Incident Management System Inter-Agency Response Concepts

IMS - Inter-Agency Response2 INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Objectives Identify the purposes of IMSIdentify the purposes of IMS Identify when IMS is requiredIdentify when IMS is required Identify command responsibilitiesIdentify command responsibilities Explain incident goals and objectivesExplain incident goals and objectives

IMS - Inter-Agency Response3 What is IMS? The Incident Management System (IMS) is a standard method of operating at all incidents that the fire and emergency services respond to. This includes fires, hazardous materials incidents, EMS, water rescue and other types of emergencies.

IMS - Inter-Agency Response4 What IMS is: A management tool that defines the roles and responsibilities of all units responding to an incidentA management tool that defines the roles and responsibilities of all units responding to an incident A system that enables one individual to control the incidentA system that enables one individual to control the incident A system designed to eliminate “freelancing” at the emergency scene.A system designed to eliminate “freelancing” at the emergency scene.

IMS - Inter-Agency Response5 What IMS is not: Designed to “handcuff” or take authority away from the ICDesigned to “handcuff” or take authority away from the IC Designed to set strategies or control tacticsDesigned to set strategies or control tactics Designed to require “more guys in vests” than emergency workersDesigned to require “more guys in vests” than emergency workers IMS is not complicatedIMS is not complicated

IMS - Inter-Agency Response6 Incident Management System Inter-Agency Response

IMS - Inter-Agency Response7

8 Basic Concepts IMS revolves around 2 basic management conceptsIMS revolves around 2 basic management concepts –Unity of Command –Span of Control

IMS - Inter-Agency Response9 Unity of Command Every individual has only one supervisorEvery individual has only one supervisor Orders transmitted and accepted within immediate chain of commandOrders transmitted and accepted within immediate chain of command Does not prevent communications needed for operations/safety of othersDoes not prevent communications needed for operations/safety of others

IMS - Inter-Agency Response10 Span of Control Number of individuals one supervisor can effectively manageNumber of individuals one supervisor can effectively manage Critical at emergency scene for safety and accountabilityCritical at emergency scene for safety and accountability In IMS, ranges from 3 to 7In IMS, ranges from 3 to 7

IMS - Inter-Agency Response Battalion Chief Effective Span of Control Engine 1511 Quint 1521 Engine 1531

IMS - Inter-Agency Response Battalion Chief Engine 2 Engine 3 Engine 1 Quint 1 Tower 2 Engine 4 Amb. 5 Amb. 4 Not-So-Effective Span of Control

IMS - Inter-Agency Response13 Command Responsibilities Life Safety - Civilians and FirefightersLife Safety - Civilians and Firefighters Taking care of the problem - stabilizing the incidentTaking care of the problem - stabilizing the incident Conserving propertyConserving property

IMS - Inter-Agency Response14 Who is Command? First arriving fire department unit at a fire sceneFirst arriving fire department unit at a fire scene First arriving law enforcement officer at a crime sceneFirst arriving law enforcement officer at a crime scene

IMS - Inter-Agency Response15 Who is Command? For IMS to workFor IMS to work –One - and only one - person is in charge –Everyone responding knows who this is –Companies receive orders through the command structure –Companies DO NOT freelance

IMS - Inter-Agency Response16 Unified Command Due to the nature of an emergency, several agencies will need to share management responsibility. –Plane crash –Flood –Earthquake –HazMat Incidents

IMS - Inter-Agency Response17 Expanding the Organization When it appears that the span of control will be exceeded, it is necessary to divide the incident into smaller portions

IMS - Inter-Agency Response18 Factors that require expanding the IMS To maintain span of controlTo maintain span of control To assist with IC workloadTo assist with IC workload –information management –tactical worksheets –planning –forecasting –requesting resources

IMS - Inter-Agency Response19 Branches As the span of control of sectors becomes excessive, the incident becomes more complex, or has two or more distinctive operations, it may be further sub-divided into branches

IMS - Inter-Agency Response20 Branches Branches have functional/geographic responsibility for major segments of incident operations

IMS - Inter-Agency Response21 Branches The branch level is located between sections and sectors/groups

IMS - Inter-Agency Response22 Branches The term used for the officer responsible for a branch is Branch Director

IMS - Inter-Agency Response23 Branches Branches may be established for the following reasons: –Span of control –Functional - Fire, Medical, Evacuation –Multi-jurisdictional incidents

IMS - Inter-Agency Response24 Branches Branch Directors are normally located at the Command Post

IMS - Inter-Agency Response Functional Branches Command Operations Section FireBranch EMSBranch Law Branch

IMS - Inter-Agency Response Two-Branch Organization SectorBSectorASectorCVent.SectorMSOTriageTrans.Evac.Sector Command Operations Section Fire Branch EMS Branch