Admin-08 - Incident Command System

Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department

Standard Operating Guidelines

Subject: Incident Command System SOG # Admin-08 Initiated 09/11/2024 Approved: Fire Chief Clay Fallis

Overview

The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department responds to a wide range of emergency incidents. To effectively manage personnel and resources, as well as to provide for the safety and welfare of personnel, we have adopted the principles of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and will operate within the Incident Command System (ICS) for all incident responses to include, but not limited to fires, alarm soundings, motor vehicle crashes, and hazardous conditions. The Incident Command System will also be implemented for medical emergencies and public service calls when the response exceeds the initial dispatch assignment. A single Apparatus/Unit response may not necessitate the use of ICS.

Purpose

The purpose of the Incident Command System is to:

Fix the responsibility for Command on a certain individual through a standard identification system, depending on the arrival sequence of members, apparatus, and Officers of the Department.

Ensure that a strong, direct, and visible Command will be established from the onset of the incident.

Establish an effective incident organization defining the activities and responsibilities assigned to the Incident Commander (IC) and the other individuals operating within the ICS.

Provide a system to process information to support incident management, planning, and decision-making.

Provide a system for the orderly transfer of Command to subsequent arriving Officers of the Department.

This Incident Command System Policy will address the following:

• Incident Commander Responsibilities

• Incident Priorities

• Functions of Command

• Personnel Accountability

• Condition Reports

• Command Options

• Command Posts

• Transfer of Command

• IC and Operations Section Chief Roles and Responsibilities

Guidelines

Incident Commander Responsibilities

The Incident Commander (IC) is responsible for safely managing the incident. The IC has the authority to turn their decisions into actions by using the ICS to formulate the Incident Objective(s), Strategy(ies) and Tactical Direction to the agencies assigned to the incident.

Incident Priorities

1.    Life Safety: Remove endangered person(s) and treat the injured.

a.    To include the safety, accountability, and welfare of responder personnel.

2.    Incident Stabilization: Stabilize the incident and provide life safety.

3.    Property and environmental conservation.

Functions of Command

The Functions of Command define standard activities that are performed by the IC to achieve tactical objectives. Functions of Command include:

• Establishing Command as named by geographic area or by the first arriving member or Officer (if appropriate, establish a Command Post location).

• Rapidly evaluate the situation and provide a “Size Up Report” on the radio.

• Initiate, maintain, and control the communications process.

• Identify the overall incident objectives and strategy.

• Assign apparatus and personnel consistent with incident priorities, plans, and standard operating procedures.

• Request additional resources based on anticipated need.

• Establish and maintain personnel accountability.

• Develop an effective ICS organization that meets the needs of the incident (expand system to fill positions as needed).

• Review, evaluate, and revise (as needed) the incident objectives and plans.

• Provide for the continuity, transfer (as necessary), and termination of Command.

Establishing Command and Size Up Report

The radio designation of "COMMAND" will be used along with the assigned incident name (i.e. "Blue Star Highway Command", “Hardaway Command”, etc….). 

The first arriving department member or unit to arrive at the scene of a multiple department incident shall establish Command. The initial “Incident Commander” shall remain in Command until the Command is transferred or the incident is stabilized, and Command is terminated.

After Command is established, an “Initial Size Up Report” will be broadcast over the radio. This report will include:

• A brief description of the incident situation (i.e. building size, occupancy, hazmat, multi-vehicle accident, etc.).

• Obvious conditions (working fire, hazmat spill, multiple patients, etc.).

• Any obvious incident priorities (safety, rescue, exposures).

• Establishing Command and verbalizing they are switching to the assigned tactical channel, if applicable (i.e. “Establishing Mt Pleasant Road Command and switching to Tac 1”).

• Additional resources needed (additional manpower, apparatus, or special resource requests).

An update to the initial size up may be provided over the radio based on further information, determination of necessary action, and any need for additional resources at regular intervals throughout the incident. This is typically done upon the completion of the 360-degree look at the scene.

There are times that responding units/personnel will provide an update to Dispatch and vice versa, while enroute to the incident. This may include a description of what is being reported/observed prior to arrival (i.e. heavy black smoke in the case of a fire). Based on this report/observation, first due personnel may identify a need for and request additional resources to respond to the incident.

Command Options

The first arriving unit or member to establish Command of the incident has a couple of options, depending on the situation. They have the option to investigate, initiate some type of action/attack or establish a static Incident Command Post (ICP).

Investigative Mode – These situations generally require investigation by the initial arriving apparatus while other units hold/stage. First arriving department apparatus/member will direct all other apparatus and personnel not involved in the investigation to go to “LEVEL 1 STAGING” over the radio. Level I Staging is a location about a block or two away from the scene where responding personnel and apparatus will be positioned in an effort to not clutter or block the scene. 

They will remain there until requested to the scene or they are released by the IC.

Action / Attack Mode – These situations require the immediate action of the initial arriving department/apparatus and require the Chief/Line Officer's involvement in the action. In these situations, the Officer leads their crew to provide the appropriate level of supervision, while utilizing a portable radio to remain in Command of the incident (Command may be passed at the appropriate time).

Examples are as follows:

• Critical life safety situations must be addressed immediately (i.e. rescue).

• Offensive fire attacks.

