Incident Command System for Major Incident - Case Study Example

Incident Command System i. Introduction “The establishment of incident command is the first and most important control operation to take place at a high-rise fire” (Avilo 2002, p.226). The effectiveness of an Incident Command System in managing a major incident is the focus of this report. It will present the various aspects of Incident Command System such as common terminology, integrated communication, consolidated action plans, sectorisation, span of control, geographical and functional officers, and comprehensive resource management. We will discuss its significance in emergency incidents particularly at high-rise buildings. It will discuss the role of the incident commander, sector officers, and outside agencies in incident management. We will examine the details leading to the death of two fire fighters at the Harrow Court incident and the advantage of Incident Command System in managing such type of catastrophe. ii. Incident Command System for Major Incident The Incident Command System was developed due to persistent problems created by wildfires in Southern California in the 1970s. The lack of non-standard terminology and communications, capability to expand and contract to situation, disunited Action Plans, and lack of designated facilities were the reason given for the failures of fire incident response. The ICS, ‘a formalise system of resource control on the fire ground’ according to the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (2005, p.8) is part of the fire brigades overall organization system for managing risk. Incident Command System is based on specific, well-defined management characteristics that include common terminology, modular organizational structure, and management by objectives, integrated communications, and unity of command (Cameron 1994, p.64; Walsh 2005, p.21). The incident commander is responsible for the entire rescue or recovery operation (Moore et. al. 2003, p.67). The IC creates and maintains the strategy and resources that will be needed to manage the scene of the incident (Perry 2003, p.409).There are three tiers of command, known as bronze, silver, and gold. Bronze control is ‘operational’ and is the area directly around the major incident site itself. Silver control is ‘tactical’ and is where all emergency services set up their emergency control vehicles. Gold control is ‘strategic’ and is remote from the scene, where chief officers monitor and control the wider picture of the incident (Jones et. al. 2002, p.159). Sectorisation lessens the tasks of the incident command since decisions can be made by the sector officer themselves. Sectorisation is breaking down the incident into manageable units. It helps to define opportunity and areas of responsibility. Sectorisation is directly related to the effective ‘span of control’ for emergency operations where the sector officer’s subordinates are normally limited to five (Coleman 1997, p.114). Span of control actually refers to the number of subordinates who report to one supervisor at any level within the organization. However, the actually span of control depends on the complexity of the incident and the nature of the work being performed (Hirst 2007, p.97). Under the direction of the incident commander are the seven group commanders. These are Operations, logistics, planning, finance, safety, information, and liaison. Each of these section commanders has well-defined areas of authority and responsibility (Moore et. al. 2003, p.67). The IC also appoints other required command staff with functional roles. The functional officers are the safety and security officer, the Liaison Officer, public information officers, damage control officer, water officer, Hazmat office, and others. They perform functions that are directly reported to the IC and form part of the fundamental command staff. Moreover, they are the same IC staffs that carry out command support functions at an incident guaranteeing the accessibility of resources, reporting the status of objectives, provides public information, and maintain off-incident interagency contacts and coordination (Ward 2005, p.301). In order to maximize efficiency and maintain control over a probable chaotic situation there is necessarily a hierarchical and military like structure. At the scene of the incident, there will be an inner cordon where the rescue operation is actually taking place. It is potentially hazardous where the highest safety levels should be maintained. An outer cordon surrounds the whole of the incident including the command vehicles. It is intended for other services and support activities (Jones et. al. 2002, p.159; Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (2005m, p.22). The ICS has three types of tactical mode. In the ‘offensive’ mode, crews are committed to manage a hazardous area. However, when the incident seems hopeless and unsafe, crews fight the fire in ‘defensive’ mode at a distance. In the ‘transitional’ mode, fire are being fought simultaneously, both defensive and offensive (Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service 2005, pp. 24-26). iii. Significance Incident Command System at Emergency Incidents High-rise fires represent an extraordinary challenge to fire departments and are some of the most challenging incidents a fire department encounter. High-rise buildings can hold thousand of people well above the reach of fire department aerial devices, and the chance of rescuing victims from the exterior is near zero once the fire is above the operational reach of aerial ladders or elevating platforms (Klaene and Sanders 2007, p. 299). Emergency incidents particularly in high-rise buildings are much difficult thus, it is essential that an ICS be establish. Following ICS procedures, the IC can immediately assess the incident and set up a command post in the building lobby or other designated area. He will then ensure that proper radio communication is in place. He will then appoint his sector and functional officers, secure all the resources required, and start the fire fighting and rescue operations. Organisation of the ICS begins when an incident occurs and continues until incident management and operation are no longer necessary. ICS organization develops as the incident progresses, depending on the requirements of the situation. Positions within the ICS will be activated only when required by the incident. Personnel are responsible for all activities under their organization sector for the duration of the incident. The eight advantageous components of ICS according to Trump (2000, p.113) are; the use of common terminology to prevent confusion, integrated communication, unified command structure, consolidate action plans, a manageable span of control of subordinates being supervised, designated incident facilities, and comprehensive resource management. iv. Sectorisation for High- Rise Buildings Methodology in high-rise fire fighting is very much diverse for low-rise buildings as accessibility, smoke ventilation, heat retention, and gaining access to the fire is a big problem (Fox 2003, p.4). The ICS provides sectorisation, which divide the work in five manageable sectors. For instance, the planning sector (functional sector) provides past, present, and future information about the incident. The logistic sector identifies and obtains all personnel, equipment supplies, and services required for the incident. Operation and Planning sectors manage these resources. Finally, the Finance sector is responsible for the financial management and accountability of the incident (Keyes et. al. 2004, p. 237). Sector officers manage the activities within their assigned area on the tactical level. The sector officer’s (geographical) main focus is to complete the tactical priorities within their sector for geographic sectors such as North Sector, Sector A, Sector 2, etc. or complete their assigned function for functional sectors such as Vent Sector, Water Resource Sector, etc.(Eversole and Barr , p.538). Since high-rise buildings has accessibility and ventilation problems not found in ordinary building, the complexity and stress of fire that a fire can produce requires sound coordination. The incident commander controls the operation in the buildings established command centre and ensures that building systems like heating and ventilation are secured and properly assessed as it could affect the fire and smoke conditions. In order to manage his expanding responsibility, the IC may increase his span of control or decentralised his organization (Trump 2000, p.113). v. The Harrow Court Incident In the Harrow Court incident according to Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service (2005 p.7) report, the fire was initially contained in the bedroom of the flat. However, soon after the second entry of fire fighters Wornham and Miller, a flashover occurred that created an unsustainable conditions for people near the room. More importantly, it has been noted that the two fire fighters had entered the flat unprepared and without the protective hose lines. The first crew went aloft so early into the incident with no supporting control measures in place, no overall plan and equipment required to deal with an incident of this type. In short, an Incident Command System has not been established and the lack of training in high-rise fire fighting is consequential to the death of two fire fighters and a female occupant. The ICS and its Dynamic Risk Assessment approach could have properly controlled the situation at Harrow Court because the above circumstances are apparently due to the lack of appropriate incident management and risk assessment. With ICS in place, the Incident Commander could have set up a command post and assess the situation before sending sufficient, well-equipped and well-protected fire fighters in the area. vi. Dynamic Risk Assessment A most important responsibility for all fire officers is to maintain situation awareness during the incident, a persistent connection between function being performed by the team and the overall situation. The fire officer maintains situation awareness by staying oriented, making