ICS III-Managing Developing Incidents

Focus on managing developing incidents through process for IC’s, Leads and volunteers.

IC Responsibilities

• To provide leadership with purpose, direction, and motivation especially during potentially dangerous or stressful circumstances.
• Maintain situational awareness
  • Situational awareness involves being aware of what is happening in the vicinity, in order to understand how information, events, and one's own actions will impact goals and objectives.

Situational awareness helps to:

• Identify problems/potential problems
• Recognize the need for action
• Do not ignore info discrepancies- rather analyse them before proceeding
• Seek and provide info before acting
• Identify deviations from the expected
• Communicate your situational awareness to everyone!

Don’t get tunnel vision. Don’t lose situational awareness

Incident Management Process

• Get Briefed or Perform Assessment
• Communicate Assessment
• Determine Goals & Action Plan
• Communicate Goals & Action Plan
• Execute Action Plan
• Assess Progress

Assuming IC

Assuming IC happens when a new person relieves the current IC from their duties.

Get briefed by outgoing IC

Briefings are an essential element of good incident management.

• Briefings are concise and do not include much discussion
• Intended to pass along vital information
• Allows incident managers to communicate expectations
• Allows incident managers to answer questions

Below is a list of topics that you may want to include in a briefing:

• Current assessment and goals
• Safety issues
• Any procedures currently in use
• Tasks being executed
• Areas included in management of incident
• Address any questions or concerns

Complete Assessment

When assessing, priorities for all incidents are (in order):

1. Life Safety
2. Incident Stabilization
3. Property Preservation

With these priorities in mind size up the situation:

• • Is the scene safe?
    • Is my life or the life of another at immediate risk? Be sure to take into account volunteers.
    • Are there potential hazardous materials
    • Is there weather or other environmental influences
    • Are there entrance and exit routes for responders
  • What’s going on?
    • What is the nature and magnitude of the incident?
    • Are there injuries or casualties?
    • What are the impacts to life, property, and the community?
    • What is the likelihood of cascading events?
    • Is it a potential crime scene?
    • Is there political sensitivity or external influences?
  • What do I have?
    • What are the immediate resource requirements?
    • Availability of resources?
    • What is the area involved?
  • What do I need?
    • Do we need to secure and isolate the area?
    • What additional resources are needed?
    • Are there jurisdictional boundaries?
  • Who do I tell?
    • My supervisor
    • Khaki
    • All com

Communicate Assessment

Brief others involved on:

• Current Situation
• Safety Issues
• All Other Concerns

Determine Goals

Goals are created to stabilize or resolve the incident. Goals can be more broad at the beginning of an incident and more detailed as the action plan is developed.

What needs to happen to reduce the immediate hazard, save lives or property, establish control, and/or restore to normal?

Determine Action Plan  (See Contingency Plans for pre-planned responses)

An Action Plan (AP) should state:

• Who
• Will do what
• By when
• How

Communicate Goals & Action Plan

Brief everyone on:

• Current Situation
• Safety Issues
• Goals
• Action Plan

When communicating goals be clear and state:

• Task. What is to be done
• Purpose. Why it is to be done
• End State. How it should look when done

Execute Action Plan

All volunteers carry out the tasks they were assigned.

Assess Progress

Once operations are underway you will want to reassess your action plan.

• Is the action plan working?
• Is the incident stable, increasing or shrinking?
• Are there any safety issues?
• Is there a change of course needed?
• How long will be until the goals are complete?

Forms

The IC Binder has information and forms for use during the incident such as:

2016 FERN (Firefly Emergency Resource Notebook) (Will be updated-locked document)

2016 FF Map

IC Job Aid  - for reference on IC responsibilities and actions

ICS Documentation Form - for assistance keeping track of an incident

Volunteer check In form - to keep track of volunteers during an incident

2016 Contingency Plans- for reference and ideas on handling incidents

Incident & Event Planning

An incident is an unexpected occurrence that needs immediate response actions

an event is a scheduled  or non-emergency activity.

Factors to take into account for Incidents

• Time is critical
• Unstable, changing situations
• Potential expansion of incident and response
• Incomplete communications and information
• Lack of experience managing incidents

Factors to take into account for Events

• Location, size, duration, history
• Who is involved
• Kind, type and number of resources needed
• Staging areas
• Other areas associated
• Kind and type of logistical support needed
• Known limitations or restrictions
• Available communications