INCIDENT COMMAND GUIDELINE

1.         This guideline was established to:

-         Provide for the safety of personnel operating at emergency incidents through improved command and control or management of emergencies.

-         Improve the use of resources and tactical effectiveness.

-         Comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (29 CER 1910.120) for hazardous materials incidents.

-         Meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1500 and 1561for the use of an Incident Command System for operations at all emergency incidents.

2.         To meet the goals of this guideline:

-         The incident Command System SHALL be implemented at all incidents in which fire service has management responsibilities.

3.         Communications

All communications SHALL be clear text. Radio communications SHALL be to receiver - from sender using the following model:

-         Request to initiate communications and determine that the intended receiver is listening.

-         Transmit the message or order concisely, in clear text.

-         Give feedback to the receiver to ensure that the message was received and understood.

-         Confirm that the message or order was understood; if not, correct and clarify the message.

-         The Incident Commander is responsible for all fire communications

 4.        Assumption of Command

-           Command SHALL be established at all incidents

5.         The senior member of the first arriving Company is the Incident Commander until relieved by a more senior fire official.  When multiple resources will be committed to the incident, command SHALL be formally established by transmitting a brief report containing the following information to the communication center:

-         Identity of the Company transmitting the report.

-         Actual location of the incident.

-         Brief description of the incident and report of conditions (size up)

-         Designation of the individual assuming command and incident name (if required)

-         Incidents are given a specific name to reduce confusion when multiple incidents share the same radio frequency and/or Dispatcher.

Example:  County, Chief 3-11 on location 50 West Main Street.  Two story commercial building nothing showing sides alpha, bravo, delta.  Chief 3-11 will have command.

6.    The Incident Commander SHOULD conduct the initial command activity from a fixed position, particularly where an incident is escalating rapidly or complex.

7.    If there is a need for immediate tactical activity, and the Company manpower necessitates that the Incident Commander be an integral part of tactical operations, command in offensive mode SHOULD be initiated.

8.    Command in the offensive mode SHOULD only be performed until command can be transferred.

9.    The Incident Commander at any fire/emergency SHALL be responsible for the following:

ASSESMENT OF INCIDENT PRORITIES:

Provide a framework for command decision-making. Tactical activity may address more than one incident priority simultaneously.

-         Life safety (first priority)

-         Incident stabilization (second priority)

-         Property conservation (third priority)

PERFORM SIZE UP:

The Incident Commander must perform an initial assessment of the situation, incident potential, and resource status. This assessment must address the following three questions:

-         What have I got? (Situation)

-         Where is it going? (Potential)

-         What do I need to control it? (Resources)

SELECT THE STRATEGIC MODE: A critical decision having an impact on the safety of personnel and the effectiveness of tactical operations is the selection or strategic mode. Operations may be conducted in either an offensive or defensive mode. This decision is based on answers to the following questions:

-         Is it safe to conduct offensive operations?

-         Is resource capability (present and projected) adequate for the offensive operations to control the incident?

DEFINE STRATEGIC GOALS: Strategic goals define the overall plan that will be used to control the incident. Strategic goals are broad in nature and are achieved by the completion of tactical objectives. Strategic goals are generally focused in the following areas:

-         Search, protection and removal of trapped/exposed persons. (Rescue)

-         Confinement and extinguishment of the fire or control of the hazard. (Fire attack or containment)

-         Minimize loss to involved or exposed property. (Salvage and overhaul)

ESTABLISH TACTICAL OBJECTIVES:

Tactical objectives are the specific operations that must be accomplished to achieve strategic goal. Tactical objectives must be both specific and measurable, defining:

-         Assignment of resources

-         Nature of the tactical activity

-         Location in which the tactical activity must be performed

-         If the tactical action must be performed in sequence or coordinated with any other tactical action

IMPLEMENT THE ACTION PLAN:

-         Implementation of the incident action plan requires that the Incident Commander establish an appropriate organizational structure to manage the required resources and communicate the tactical objectives.

-         The incident action plan may be communicated by your standard operating guidelines, assigning tactical objectives, or by assigning task activity.

-         Tactical Standard Operating Guidelines may define common components of the incident action plan such as water supply, standard apparatus placement, and the methods used for basic tactical evolutions.

INCIDENT SAFETY:

-         The scene must be controlled to protect fire/ emergency personnel and keep unauthorized persons out of hazardous areas

-         The Incident Commander may delegate incident safety authority to an appointed Safety Officer who may cease or stop an operation with out going through the Chain of Command, only when personnel are in imminent danger of being injured or killed.

-         All fire officers MUST maintain a constant awareness of the position and function of all personnel assigned to operate under supervision.

-         The Incident Commander must establish a personnel identification system to identify and keep track of personnel entering and leaving hazardous areas or areas where special protective equipment is required.

-         ALL fire officers must maintain an awareness of the condition of personnel operating within their control and ensure that adequate steps are taken to provide for their safety and health. This includes medical evaluation, food, and fluid replacement, and relief and reassignment of fatigued crews.

-         Establish a Rapid Intervention Team to insure protection and safety for all fire fighters operating at the incident.

-         Orders from the Incident Commander may specify tactical objectives assigned to subordinate positions within the Incident Command Structure or to a specific resource.

 10.      When multiple resources are assigned to the same function incident-wide (such as ventilation or search and rescue), a "sector group" SHALL be established to provide coordination and control of the tactical operations.

