Incident Command System Analysis

In the Disaster in Franklin County simulation (Regents of the University of Minnesota [UMN], 2006), there were several key personnel in the incident command team. This concept is utilized in real disasters when the Public

The various local, state, and federal emergency management systems of the United States suffered a crude awakening in the decade of the 2000s. Systems expected to hold up were put to the test and failed to prepare for disaster, mitigate the damage, and, in some instances, actually hampered responses in life-or-death situations. Worse, all failings were highlighted in an age of global communication and mass media, on display first whether a man-made incident like September 11th attacks or natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. The decade found the complacent government failing to maintain modern emergency management practices, stimulating began a series of doctrinal upgrades and training improvements. Yet, no matter the bureaucracy, writings, or money thrown at a problem, the first responder to the incident has and will continue to influence the outcome. While the individual responder stands as the most important part of

The terrorist attacks on September 11 changed America forever. The attacks led to President Bush creating the Department of Homeland Security which tried to centralize the federal response to all terrorist threats. However, local police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians will still be the first to arrive at the scene of an attack. These first responders face a unique and increasingly dangerous task when reacting to a terrorist attack on US soil.

The attacks were more localized than most catastrophic disasters, did not overwhelm emergency shelters or food distribution centers, and did not destroy the city infrastructure in either New York or Washington.. However, the 9/11 experience highlights one critical concept. One cannot ignore the importance of maintaining highly trained local emergency responders as well as properly staffed and equipped local emergency response agencies; local first responders are on scene first, handle the vast majority of rescue operations, and cannot be practically replaced by federal responders, especially when disasters strikes without

Supplies could be needed in one area, but without communication that area might not be able to reach out for those supplies. Communication amongst first responders is important for information sharing, so that information can flow between different jurisdictions and agencies. When looking at the efforts of first responders, communication is the one constant variable, which without communication all efforts would be in vain. (Newman & Clarke, 2008) The National Incident Management System (NIMS) places an emphasis on the importance of communication when dealing with response efforts. The National Incident Management System shows how having a unified command systems can benefit the response efforts to disaster. However, without proper and efficient communication, a unified command system cannot proceed efficiently.

military’s vast experience in responding to and managing casualties from IED and/or active shooter incidents and from its significant investment in combat casualty care research into the civilian first responder environment” (DHS, First Responder Guide. 2015). In order to improve safety in response to terror events, especially those classified as international terrorism it will require that first responders to further prepare for a vast variety of potential threats. The focus of this increased preparation should not only regard the safe and effective responses of first responders to all potential hazards caused by a terrorist event; but should also include the improvement of first responder’s connections to their communities, the gathering of intelligence, information sharing, and realizing their role in domestic defense of the United States of America.

Emergency services face vast difficulties in the operations field when handling emergency situations, whether it comes from handling a minor accident to a catastrophic catastrophy. Many of the difficulties do not come from the actual incident, but instead they arise from forming a rescue team containing different agencies and people. For the benefit off all individuals participating, it is imperative that there be a unified command structure in place to effectively coordinate and oversee the tasks that need to be accomplished. The need of a unified command was seen from the hardships faced in incidents, bringing forth the development of the Incident Command System that was designed to be used in an array of conditions, to bring all

Not one entity should or can claim sole accountability for the multifaceted range of challenges related with disasters and emergencies like active shooters. Public health nurses team up with other experts, such as laboratory workers environmentalists, physicians, epidemiologists and social workers during times of emergency. In the scenario of an active shooter the public health nurse, is to work together with other emergency workers to improve the emergency response, which include but is not limited to, officers, Federal agents, hospital security and ambulance workers. According to the Department of Homeland Security, every public health nurse should be able to locate and be familiar with the contents of the emergency response plan before an emergency occurs (US Department of Homeland Security, 2006). Chain of command is also important during the times of crisis. “Each public health nurse needs to be familiar with and be able to describe the lines of authority and communication in emergency response, a command chain that is based on the Incident Command System” (OSHA, 2001) Even though public health nurses can work in many competences, they are more likely to be functioning in the role of the “operations section” because they bring

