The Incident Command System

What it is

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standard way for responders to organise themselves at any emergency, from a house fire to a hurricane. Because every agency uses the same structure and the same titles, people who have never worked together can slot in quickly. Amateur operators who support agencies meet ICS vocabulary and forms, so it helps to know the shape of it.

The structure

One person, the Incident Commander, is responsible for the whole incident. Reporting to the commander are:

• Command Staff: a Public Information Officer (speaks to the public and media), a Safety Officer (watches for hazards) and a Liaison Officer (the contact for other agencies).
• General Staff, four sections: Operations (the tactical work), Planning (collects information and writes the plan), Logistics (people, supplies, facilities and communications) and Finance/Administration (costs and records).

Communications support normally sits in Logistics, as a Communications Unit. That is the usual place for amateur operators to be useful: providing radio links where agency systems are overloaded or broken.

The principles behind it

• Unity of command means you take direction from one person. If you get contradicting instructions, tell your supervisor rather than choosing.
• Span of control keeps supervisors from drowning. When a supervisor gets more people than they can manage, the structure adds a layer.
• Plain language matters on shared channels. Agencies are encouraged to avoid private codes so that everyone understands.

In practice

• Follow the structure. Report to the person you are assigned to, not to whoever seems most senior or most urgent.
• Expect forms. A common one is the ICS-213 General Message, a simple form for sending a short written message; many Winlink and radiogram workflows use something similar.
• Introductory ICS and NIMS (National Incident Management System) courses are typically free and online, and agencies and groups often ask volunteers to complete it. Check what yours requires.
• Your ARES or RACES group, not you, sets how your group fits in; ask your coordinator.

Related

• Principles of emergency communicationWhat to do and what not to.
• ARES and RACESOrganised emergency communications.
• Net control proceduresRunning an emergency net.
• Radiograms and message handlingFormal written traffic.
• Winlink for emergenciesEmail when the internet is down.
• CERT and community eventsSupporting neighbours and events.