Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Unit 5: Command and Support Structure of a State Mobilization

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Unit Objectives  Define “span of control” during a state mobilization incident.  Identify immediate supervisors.  Demonstrate an understanding of basic ICS.  Explain whose orders a responder must follow.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Incident Management Teams  The State Fire Marshal will assign an appropriate level of incident management for each mobilization incident. State Mobilization may be under the command of a: o Type 3 IMT o Type 2 IMT o Type 1 IMT o Unified Command, local Incident Commander with a Type 1-4 Incident Commander.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Incident Command System (ICS)  The State of Washington has adopted the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and will use the Incident Command System (ICS) to manage all incidents involving State Mobilization resources.  All responding fire service resources should be trained to a minimum of ICS 100 level.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Incident Command System (ICS)  This section is not intended to provide a comprehensive review of ICS and assumes responder familiarity with the system.  The following section is provided to familiarize the responder with the various ICS positions they are likely to interface with during a mobilization incident.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Chain of Command

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Communication Flow S S Engine Boss S S S S Division/Group Supervisor S S Engine Boss S S S S Firefighters Strike Team/Task Force Leader Unity of Command: Each subordinate has only one Supervisor

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Span of Control  ICS Span of Control for any supervisor is considered 3 to 7 subordinates.  Optimally does not exceed 5 subordinates.  To maintain span of control, responders are organized into Strike Teams and Task Forces, each with a leader and common communications.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Command Staff (1 of 2) Incident Commander  Responsible for all aspects of the response, including developing incident objectives and managing all incident operations. o Generally you will have no direct operational contact with the Incident Commander – use the chain of command. Public Information Officer  Responsible for the development and release of incident information. o Notify PIO of any community concerns. o Direct Media to PIO unless otherwise directed.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Command Staff (2 of 2) Safety Officer  Responsible for Incident Safety. o Must be notified of injury or vehicle damage (do so through your Strike Team Leader). Liaison Officer  Point of contact for assisting and cooperating agencies. o Direct inquiries from outside agencies to the Liaison Officer.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Planning Section  The Planning Section is responsible for the collection, evaluation, dissemination and use of incident information and the status of resources. o Advise the Resource Unit if your unit is out of service. o Provide Situation Unit with GPS Tracks and lists of notable damage within the incident (destroyed homes, etc.) o Provide Documentation Unit with daily ICS 214 Unit Logs and personnel evaluations.  Don’t be shy - the Planning Section appreciates the information that you can provide!

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Logistics Section  Responsible for providing facilities, services and materials for the incident response. Communications Unit  Provides Incident Communications o Comm Unit can provide you with a loaner portable radio, batteries. See the Comm Unit if you have a problem with your radio equipment. Medical Unit  Responsible for the development of the Medical Plan and the provision of medical care for incident response personnel. o Can assist with medical needs. o Must be notified of Medical Emergencies involving response personnel.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Logistics Section  Responsible for providing facilities, services and materials for the incident response. Communications Unit  Provides Incident Communications o Comm Unit can provide you with a loaner portable radio, batteries. See the Comm Unit if you have a problem with your radio equipment. Medical Unit  Responsible for the development of the Medical Plan and the provision of medical care for incident response personnel. o Can assist with medical needs. o Must be notified of Medical Emergencies involving response personnel.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Logistics Section Supply Unit  Responsible for providing equipment and supplies needed to support the incident. o See the Supply Unit to procure equipment and supplies such as PPE, replacement foam and hose, nozzles and fittings. Remember: In most cases these items must be return prior to demobilization. Facilities Unit  Responsible for Incident Facilities. Ground Support Unit  Responsible for Incident transport needs.  Conducts vehicle inspections. o May be able to assist with minor mechanical repairs.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Finance/Administration Section Finance / Administration  Responsible for all financial and cost analysis aspects of the incident. Time Unit  Tracks personnel and equipment time. o Turn in your personal time (CTR) and equipment time daily. Procurement Unit  Manages the procurement and buying needs of the incident. Compensation/Claims Unit  Responsible for all administrative matters pertaining to compensation for injury and claims related to the incident. o On a mobilization incident, you will typically discuss these items directly with a WSP mobilization representative.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Operations Section  Manages and Supervises the Operational aspects of the incident operation. Managed by the Operations Section Chief. o Interface within the operations section in accordance with the chain of command as previously identified. Branches  Can be used to divide an incident geographically or functionally- typically used when necessary to manage span of control. Managed by a Branch Director. Air Operations Branch  Responsible for all Air Operations involved in the incident. o Air Resources within your area of operation are normally requested through the Division Supervisor (via the Strike Team/Task Force Leader)

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Operations Section Divisions  Used to Divide an incident geographically. Managed by a Division Supervisor. o Only the Strike Team/Task Force Leader should communicate directly to the DIVS – except in an emergency where the STL/TFL cannot be reached. Groups  Used to divide an incident by function. Managed by a Group Supervisor. o See above regarding contact directly to the Group Sup. Strike Team  Five resources of the same type, with common communications and a leader. Managed by a Strike Team Leader. Task Force  Resources configured into any combination of single resources, assembled for a tactical need, with common communications and a leader. Managed by a Task Force Leader. o Note: Task Force Leaders are commonly assigned to Divisions as single resources to assist Division Supervisors in maintaining span of control.

Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshal Mobilization Representative WSP Mobilization Section Representative  Not an ICS position.  Assists incident managers: Acquiring facilities and supplies Assist with check-in and work within the Finance Section in the demobilization of State Mobilization resources.  Excellent resource for State Mobilization resources Can answer questions regarding payroll and compensation issues. Can advise and assist responders in the completion of appropriate paperwork. Can assist with Resource Order Number issues and questions.  Must be notified of any anticipated crew changes.  Personnel must seek authorization before any apparatus swaps may occur (new apparatus require a new Resource Order Number). Apparatus self-dispatching to an incident may be sent home without compensation.