Download ICS 200 Lesson 3: Understanding ICS in Incident Management and more Exams Logistics in PDF only on Docsity!
Lesson Overview
The ICS Organization lesson provides information on ICS organizational structure, initial organizational development at an incident, organizational expansion and contraction, and transfer of command.
This lesson should take approximately 45 minutes to complete. Remember, you must complete the entire lesson to receive credit.
Lesson 3 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Explain how the incident organization expands or contracts to meet operational needs of the incident.
- Match organizational positions with appropriate ICS sections.
- Describe the use of Branches, Divisions, and Groups within the Operations Section, and provide supervisory titles associated with each level.
- List the types of information communicated during the transfer of command.
Roaring River Flood: Scenario Update
- Assessments have been finalized.
- Incident objectives have been established and tactical operations are beginning for the next operational period.
- There is a need to expand the organization to manage and support the incident response operations.
The rain has finally ended, and the river crested earlier than forecasted. The assessments confirm the early estimates of the damage. The Incident Commander has set the incident objectives for the next operational period.
Veterinarian teams have been dispatched. Their first priority is to euthanize the suffering animals.
The next objective is to identify suitable places to relocate stranded but otherwise healthy animals.
A third objective is to begin the disposal operation of dead animals. Since it will take several days to complete this operation, the disposal teams will first target sites closest to population centers.
The Plant Protection and Quarantine Branch objectives are to set traps, in order to locate the fruit flies, to eradicate the fruit flies, and to control the movement of host material.
The top priority for the Food Safety Inspection Service Branch is to ensure that the contaminated food processing plants are brought back online, in compliance with all health and safety regulations.
Given the scope of these incident objectives, the Incident Commander must secure additional resources and expand the organization.
Key Organizational Terms
Key ICS organizational terms include:
- Incident Commander: The Incident Commander is the individual responsible for overall management of the incident.
- Command Staff: The Command Staff consists of the Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, and Liaison Officer. They report directly to the Incident Commander.
- Officer: Officer is the ICS title for the personnel responsible for the Command Staff positions of Safety, Liaison, and Information.
- General Staff: The General Staff are assigned functional authority for Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. The General Staff also report directly to the Incident Commander.
- Section: A Section is the organizational level with responsibility for a major functional area of the incident (e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration).
- Section Chief: Chief is the ICS title for individuals responsible for functional sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration
- Branch: A Branch is the organizational level having functional or geographic responsibility for major parts of the Operations or Logistics functions.
- Branch Director: Branch Director is the ICS title for individuals responsible for supervision of a Branch.
- Division/Group: Divisions are used to divide an incident geographically. Groups are used to divide an incident functionally.
- Division/Group Supervisor: Supervisor is the ICS title for individuals responsible for a Division or Group.
- Strike Team: A Strike Team is a specified combination of the same kind and type of resources with common communications and a Leader.
- Task Force: A Task Force is a combination of single resources assembled for a particular tactical need with common communications and a Leader.
- Unit: A Unit is the organizational element having functional responsibility for a specific incident planning, logistical, or financial activity.
- Task Force/Strike Team/Unit Leader: Leader is the ICS title for an individual responsible for a Task Force, Strike Team, or functional Unit.
- Resources: Resources are personnel and equipment available, or potentially available, for assignment to incidents. Resources may be described by kind and type (e.g., ground, water, air, etc.) and may be used in tactical, support, or overhead capacities at an incident.
ICS—A Flexible System
Standardization of the organizational chart and terms does not limit its flexibility. A key principle of ICS is its flexibility. The ICS organization may be expanded easily from a very small operation for routine incidents into a larger organization capable of handling catastrophic events.
There are no hard and fast rules for expanding the ICS organization. Many incidents will never require the activation of the entire General Staff. Others will require some members of the staff, or all of them. Experienced Incident Commanders can predict workloads and potential staffing needs, regardless of the kind of incident.
Incident Commander
“Most USDA incidents never get as big as the Roaring River Flood, so I don’t usually need an organization with all the positions activated. ICS is like a management toolbox: I just take out whatever tool I need to do the job. To do that, though, I have to know what all those tools do!”
