Incident Command System/Unified Command (ICS/UC)
Managing a major response - especially a complex, multi-jurisdictional response - is one of the most important challenges facing the National Response System (NRS). Effective coordination among local, state, and federal responders at the scene of a response is a key factor in ensuring successful responses to major incidents. An Incident Command System/Unified Command (ICS/UC) is an efficient on-site tool to manage all emergency response incidents, and UC is a necessary tool for managing multi-jurisdictional responses to oil spills or hazardous substance releases. Understanding the concepts of ICS/UC is as important for local responders, who generally arrive on-scene first and thus are most likely to implement the management system, as it is for state and federal organizations that may be joining the ICS/UC.
The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) states that the NRS functions as an ICS under the direction of the On-Scene Coordinator (OSC). The NCP also states that the basic framework for the NRS response management structure is a system (such as a unified command system) that brings together the functions of the local government, state government, federal government, and the Responsible Party (RP) to achieve an effective and efficient response. In addition, the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standards include the Incident Command System for emergency response.
When planned for and practiced, ICS/UC is viewed as the most effective response management system to address discharges or releases. ICS/UC is an integrated and flexible structure that emphasizes cooperation and coordination in local, state, and federal responses to complex multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency incidents. This structure is necessary to use resources effectively - whether the resource comes from the parties responsible for the release or discharge, the National Response Team (NRT) and Regional Response Team (RRT) federal agencies, or the affected local governments and states. Although ICS/UC was originally developed for multi-jurisdictional incidents, the NRT advocates ICS/UC as an effective tool for managing both large and small incidents, especially those involving hazardous substance releases or oil spills.
ICS is a standardized on-scene incident management concept designed specifically to allow responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of any single incident or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries.
In the early 1970s, ICS was developed to manage rapidly moving wildfires and to address the following problems:
- Too many people reporting to one supervisor;
- Different emergency response organizational structures;
- Lack of reliable incident information;
- Inadequate and incompatible communications;
- Lack of structure for coordinated planning among agencies;
- Unclear lines of authority;
- Terminology differences among agencies; and Unclear or unspecified incident objectives.
In 1980, federal officials transitioned ICS into a national program called the National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS), which became the basis of a response management system for all federal agencies with wildfire management responsibilities. Since then, many federal agencies have endorsed the use of ICS, and several have mandated its use.
An ICS enables integrated communication and planning by establishing a manageable span of control. An ICS divides an emergency response into five manageable functions essential for emergency response operations: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance and Administration.
Although a single Incident Commander normally handles the command function, an Incident Commnad System (ICS) organization may be expanded into a Unified Command (UC). The UC is a structure that brings together the "Incident Commanders" of all major organizations involved in the incident in order to coordinate an effective response while at the same time carrying out their own jurisdictional responsibilities. The UC links the organizations responding to the incident and provides a forum for these entities to make consensus decisions. Under the UC, the various jurisdictions and/or agencies and non-government responders may blend together throughout the operation to create an integrated response team.
The UC is responsible for overall management of the incident. The UC directs incident activities, including development and implementation of overall objectives and strategies, and approves ordering and releasing of resources. Members of the UC work together to develop a common set of incident objectives and strategies, share information, maximize the use of available resources, and enhance the efficiency of the individual response organizations.
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