Incident Command System

Span of control refers to the number of subordinates a supervisor has. It is used as a means of ensuring proper coordination and a sense of accountability among employees. In simple words, it is the number of people who report to one manager in

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).

In my unit (intensive care unit) we use the wide span of control. Whatever type of control used by an organization plays an important role in the organization. Each subordinate know who to report issues to in the organization where I

THese concepts and principles help provide room for flexibility that is adjustable to work with a variety of incidents no matter the location, size, complexity or the cause (Homeland, Security, 2004). NIMS also has a standardized structure including Public information systems, multiagency coordination systems, and the Incident Command System create to support interoperability within all agencies (Homeland Security, 2004).

In a generalized form, incident handling is responding to an attack done by an individual or an organization. If the system attack is been organized and executed carefully then there are chances of getting all the data recovered if not then it may lead to total disaster. There are basically two common forms of system

The Incident Management System requires the participation of command staff and general staff. Command staff serve three functions. They are safety, liaison, and information. The general staff has four roles: finance, logistics, planning, and operations. All the above functions are put at work at every incident, even though one person may

3. Most incident response do not have enough protection method. The main purpose of such incident response policy is reducing the attack damage and recovering the system. However, for some critical system such as programming database, financial support system, even a small damage may cause huge loss. For such systems, a better protection ability for incident response policy are extremely

Developing alternative means of communication to manage and control disaster response efforts effectively, ensures timely response actions are employed. These alternative communication

An incident command system or ICS can be referred to as a standardized approach to hazards and incidents management that are based on the scene of the incident (FEMA, 2012). This on-scene approach gives room for the integration of the equipment, facilities, staff , communication system and procedures that operate in a central structure of an organization. It also gives room for the coordinated response among several agencies concerned with the emergency be it in the private sector or the public sector. Lastly the ICS aids in the establishment of a localized process for planning as well as managing the resources.

"The Incident Command System (ICS) is a management system designed to enable effective and efficient domestic incident management by integrating a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure." (FEMA, n.d. para#2). The existence of Incident Command System is to help any individuals who need management for an incident of any emergencies. I have watched some video clips from my undergraduate studies classes. Incident Command System is great at what they do, and they comprehend what needs to be done at any scenes. When there is a natural disaster, Incident Command System would be activated and help the individuals who need contribute to evacuate and relocate.

It then becomes important to determine and communicate each agencies roles and responsibilities. It is very important for these roles to be determined and planned for long before a disaster occurs. In order to help with this communication and determination of roles emergency managers can use the framework of the Incident Command System (ICS). The Incident Command System “features consistent job titles for key positions so communications from agency to agency and agency to hospital can be made because everyone knows the job titles and functions” (SMS, Inc., 2005). This system creates positions with specific roles and responsibilities for disaster mitigation, response and recovery. The system also identifies a type of “chain of command” which designates a direction of flow for communications. Creating these channels of communication and delegating responsibility ensures that responses and recovery in an emergency situation is well understood and efficient. Each involved member therefore knows who he or she is to communicate to directly in order to reduce confusion and ensure that no information is lost or looked

Day in day out, security threat is on the increase, and the need to provide adequate security for every organizations becomes more important than ever before. Of course, no one expects security attacks, but due to the way things are happening in today’s world, having a qualified team of incident handling would be of great importance. Typically, incident handling process can mean the difference between total disaster and complete recovery. For easy understanding and to avoid complications, we have simplified this article to the extent that everyone can read and understand the content.

Unity of command is a principle of management that provides a hierarchy of subordination. It ensures the responsibility of an employee to only one supervisor. The employee takes orders and is answerable in all his/her undertakings to that specific supervisor. On the other hand, the supervisor to the first subordinate is a subordinate to another more senior supervisor and the chain continues until the most senior supervisor. The importance of this principle is that, it is the foundation of an incident management system.

My group is a self-managed team which Nelson and Economy (2003) state is to meet together to find solutions to common worker problems. Different departments have there own supervisors, managers, or director. Each sub-department on the floor is divided into groups which possess a particular supervisor. These supervisors oversee about 15 employees per group, which is considered a narrow span of control. A narrow span of control gives more attention to the employee on a one-on-one basis. A supervisor with 50 – 75 employees can not possibly attend to every employee that has a conflict with someone or something. So a narrow span of control lets the employee feel free to approach a supervisor without hesitating or feeling as though the supervisor is not interested in what the worker has to say.

A good control system provides timely information to the manager which is very much useful for taking various decisions. Control simplifies supervision by pointing out the significant deviations from the standards of performance. It keeps the subordinates under check and brings discipline among them.