Organizing the Incident Command
As you know, the Incident Commander has the overall responsibility for the management of the incident. Even if other functions are not filled, an Incident Commander will always be designated.
After establishing command, the Incident Commander will consult with Agency Administrators to determine the type of command that is required for the incident. The Incident Commander will then identify the initial organization and staffing for the incident.
Types of Command
The Incident Commander knows that the command function may be carried out in two ways:
- As a single command in which the Incident Commander will have complete responsibility for incident management.
- As a unified command in which responding agencies and/or jurisdictions with responsibility for the incident share incident management.
Single Command
Under a single command, one person—the Incident Commander—has responsibility for managing the entire incident, as directed and delegated by the Agency Administrator.
Although the Incident Commander consults with other authorities as necessary, he or she approves the Incident Action Plan and makes the final decisions on the response.
Unified Command
If a Unified Command is needed, Incident Commanders representing agencies or jurisdictions that share responsibility for the incident manage the response from a single Incident Command Post.
Under a Unified Command, a single, coordinated Incident Action Plan will direct all activities. The Incident Commanders will supervise a single Command and General Staff organization and speak with one voice.
Roaring River Flood: Command Staff
Based on the damage assessment and the Incident Action Plan, the Incident Commander appoints the following Command Staff officers:
- Public Information Officer : This incident has gained a great deal of media attention, and the organization has important information to share with the public, so a Public Information Officer will be required.
- Safety Officer : Many response personnel will be working with hazardous chemicals and in potentially hazardous conditions, so a Safety Officer is a must.
- Liaison Officer : Given that State and local efforts are ongoing, and that several additional Federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, have sent representatives to the scene, a Liaison Officer is desirable.
Deputies
The Incident Commander may have one or more deputies. An individual assuming a deputy role must be equally capable of assuming the primary role. Therefore, a Deputy Incident Commander must be able to assume the Incident Commander’s role.
Following are three reasons to designate deputies:
- To perform specific tasks as requested by the Incident Commander.
- To perform the Incident Command function in a relief capacity (e.g., to take over the next operational period).
- To represent an assisting agency that may share jurisdiction or have jurisdiction in the future.
At this time, no deputies are assigned to the Roaring River Flood incident.
Review: Branches, Divisions, and Groups
Branches
If the number of Divisions or Groups exceeds the span of control, it may be necessary to establish another level of organization, called a Branch, within the Operations Section. The person in charge of each Branch is designated as a Director. Deputies may also be used at the branch level. While span of control is a common reason to establish Branches, Branches are also used on multidiscipline and multijurisdictional incidents.
Divisions
Divisions are a common method of organizing tactical operations at an incident. Divisions always refer to geographically defined areas (e.g., the area around a stadium, the inside or floors of a building, or individual plants or facilities).
Divisions are managed by Division Supervisors. Division Supervisors do not have deputy positions.
Groups
Another common method of organizing operations at an incident is to establish functional Groups. As the name implies, this form of organization deals not with geographic areas, but with functional activity.
Groups, like Divisions, are managed by Supervisors. There are no Group Supervisor deputy positions.
Divisions and Groups work at the same level in the organization. Divisions do not work for Groups, or vice versa.
Roaring River Flood: Operations Section Expansion
The Operations Section Chief knows that the number of resources and tactical complexity of operations will exceed her span of control. She needs to establish additional managerial levels in order to support the activities of the Operations function.
Operations Section Chief
“This is a big incident for USDA and will involve several agencies so I’ll need all the organizational elements in Operations in order to maintain an acceptable span of control. Our incident objectives are to:
- Euthanize suffering animals;
- Identify relocation sites;
- Begin the disposal operation;
- Set traps to locate the fruit flies;
- Eradicate the fruit flies;
- Control the movement of host material; and
- Ensure that the contaminated food processing plants are brought back online in compliance with all health and safety regulations.
Because the response will be functional and will involve multiple disciplines, I’ll begin by appointing Branch Directors and a Staging Area Manager.”
