume ICS responsibilities.
• Assess your institution’s readiness for implementing ICS.

Assuming Accountability

ICS requires that you be accountable for:

• Abiding by policies, procedures, and guidelines.

• Working on objectives outlined in the Incident Action Plan.
• Ensuring Unity of Command and Chain of Command by taking directions from the incident
supervisor.
• Managing your stress and being professional during the incident.

Dispatch/Deployment and Check-In

When an incident occurs, you must be mobilized or assigned to become part of the incident
response. In other words, until you are mobilized to the incident organization, you remain in your
everyday role.

After being mobilized, your first task is to check in and receive an assignment.

Initial Briefing

After check-in, you will locate your incident supervisor and obtain your initial briefing. The
briefings you receive and give should include:

• Current assessment of the situation.

• Identification of your specific job responsibilities.
• Identification of coworkers.
• Location of work area.
• Identification of break areas, as appropriate.
• Procedural instructions for obtaining needed resources.
• Operational periods/work shifts.
• Required safety procedures and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as appropriate.
Recordkeeping

All incidents require some form of recordkeeping. Requirements vary depending upon the
agencies involved and the nature of the incident. Below are general guidelines for incident
recordkeeping:

• Print or type all entries.

• Enter dates by month/day/year format.
• Enter date and time on all forms and records. Use local time.
• Fill in all blanks. Use N/A as appropriate.
• Use military 24-hour time.

Lengthy Assignments

Many incidents last only a short time. However, if you were asked to deploy to support a lengthy
assignment (e.g., Hurricane Katrina response) away from home you would need to prepare
yourself and your family.

Demobilization

Resource demobilization occurs at the end of your assignment or when the incident is resolved.
Before leaving an incident assignment, you should:

• Complete all tasks and required forms/reports.

• Brief replacements, subordinates, and supervisor.
• Evaluate the performance of subordinates.
• Follow check-out procedures.
• Return any incident-issued equipment or other nonexpendable supplies.
• Complete postincident reports, critiques, evaluations, and medical followup.
• Complete all time records or other accounting obligations.

Voices of Experience: Preparedness

David Burns
Emergency Preparedness Manager
University of California Los Angeles

ICS is a process and one of the important processes is the pre-planning that goes in, the
preparedness, the forward thinking – thinking forward as to what might occur so that when an
incident does occur, logical steps and sequences can occur.

Toni J. Rinaldi
Director of Public Safety
Naugatuck Valley Community College

There’s a lot of steps that help to make ICS work before the actual incident occurs and nowadays
particularly you hear a lot about interagency cooperation, mutual aid agreements, memorandums
of understanding, and what it all boils down to—it’s communication. It’s about communication,
both within your agency so that people understand what their role is in an incident and that it’s
not just delegated or relegated to the public safety or first responder section, but it’s everyone’s
responsibility on a college campus to respond to and to have an active role in response to an
incident.

Dorothy Miller
Emergency Management Coordinator
University of Texas at Dallas

You entrust people that you know before, if somebody comes on the scene that I have no idea
who they are, I don’t know if they should be on the scene so I don’t what their credentials are. I
don’t know who they work for, so it creates this little security issue if you don’t know who those
people are and it’s just wasting time. The relationship-building aspect is huge in this field.

George Nuñez
Supervising Emergency Management Associate
George Washington University

Being in the field of emergency management I think it is important that institutions of higher
education understand that they need to have comprehensive emergency management plans. By
having comprehensive plans that cover all hazards, that cover all response, all entities at the
university or college campus, we’re able to integrate all of these components into an incident.
College or institutions of higher education need to be prepared—that is probably the biggest
emphasis or most important thing that college campuses can do is be prepared.
About School Safety Partners  
This document is presented by School Safety Partners as part of a free online course on school safety. School 
Safety Partners (www.SchoolSafetyPartners.org) is dedicated to creating long‐term funding partnerships to 
support school safety best practices. We are a facilitator of joint research projects, reaching out to the general 
public as well as stakeholders in the public, private, non‐profit, and academic sectors. Since our start in January, 
2008, our projects have addressed the legislative, training, compliance, funding, and public awareness sides of 
school safety. Here are some highlights: 

1. We created a reference library documenting all aspects of Colorado Senate Bill 08‐181, a first‐of‐its‐kind 
measure introduced by Senator Tom Wiens to modernize emergency planning in schools, so students, 
teachers, and first responders can act fast in an emergency. 

2. For the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School tragedy, we produced the national media event, 
"Colorado Rising," focusing on the future of school safety in America, and our guests and speakers were 
covered by NBC‐TV, CNN, NPR, FOX, Oprah Radio, Channel One News, Associated Press, Reuters, the 
Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, German Public Radio, the Guardian, and dozens of 
other news sources.   

3. We assisted in the 2008 Symposium and the 2009 Symposium on the Prevention of School Violence at 
Johnson & Wales University, and in the tabletop exercises on interoperable communications conducted 
for these events by one of our partners, SchoolSAFE Communications (www.SchoolSAFEcom.org). 

4. We produced over 4 hours of video footage, with 2 video crews, covering a full‐scale active shooter and 
multi‐hazard school exercise that involved 18 agencies and over 1,200 persons, and tested interoperable 
communications in several school‐related settings. 

5. We co‐created the School Response Framework Fund in support of the National Incident Managment 
System (NIMS) and to help Colorado schools become NIMS‐compliant as quickly as possible. 

6. We also developed a virtual campus that schools can use as an online training site for their safety 
teams, and as an action center where schools can build strong relationships with community partners, 
or local responders. 

7. We have developed with ABC‐TV a nationwide community awareness campaign, giving recognition to 
educators as first responders, and calling for the creation of public‐private partnerships to make school 
safety sustainable in communities across America. 

8. We have also developed with the creators of the feature motion picture, "April Showers," the 
educational and school safety materials to accompany the film as it is released to the worldwide 
educational market.  

9. Other states have shown an interest in what we have done in Colorado about school crisis response, and 
for them we have designed webinars and information kits about improving school safety legislation and 
finding long‐term funding solutions. 

We hope that you find our information useful and our contacts productive. We invite you to explore all parts of 
our website, and also share with us your views, experiences, lessons learned, best practices, and innovations. 
Please visit us at www.SchoolSafetyPartners.org and register online in order to access all of our sections. 
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