EMC013 - Incident Command

Continuation of ICS series:

Meanwhile, fire response TASK FORCES created from the Staging Area contained the fire west flank. The south edge has stopped at a river. Air Tankers and Strike teams 

saved the farm houses except for five, which were destroyed. But the east and northern lines are dangerously close to population centers. An Action Plan has been developed by the Unified Command. Compare the following with bulletin ACS003.

               Agency     Agency    Agency                City A     Town A    Town B                ---------------------------                         Objectives                             I                             I                             I.....Command Staff                             I                      Functional Areas           _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _            I           I              I              I      Operations   Planning      Logistics      Finance       Section      Section       Section        Section        Chief        Chief         Chief          Chief

In a single command structure, a single Incident Commander (IC) is solely responsible (within the confines of his authority) to establish objectives and overall management strategy associated with the incident. The IC is directly responsible for follow-through, to ensure all functional area actions are directed toward accomplishment of the strategy. Plan implementation required to effect operational control is the responsibility of a single individual, as Operations Chief, who reports directly to the IC.

In the unified command structure, the persons designated by their jurisdictions (or departments in a single jurisdiction) jointly determine objectives, strategy and priorities. As in a single command structure the Operations Chief has responsibility for plan implementation, and reports to the Unified Command.

Next bulletin: Operations Chief