observations, providing and receiving regular updates within the incident command system. Conditions can change hastily, and crews might have no way of detecting what is going on around them. A risk analysis or situational assessment evaluates the risks involved in a particular course of action against the benefits to be gained for taking those risks. For instance, if the situation requires placing fires fighters in extreme danger with little change of success, the operation should not be undertaken. This is because there is no justification for risking the lives of fire fighters to save property that is already lost or has no real value. When operating at an emergency incident, the fire officer reviews the pre-incident plan and observes about current conditions. The operation will therefore follow an incident action plan that is being updated throughout the incident (Ward 2005, p.108). vii. Task of Various External Agencies at a Major Incident The diversity of demands generated by a disaster requires the coordination of several agencies as this is essential to a broad emergency management (Paton and Flin 1999, p.263). Local public safety agencies, including law enforcement, fire and emergency services, and specialized response units are the primary responders for major emergencies occurring in a community. During a major incident, however, numerous agencies respond thus unfamiliar and unanticipated tasks are required (Balog 2005, p.2). The Incident Command System may accommodate outside agencies such as the health department, social services, the Red Cross, etc. to work under the directions of the incident commander. Depending on the size of the community, the media may be a factor in the management of incident. However, in the overall scheme of the incident, ICs deal mostly with their agency and their own co-workers (Hawley 2003, p.128). viii. Conclusion Developed in Southern California in the 1970s, the Incident Command System formalise a system of resource control on the fire ground, specific and well-defined incident management, and unity of command. The incident command creates and maintains the strategy and resources required to manage the incident. Sectorisation help define the areas of responsibility and the effective span of control for emergency operations. Since high-rise fire represents an extraordinary challenge, establishment of an Incident Command System early in the process can help ensure the safety of fire fighters. The Harrow Court incident response is evidently unsystematic and uncoordinated. The response team are not well trained and acting on their own. They do not have proper equipment and protective coverings, and deliberately ignoring procedures. In general, the Harrow Court incident response lacks an effective command organisation like ICS that can approach the situation safely and systematically. The fire fighters could have wait for the establishment of a command centre and the arrival of other support personnel before taking any action. There is no doubt that with sectorisation, dynamic risk assessment, and various tactical modes, the Incident Command System could have prevented the death of Wornham, Miller, and Close. ix. Bibliography Avillo Anthony, 2002, Fireground Strategies: Fire Engineering, Published by PennWell Books, ISBN 087814840X, 9780878148400 Balog John N., 2005, United States Federal Transit Administration, National Research Council (U.S.), Transit Development Corporation, National Research Council (U.S.). Published by Transportation Research Board, ISBN 030908833X, 9780309088336 Cameron Keith H., 1994, An International Company’s Approach to Managing Major Incidents, Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 3 No. 2, 1994, pp. 61-67. © MCB University Press, 0965-3562 Coleman John, 1997, Incident Management for the Street-Smart Fire Officer, Published by PennWell Books, ISBN: 0912212608 Eversole John and Barr Robert C., The Fire Chief's Handbook, Published by PennWell Books, ISBN 0878148302, 9780878148301 Fox Brian, 2003, High Rise Fires: The Operational Aspect of High Rise Fire Fighting, Fire Staff and Command Eastern Michigan University Hawley Chris, 2003, Hazardous Materials Incidents, Published by Thomson Delmar Learning, ISBN 1401857582, 9781401857585 Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, 2005, Investigation to the Deaths of Firefighter Jeffrey Wornham- Michael Miller- and Ms. Natalie Close, Harrow Court Investigation Report, Hertfordshire, U. K. 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Hallway Hostages?: How Schools Can Prevent and Manage School Crises, Published by Corwin Press, ISBN 076197511X, 9780761975113 Walsh Donald, Christen Hank, Miller Geoffrey, Callsen Christian, Cilluffo Frank, and Maniscalco Paul, 2005, National Incident Management System: Principles and Practice, Published 2005 Jones & Bartlett Publishers, ISBN: 0763730793 Ward Michael, 2005, Fire Officer: Principles and Practice, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fire Protection Association, Published 2005 Jones & Bartlett Publishers, ISBN:0763722472 Read More