Two specific areas of concern are noted in the majority of studies conducted. The first area of concern was that there was not a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities or organizational leaders (Haddow et al., 2014, p. 322). Since this event this has been an area that has shown considerable improvement. This has been accomplished through the use of NIMS and collaborative efforts of first responder leaders to craft an all hazards model of response. By doing both of these things, partner agencies are better able to fold into the rescue

Emergency disaster situations can be defined in three ways accidental, natural, or wilful. An accidental disaster refers to an event which is totally unexpected such as a house fire started by an electrical fault. Similarly, an illustration of a natural disaster would be the recent earthquakes which took place in Christchurch, NZ between September 2010 and February 2011 that resulted in devastating and far reaching consequences for the country. Foremost in many minds when recollecting a wilful disaster would be the terror attacks of 9.11 in the USA. A disaster of this magnitude has never been experienced during peace time in our lifetime. This essay will examine three different aspects of rescue management procedure where reports detailing disaster and emergency response must be studied to understand and improve our handling of rescue operations.

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, there were an array of confusion, anger, anxiety, fear, and hatred. Police officers and firefighters who responded to the events of 9/11 experienced delayed emotional reactions so they can accomplish their tasks. These first responders develop an ability to contain their emotions so they can deal with it later (Sauter & Carafano, 2012). Video images of two hijacked U.S. commercial airliners plowing into the twin towers were continuously replayed for days on local and national news outlets. The United States was put on the highest state of alert and all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies around the U.S. responded to the crisis. Many innocent lives were taken from the 9/11 incident

Today, the Incident Command System (ICS) is a major component of NIMS and is widely used in emergency management response. However, this was not always the case. According to David A. McEntire and Gregg Dawson, authors of the article, “The intergovernmental Context,” ICS was originally developed by the fire service in 1970. Its purpose was to assist in the command of wildfire events. It was unique because it standardized operations, yet offered flexibility so that it could be used on any number of events, regardless of size or type (McEntire & Dawson, 2007, p. 63).

From the moment that units leave the station and respond to an emergency, to the time they arrive on scene personnel in particular leaders, have to make quick and critical decisions. Many responders in the fire service and in EMS believe that experience and intuition in decision-making in an emergency situation is valuable for many reasons. At large-scale incidents such as this event, experience and intuition in decision-making is crucial in the first few minutes of an emergency, and can either quickly resolve or exacerbate the situation. Additionally, experience and intuition in decision-making is important to responders because the decisions made can impact the fate of many lives during an emergency. Additionally, responders want to have

Responsibility for Incident Command does not stay always stay with the initial Incident Commander. A primary principle of the ICS is the ability to assign the most experienced and skilled person as the Incident Commander, regardless of that employee’s agency. When the Agency Administrator assigns the Incident Commander, the Administrator delegates the appropriate agency authorities to that Incident Commander. The process of moving the responsibility for incident command from one person to another is called transfer of command. This is done in cases when the emergency is long and extended and the personnel turnover rate is high. The initial management objectives are as follows; understanding agency policy and direction, assessing the incident situation, establish incident objectives, and select the appropriate strategies to achieve these objectives. Also, applying tactics appropriate to the strategy, assigning the right resources, and monitoring their performance and a follow-up (www.usda.gov.) N. D. When an emergency happens there is a lot that has to be accomplished and people need direction in order to handle an already difficult situation. The safety of all individuals that’s involved has to remain a

The scene of a major emergency or disaster may appear chaotic and disorganized, with early responders and supplies moving about with no visible direction or coordination. However, each individual usually has a specific duty or role which they are assigned, and their efforts play a critical part in the initial response phase after an event takes place. Successful response includes proper management as well as having an appropriate number of trained actors and supplies involved at the right time. Too few or too many can lead to further complications during the recovery stage.