 11.      When multiple resources are assigned to perform tactical functions in a specific geographic area (such as on a specific floor or side of a structure); a "Sector Division" SHALL be established to provide coordination and control of tactical operations.

12.       When Sector Division boundaries are established on the exterior of a structure or in nonstructural incidents (such as wild land fire), the term "side" and letter designation (A,B,C,D,) SHALL be used. In addition to establishing the Sector Division designation, specific boundaries must be defined. This is particularly important in nonstructural incidents.

13.       When Sector Division boundaries are defined by level in a structural incident, the term "floor" and a number or descriptive designation SHALL be used (1,2,3, basement). If the Sector Division is given a responsibility for the entire structure, it SHALL be designated as the "Interior Sector".

14.       In radio communications with the sector division, the number designation SHALL follow "sector" (Sector side A, Sector floor 3). If the descriptive designation is given, it SHALL precede "Sector" (Interior Sector, etc).

15.       Sector Groups SHALL be designated by the function (Ventilation, Fire Attack, Water Supply, etc).  In radio communications with a Sector Group; the function SHALL serve as the designation. (SEE DIAGRAM AT THE END OF THIS POLICY)

16.       When the Incident Commander has not defined an assignment for on scene or responding resources, Staging SHALL be established.

 LEVELS OF STAGING

Level 1:           Units arriving after the initial attack SHOULD report to their pre- planned locations and if no orders are received, it is RECOMMENDED they take a hold position in the vicinity of the incident and await assignment by the Incident Commander.

Level 2:           When the incident is escalating or has not yet been-stabilized, sufficient resources to meet potential incident development SHOULD be available in staging until the incident has been stabilized.

The Incident Commander or Operations SHALL establish staging by defining its location and communicating this information to the county wide communications center.

The Dispatcher SHALL inform all responding resources of the location of staging.

18.       If responsibility is not specifically assigned, the officer of the first company to arrive in staging SHALL assume the function of the Staging Officer.

19.       Resources in Staging SHALL maintain intact as a unit unless otherwise directed by the Staging Officer.   

20.       ALL Firefighters responding to the scene in their private vehicles SHALL report to their respective company officer for assignment.

21.       The staging officer SHALL keep the Incident Commander advised of resources availability in Staging whenever the resource status changes.

22.       The Incident Commander SHALL request on scene resources through the Staging Officer and SHALL specify where and to whom those resources SHALL report.

23.             In radio communications, the incident name shall proceed the designation of “staging” for communication purposes.  (Example:  Upper Leacock Staging”)

24.       The Incident Command System organizational structure SHOULD be based on the management needs of the incident and SHOULD be developed on a proactive basis. Incident resource and management needs must be projected adequately ahead to allow for planning for responding resources. (SEE ICS CHARTS AT END OF CHAPTER)

25.       The Incident Command and other supervisory personnel SHOULD anticipate span-of-control problems. Subordinate management positions SHOULD be staffed to maintain an acceptable span of control workload. This may necessitate additional command officers to fill these overhead positions.

26.       Whenever Operations, Planning, Logistics or Finances functional responsibilities become a significant workload for the Incident Commander, they SHOULD be staffed with an officer at a acceptable location.  

27.       Command MAY be transferred from the initial Incident Commander (often a Company Officer) to a later arriving or Senior Command Officer. Transfer of command SHALL take place on a face-to-face basis whenever possible to facilitate effective communication and feedback.  If face-to-face communication is not possible, transfer of command by radio MAY be conducted.

28.       If command has been established by a fire fighter, command SHALL be transferred to the first arriving Officer.  Command SHALL also be transferred to the first arriving Chief Officer at that Chief Officer's discretion.  The Chief Officer may choose to allow the Line Officer to continue as the Incident Commander. Transfer of command to higher- ranking command Chief Officers is discretionary. When a Chief Officer allows a lower ranking officer to retain command, this does not remove the responsibility for the incident operations from the higher ranking individual.

29. Transfer of command SHALL include communications of the following information:

-         The status of the current information

-         Resources committed to the incident and responding, as well as the present incident organizational structure.

-         Assessment of the current effect of tactical operations.

 30.      Following transfer of command by the Incident Commander, the individual may return to his or her Company (if a Chief Officer) or a specify assignment within the Incident Command System organizational structure.  This role will be defined by the new Incident Commander.

31. It is RECOMMENDED that the Incident Commander and Sector Officer's wear some type of identification vest to signify their title during a major incident so that they are highly visible to the personnel on incident site.

STANDARD GEOGRAPHIC DESIGNATION SYSTEM

Each exterior of a structure shall be given a number designation using the term "Side". The side of the structure facing the street (address side) shall be designated “A” (alpha). The remaining sides shall be designated “B” (bravo), “C” (charlie), “D” (delta) in clockwise manner.

Exposure shall be designated in a like manner as shown below:

The interior of a structure shall be designated by the term "floor" (1r2r3r etc.) and may be divided into quarters using A, B, C, D, and E as shown above. The basement, attic and roof shall be designated by name.

ICS ORAGNIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR INITIAL OPERATIONS

 The ICS shall be used to maintain an effective span of control and workload for all supervisory personnel. Each supervisor can effectively manage 3 to 7 personnel but ideally he or she should only manage 5.

 LANCASTER COUNTY INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM ORGANIZATION CHART

LANCASTER COUNTY MODEL INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM

Approved by membership vote on:   __________________

President:      ____________________

                              Ted Burkhart

Secretary:      ____________________

                              Pam Huber