Roaring River Flood: Air Operations Branch
As seen in the organizational chart, the Operations Section Chief appointed an Air Operations Branch Director for this incident. The Air Operations Branch will be used for both aerial reconnaissance and spraying fruit flies.
The Air Operations Branch Director established Air Attack and Air Support Groups and appointed Supervisors for each group.
Roaring River Flood: Staging Area
The Operations Section Chief also appointed a Staging Area Manager. A staging area is a location identified at an incident where resources can be placed while awaiting a tactical assignment.
A Manager is assigned to each staging area and reports to the Operations Section Chief, or to the Incident Commander if the Operations Section Chief has not been designated.
Roaring River Flood: FSIS Branch
The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) Branch has one major task: to ensure that the contaminated food processing plants are brought back online, in compliance with all health and safety regulations.
Because there are five food processing plants, the FSIS Branch Director divided staff resources geographically. Each plant is a Division. Each Division includes a Compliance Officer as Division Supervisor.
FSIS Branch Director
“We’re lucky because only five processing facilities were affected. It’s going to take a lot to clean up the facilities and get them into compliance.
My Branch has one major task: to ensure that the contaminated food processing plants are brought back online in compliance with all health and safety regulations.
Since there are five food processing plants, it makes sense to divide my job geographically and make each plant a Division. I’m also going to assign Compliance Officers as the Division Supervisors for each plant_._ ”
Roaring River Flood: PPQ Branch
The release of tens of thousands of fruit flies from the damaged research facility poses a great challenge for the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Branch.
The PPQ Branch’s overall incident tasks are to:
- Identify the extent of the fruit fly infestation, and
- Eradicate the fruit flies.
- Regulate the movement of host material.
The PPQ Branch Director has organized the Branch into two kinds of functional Groups. The Groups are composed as follows:
- Survey and Identification Group – 4 Strike Teams
- Control Group – 3 Strike Teams
- Regulatory Group – 2 Strike Teams
PPQ Branch Director
“We have a big problem here. Tens of thousands of fruit flies were released from the damaged research facility, and we’re not sure where they are or what their reproductive capabilities are. Our overall incident tasks are to: 1) set traps to locate fruit flies, 2) eradicate the fruit flies, and
- control the movement of host material.
To accomplish these tasks, I’m going to organize my Branch into three kinds of functional Groups: one Survey and Identification Group, one Control Group, and one Regulatory Group. This incident will take a lot of PPQ resources.
We need accurate maps very quickly, so we’ll need the Planning Section to get on that right away. We also need to survey the area to locate and identify the flies, so we’ll need three Survey Strike Teams and one Identification Strike Team. We have a good idea of the area to cover, as fruit flies can only reach a limited area. To be safe, we’ll survey 4½ miles in each direction from the facility—that’s 81 square miles.
Then, after we’ve identified where the flies are, we’ll need at least 3 Control Strike Teams for spraying. I’ll need to work with the Air Operations Branch for aerial spraying as well. One concern is that we can’t be sure that we’ve taken care of the problem until the fruit flies have gone through three life cycles. That will take nearly 4 months—and we can’t begin trapping and spraying until water levels recede.
Finally, all movement of host material in and out of the affected area must be monitored and controlled to ensure that the fruit flies do not escape containment. I’m going to assign a Regulatory Group, which will include 2 Strike Teams of regulatory officials.”
Roaring River Flood: Operations Section Full Expansion
With the assignment of personnel to each of the branches, the Operations Section has reached full expansion. The organizational chart shows the full staffing of the Operations Section.
Information and Intelligence Functions (continued)
- As a separate General Staff Section, which may be most appropriate in those instances where an incident is heavily influenced by intelligence factors, or where there is a need to manage and/or analyze a large volume of classified or highly sensitive intelligence or information. This option is particularly relevant to a terrorism incident, where intelligence plays a crucial role throughout the incident lifecycle.