• Defensive fire attacks with immediate exposure threats.

• Any incident where the safety and welfare of firefighters is a major concern.

• Obvious working incident that requires further investigation by the Officer.

The Action / Attack Mode will end with one of the following:

• The situation is stabilized.

• The situation is not stabilized, and the Officer must withdraw to the exterior.

• Command is transferred to another on-scene Chief/Line Officer.

Command Mode – Certain incidents, by virtue of their size, complexity, or potential for rapid expansion, require immediate strong, direct, overall Command. In such cases, the Chief/Line Officer will initially establish an exterior, safe, and effective Command Post to initiate the Command Mode and maintain in that position until such time that Command is transferred or terminated. If possible, an ICS 201 Form should be initiated and utilized to assist in managing these types of incidents.

If the Chief/Line Officer utilizes the Command Mode, the following options are available with regards to the assignment of their remaining crew members:

• The Officer may put their apparatus into action with its remaining members. One of the crew members may have to serve as the crew leader. The collective and individual capabilities and experience of the remaining crew will regulate this action.

• The Officer may assign the crew members to work under the supervision of another Chief/Line Officer or the Chief/Line Officer from another on-scene fire department.

• The Officer may elect to assign the crew members to perform staff functions to assist with Command, such as gathering information, filling out the ICS 201 Form, etc. 

Establishing the Incident Command Post

The first Chief/Line Officer on the scene of an escalating large-scale incident should also establish an Incident Command Post (ICP). A Command Post in a vehicle, equipped for this purpose, provides appropriate workspace for the IC and staff personnel, lighting, communications equipment, supply items, and some isolation from external distractions will make the Command more effective and enhance safety for the on-scene members.

In the case of wildland fires, it may be necessary for the IC to initially remain mobile for a short period of time in order to determine and develop the most effective strategies and tactics; however, a fixed Command Post and Staging Area should be established within the first 30 minutes of arrival to properly manage additional arriving resources.

Communication Guidelines

All members should eliminate all unnecessary radio traffic while responding to an incident, unless such communications are required to ensure that Command functions are initiated and completed. This requires the initial IC to give a clear size up report, as well as appropriate updates and resource requests. Minimizing radio traffic provides open radio time for potential critical situations.

All personnel assigned to the incident shall use the designated Tactical Channel, if one was assigned, on their portable radio upon arrival at the incident (it would be advantageous to monitor on the portable radio while enroute).

NOTE: On fires and other larger incidents, the IC may request a “Personnel Accountability Report” (PAR) at 20-minute intervals to maintain accountability of companies operating at the scene. This is not required once the scene is stabilized.

A Primary and Secondary Search – “All Clear” on structure fires will be provided by the personnel assigned to the search at the conclusions of the primary and secondary searches.

“Contained” and “Under Control” fire progress conditions should be identified over the radio to Dispatch for time recording. “Contained” is when there is no forward progress of fire and “Under Control” is when the fire is extinguished, and operations are shifted to overhaul.

Transfer of Command

Command is transferred to improve the quality of the Incident Command System and enhance the safety of the members assigned to the incident.

The following guidelines outline the Transfer of Command:

• The first officer or member of the department arriving on the scene will automatically establish Command. This will normally be a Chief/Line Officer but could be any member up to and including the Fire Chief.

• The first arriving Chief Officer should assume Command if they determine it appropriate for the incident (after following the Transfer of Command procedures).

• Subsequent arriving personnel shall report to the IC for assignments.

• In certain situations, it may be advantageous for the initial IC (i.e. Chief/Line Officer) to transfer Command to the next Line or Chief Officer on the scene. In these instances, the first-in Line Officer (IC) should transmit over the radio their intent to have the next-in arriving Officer assume command upon their arrival. However, Incident Command must not be passed to an Officer who is not on-scene. The initial IC will retain command until the next-in Officer arrives and assumes command (i.e. First-in Officer (IC) going inside a structure for fire attack/search & rescue and indicating their intent to pass command to next-in Officer, since it is difficult to fully manage a fire situation while engaged in an interior fire attack).

When a Chief Officer arrives at the scene at the same time as the initial arriving Officer, the Chief Officer should establish Command of the incident, allowing the first-in Officer to work with their crew (providing the incident warrants it).

The arrival of a ranking Officer on the incident scene does not mean that Command will automatically be transferred to that Officer. Command is only transferred when the outlined Transfer of Command process has been completed.

Transfer of Command will be regulated by the following procedure:

The Officer assuming Command will communicate with the person being relieved by meeting with the Incident Commander for a face-to-face briefing.

The person being relieved will brief the Officer assuming Command indicating at least the following:

• Conditions – general situation status, significant events, Incident Action Plan (IAP), completed objectives, safety considerations.

• Actions – assignments of companies and personnel.

• Needs – for additional resources.

A ranking Officer may elect to have a subordinate Officer continue the role of IC in cases where an individual is effectively managing an incident and satisfactory progress is being made to bring the incident under control.

It may be desirable for that person to continue in an active IC role. In these cases, the arriving ranking Officer should assume a specific ICS supportive role in the overall Incident Command Structure by taking an assignment.

The officer assuming command should broadcast over the radio of the transfer of command and provide an updated size up report as necessary.