ICS: Can it Be a National Incident Management System?1

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 1179-1183
Author(s):  
Duane Michael Smith
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Command And Control ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
National Incident Management System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
National Model ◽  
System 1 ◽  
And Control

ABSTRACT There are likely few that would argue with the proposal that a national incident management system would be of benefit. Numerous articles have been put forward over time, both for and against the adoption of an incident command system (ICS) as the model for a national incident management system. Those in favor of its adoption point out to its many successes, from major wildfires to the 2002 Olympics. Many seem to view ICS as simply another way of expressing the term command and control. In reality, ICS is not another way to say command and control; rather it is a specific of command and control system. The question then is whether ICS, and in particular the National Inter-agency Incident Management System – Incident Command System (NIIMS-ICS) is the model upon which this national system should be based. Most of the studies and papers regarding the use and adoption of ICS have focused on its use within the fire service community. This may be somewhat intuitive, given the origins of the system; however, if we are to truly gauge the applicability of this system to all risks, we must begin to exam it in those other events. It was a series of disasters that led to the development of the initial ICS system. It has been a subsequent series of disasters or national emergencies that have led to the continued evolution of ICS toward a national model. The question now before us is whether we need another disaster to take that final step to a truly national incident management system or are we willing to go there now. In this time of heightened national security we owe it to ourselves to have the best incident management system in the world.

NIMS AND THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gil Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Management System ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Department Of Homeland Security ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
National Incident Management System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The Impact

The way this nation prepares for and responds to domestic incidents is about to change. It won't be an abrupt change; best practices that have been developed over the years are part of this new comprehensive national approach to incident management known as the National Incident Management System (NIMS). But it will change—and for the better. Developed by the Department of Homeland Security and issued in March 2004, the NIMS will enable responders at all jurisdictional levels and across all disciplines to work together more effectively and efficiently. Beginning in FY 2006, federal funding for state, local and tribal preparedness grants will be tied to compliance with the NIMS. One of the most important ‘best practices’ that has been incorporated into the NIMS is the Incident Command System (ICS), a standard, on-scene, all-hazards incident management system already in use by firefighters, hazardous materials teams, rescuers and emergency medical teams. The ICS has been established by the NIMS as the standardized incident organizational structure for the management of all incidents. Although many agencies now use various forms of ICS, there is considerable uncertainty about NIMS ICS and the impact it will have on systems and processes currently in place. These are important questions because one of the FY 2005 requirements for implementing NIMS is “institutionalizing the use of ICS, across the entire response system.” This paper is intended to provide an historical perspective on the development of ICS, explain how NIMS ICS works, describe how it is different from previous systems, and discuss the future of NIMS ICS training.

The evolution of shortcomings in Incident Command System: Revisions have allowed critical management functions to atrophy

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 509
Author(s):  
Kimberly S. Stambler, PhD, CEM ◽  
Joseph A. Barbera, MD
Keyword(s):  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Original System ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Critical Position ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
National Incident Management System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Wildland Firefighting ◽  
Management Functions

The original Incident Command System (ICS) was created through the federally funded Firefighting Resources of Southern California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) program. Initially developed as one element of multiagency coordination for managing severe wildfires, the FIRESCOPE ICS guidance was adopted and evolved through increasingly routine wildland firefighting. It then was modified for all hazards for the fire service. Only later, through the National Incident Management System (NIMS), was ICS officially adopted for all hazards and all responders. Over this multidecade evolution, the current NIMS ICS version became simplified in several key areas compared to the original, robust FIRESCOPE ICS. NIMS ICS is now promulgated as guidance for managing today's novel, complex, and lengthy disasters involving multidisciplinary response but experiences recurrent problems in key functions. This article examines the history of the subtle, yet critical differences in current ICS compared to the original system design, and focuses on information dissemination and intermediate, long-range and contingency planning. ICS transitions resulted in simplification and consolidation of positions and functions, without recognizing and maintaining critical position tasks necessary for managing complex, extended incidents.

ICS CONTRIBUTES TO THE NORTH CAPE OIL SPILL RESPONSE1

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 737-742
Author(s):  
LT Tina M. Burke ◽  
LT John P. Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Management System ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
The North ◽  
Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT In recent years, the usefulness of the incident command system (ICS) has received much attention. Much of the oil industry and several government agencies involved in all types of emergency response have been using ICS for many years. In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard formally adopted the national interagency incident management system (NIIMS) ICS as the response management system of choice in February of 1996. The response to the tank barge North Cape grounding was a complex multiagency effort that brought with it many of the issues and problems responders face when dealing with crisis situations. This paper describes the ICS-based organization that was established to respond to the major North Cape oil spill, analyzes the organization compared to standard ICS, and discusses how the ICS framework and principles contributed to the success of the response. It also explains how closer conformity to standard ICS could have remedied many of the issues that later surfaced as lessons learned, resulting in improved response efficiency. The North Cape response provides a vivid example of how ICS is a helpful management tool that, if rigorously learned and applied in a widespread fashion, can greatly enhance the nation's oil spill response posture.

Implementation and effectiveness of the National Incident Management System’s Incident Command System in law enforcement since 2003

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-417
Author(s):  
John K. Nichols, MS, LCC ◽  
Magdalena Denham, EdD
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Initial Phase ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Incident Command System ◽  
National Incident Management System ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Relevant Case ◽  
Open Question

This paper investigates the use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)’s Incident Command System (ICS) in law enforcement since Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 was issued in 2003. It attempts to answer the following questions: (a) To what degree has law enforcement adopted the NIMS style ICS?; (b) To what degree has the NIMS/ICS framework been applicable to law enforcement?; and (c) Is the NIMS style ICS effective in the law enforcement response environment? The research includes a review of relevant case studies and literature and also includes the analysis of a survey instrument sent to 1,220 current and former law enforcement practitioners across the United States. The survey includes both open- and closed-ended questions. The data from closed-ended questions were compiled and displayed. Data from open-ended questions were grouped thematically. Responses were then assessed and compared with information gleaned from the literature review. Results indicate the system has been widely adopted by law enforcement, and its use is applicable and effective in some law enforcement responses. Its use in the highly chaotic initial phase of incidents, however, remains an open question.

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