Regardless of how it is organized, the information and intelligence functions are also responsible for developing, conducting, and managing information-related security plans and operations as directed by the Incident Commander. These can include information security and operational security activities, as well as the complex task of ensuring that sensitive information of all types (e.g., classified information, law enforcement sensitive information, proprietary information, or export controlled information) is handled in a way that not only safeguards the information, but also ensures that it gets to those who need access to it in order to effectively and safely conduct their missions. The information and intelligence functions also have the responsibility for coordinating information- and operational-security matters with public awareness activities that fall under the responsibility of the Public Information Officer, particularly where such public awareness activities may affect information or operations security.
Planning Section Units
The following organizational chart shows the Planning Section units.
- 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.
- Technical Specialists (individuals with skills or knowledge that may be of use to the Incident Management Team) may also be assigned to the Planning Section.
Roaring River Flood: Planning Section
The Planning Section Chief for the Roaring River Flood has established all four units and has assigned Technical Specialists for this incident. The information and intelligence functions are being handled by the Situation Unit.
Logistics Section
The Logistics Section is responsible for providing services and support to meet all incident or event needs. This section:
- Handles everything from setting up and maintaining the on-site computer network, to providing hotel rooms and food for response personnel, to providing security at the incident facilities.
- Supports personnel and resources directly assigned to the incident. For example, the Medical Unit would care only for incident personnel and would not care for community members injured in the flood.
Early recognition of the need for a Logistics Section can reduce time and money spent on an incident.
Logistics Section Branches
Logistics personnel may be organized into the following Branches:
- Service Branch.
- Support Branch.
A Director manages each Branch. Each Branch may have up to three Units assigned to it based upon need. Unit Leaders report to their Branch Director.
Finance/Administration Section
The Finance/Administration Section is responsible for monitoring incident-related costs, and administering any necessary procurement contracts. The following four Units may be established in the Finance/Administration Section:
- Time Unit
- Cost Unit
- Procurement Unit
- Compensation/Claims Unit
A Unit Leader is assigned to manage each Unit.
Finance/Administration Section Units
The Finance/Administration Section includes the Time, Cost, Procurement, and Compensation/Claims Units.
- Time Unit: Ensures that all personnel time on the event is recorded.
- Cost Unit: Collects all cost information and provides cost estimates and cost savings recommendations.
- Procurement Unit: Processes administrative paperwork associated with contract services.
- Compensation/Claims Unit: Combines two important functions:
- Compensation is responsible for seeing that all documentation related to workers compensation is correctly completed. Also, Compensation maintains files of injuries and/or illnesses associated with the incident.
- Claims handles the investigation of all claims involving damaged property associated with or involved in the incident.
Roaring River Flood: Finance/Administration Section
The Roaring River Flood Finance/Administration Section Chief has established all four units for the Roaring River incident. The organizational chart shows the full staffing of the Finance/Administration Section.
Avoid Combining ICS Positions
It is important to avoid combining ICS positions. However , one person may be assigned more than one function on the incident organization chart. Positions should not be combined within the organization, however, because problems could be created later if the merged positions have to separate.
Predicting Incident Workloads
Incident workload patterns are predictable throughout the life of the incident. For example:
- In the Planning Section, the Resources and Situation Units will be busy in the initial phases of an incident, while the main workload for the Documentation and Demobilization Units will come later.
- In Logistics, the Supply and Communication Units do the bulk of the early work in an incident.
The arrival of the media and agency representatives is always a good indication of increasing complexity for the Command Staff.
Roaring River Flood: Transferring Command
The Roaring River Flood Incident Commander has just been notified of a family emergency. The commander plans to return home for the next 3 days. A new Incident Commander will assume leadership during this period.
Incident Commander
“I was just notified that my father is critically ill. I plan to leave this evening to join other family members at the hospital. My plan is to transfer command to a new Incident Commander during my absence. When I return, I may assume command again but will need to be brought up to speed.”
Transfer of Command Procedures
One of the main features of ICS are procedures to transfer command with minimal disruption. These procedures may be used anytime personnel in supervisory positions change.
Three key procedures should be followed, whenever possible:
- The transfer should be face to face.
- The transfer should include a complete briefing.
- The effective date and time of the transfer is announced to all affected personnel.
