![]() The ideal number is five employees/members answering to one officer. Span of control refers to the number of subordinates one boss can effectively supervise. The desire to have a reasonable "span of control" is a highlight of the system. So much for the heavy-handed approach let's move on to the foundation components of the system.Īs you study the ICS process, you can quickly see that it models sound management principles. In both 1500 (Occupational Health & Safety Standard) and 1561 (Incident Management Standard), the need for departments to operate under an incident command system is spelled out for all types of alarms. Further, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) cites the need for a documented and utilized ICS. Therefore, your next response may be the overturned tanker or derailed train car. About half of all hazmat calls occur within this nation's transportation system. Let's face it, all fire departments respond to hazardous materials alarms. For those in non-OSHA states and who just breathed a sigh of relief, your elation was too quick the EPA adopted the same language so that all 50 states must comply with this law. Within this regulation, it is clearly stated that an ICS process must be used. This directive is found within the Superfund Amendments and Reauth-orization Act of 1986. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) have laws that mandate the use of the ICS for departments that operate at hazardous materials incidents. The best way to get started is to discuss the laws, regulations and standards that require fire departments to adopt, train on and use an incident command system. It will prove to be a good refresher for those well- schooled in this discipline and a good starter for the novice. This column will address the basic, time-tested principles of the ICS. A phrase that would have coined the fire service's experience then would be "chaos" or other similar unflattering terms. ![]() Think back a few years to a time before the general use and acceptance of ICS. An incident commander must direct people and equipment in a safe, effective and efficient manner. Without the aid of the ICS, much is left to chance at a time when organization and order are needed the most.Ī chief officer directs firefighting operations at a February 1996 fire in Greenfield, MA. All the while, the IC must direct people and equipment in a safe, effective and efficient manner. The incident commander (IC) will be able to retain his or her sanity in an otherwise stressful environment. The system provides a platform for the process to be repeatable and consistent from situation to situation. ![]() It allows a manager (the incident commander) of resources (fire apparatus and firefighters) to account for and direct efforts to reach specific incident priorities. The incident command system (ICS), in its simplest terms, is a management process for handling an emergency incident. ![]()
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