Title: The National Response System and the Incident Command System/Unified Command
1The National Response System and the Incident
Command System/Unified Command
2Federal On-Scene Coordinator
- Responsible for providing access to federal
resources and technical assistance - Coordinates all federal containment, removal, and
disposal efforts and resources during an oil or
hazmat incident - Serves as the point of contact for coordination
of federal efforts with the local response
community - Coordinates, monitors, or directs response
actions - Agency providing OSC might differ depending on
the incident (EPA, USCG, DOD, DOE, or other
federal agency)
3National Response System Concept of Response
4OSC Response Assets
- Enforcement authorities to ensure that the
responsible party (RP) cleans up the spill or
release - Immediate access to technical assistance and
cleanup contractors if the response is beyond the
RPs capabilities - Immediate access to Superfund and the OSLTF
- Reimbursement of extraordinary oil or hazmat
response costs incurred by state or local
responders - Regional Response Teams (during major incidents)
- Technical expertise from special federal teams
- Special equipment
5(No Transcript)
6Overview
- Purpose of the ICS/UC Technical Assistance
Document - Background and authorities for NCP and ICS/UC
- ICS/UC
- Relationship between UC and ICS
- Relationship between the RRT and UC
- ICS/UC A response management tool
- Responsibilities under ICS/UC
- Advantages of ICS/UC
- Participants in the UC under the NCP
7Overview (contd)
- OSC and RRT Planning Roles and Responsibilities
- Reimbursement programs
- Potential liability
- UC implementation
- Essential planning elements and ACPs
- Initial UC meeting activities
- ICS/UC at work Professional Food Systems case
study - Moving Forward
- Sources of ICS information
8Purpose of ICS/UC Technical Assistance Document
- Increase awareness of ICS/UC
- Improve coordination among responders during
responses and exercises - Encourage interagency training programs
- Encourage development of a common language and
response culture - Help achieve consistent, effective, and efficient
response among members of the NRS
9Background and Authorities for NCP and ICS/UC
- NCP developed to provide federal agency expertise
to responses of oil spills and hazardous
substance releases - Establishes the mechanism for the NRS
- OPA enacted after Exxon Valdez to strengthen the
NRS and provide better contingency planning
coordination - NIIMS-based ICS first designed to respond to
forest fires - Under the NCP, the NRS functions as an ICS
10Background and Authorities for NCP and ICS/UC
cont.
- 1989 EXXON VALDEZ Report to the President
- 1994 Revisions to the NCP
- 1996 and 2002 NRT Technical Assistance Documents
11Background and Authorities for NCP and ICS/UC
cont.
- The NRT recommended that NIIMS-based ICS/UC be
used for on-site response management during
terrorist incidents - A recommendation from the NRT to the Department
of Justice after TOPOFF 2000, the largest
domestic terrorism exercise in the US to date - ICS/UC is an important element of the Homeland
Security Presidential Directive 5 that addresses
terrorist incidents
12Incident Command System
- Provides organizational structure for response to
any single incident or multiple incidents without
being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries - Integrates communication and planning by
establishing a manageable span of control - Divides emergency response into five functions
Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and
Finance/Administration -
13Unified Command
- Component of an ICS
- Responsible for overall management of incident
- Directs incident activities and approves ordering
and releasing of resources - Used whenever multiple jurisdictions are involved
in a response effort -
RP
OSC
OSC
UNIFIED COMMAND
STATEa
RP
LOCAL
STATE
aThis usually includes local authorities as well.
14When should a UC be used?
- The UC may be used whenever multiple
jurisdictions are involved in a response effort.
These jurisdictions could be represented by - Geographic boundaries
- Governmental levels
- Functional responsibilities
- Statutory responsibilities
- Some combination of the above.
15Participants in the Unified Command under the NCP
- Under the NCP, the UC may consist of the
pre-designated Federal OSC, State OSC, Incident
Commander for the RP, the local emergency
response Incident Commander, and/or other parties
as appropriate - Local fire and police are frequently first
responders to arrive on-scene - May establish an initial ICS
- Relationships can vary depending on state laws
and/or practices - Makeup of the UC is determined by
- Specifics of the incident
- Determinations outlined in existing response
plans - Decisions reached during the initial meeting of
the UC - Makeup of UC may change over time.
16Participants in the Unified Command (contd)
- Number of personnel should be kept at a minimum
- Decision to include RP in the UC depends on its
relationship with members of the ICS
17Who is in the Unified Command?
- Member organizations in the UC
- Must have jurisdictional authority or functional
responsibility under a law or ordinance for the
incident - Must have an area of responsibility that is
affected by the incident or response operations - Must be specifically charged with commanding,
coordinating, or managing a major aspect of the
response - Must have the resources to support participation
in the response organization
18What if you are not a member of the UC?
- Being in the UC does not mean that you are the
only member of your agency on the response - There must be support staff on lower levels
- Being a member in the UC is not the only place
one can make a difference - Much of the real work occurs within the
sections of the ICS organization - That is where you should be involved!
19Duties of UC Representatives
- Establish response objectives and priorities
- Sustain a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week commitment
to the incident - Ability to commit resources
- Authority to spend funds
- Agree on an incident response organization
- Agree on the appropriate Command and General
Staff position assignments - Commit to speak with one voice through the
Information Officer or JIC - Agree on logistical support procedures
- Agree on cost-sharing procedures
20Relationship between ICS and UC
21Relationship Between the RRT and UC
- National Response System Concept of Response
22ICS/UC A Response Management Tool
- Assists the OSC in directing, monitoring, and
coordinating response efforts - Responding organizations retain their authorities
and responsibilities - Facilitates and coordinates the effective
involvement of the various agencies - Creates link between the organizations responding
to the incident
23ICS/UC A Response Management Tool (contd)
- Provides an avenue for response organizations to
establish input in the decision-making process - Allows for information sharing both horizontally
and vertically throughout the response
organization - All parties must be integrated throughout the
response
24Responsibilities of Command/General Staff under
ICS/UC
- Provide response direction
- Coordinate effective communication and resources
- Establish incident priorities
- Develop mutually agreed-upon incident objectives
and approve response strategies - Assign objectives to response structure
- Review and approve incident action plans
25Responsibilities of Command/General Staff under
ICS/UC (contd)
- Ensure integration of response organizations
- Establish protocols
- Ensure worker and public health and safety
- Inform the media
26Advantages of ICS/UC
- Uses a common language and response culture
- Optimizes combined efforts
- Eliminates duplicative efforts
- Establishes a single command post
- Allows for collective approval of operations,
logistics, planning, and finance activities - Encourages a cooperative response environment
- Allows for shared facilities, reduced response
costs, increased efficiency and fewer
communication breakdowns - Permits responders to develop and implement one
consolidated Incident Action Plan
27How do responders prepare for ICS/UC
implementation?
- Planning and exercising at the regional and area
levels using the ACP process. - Practice using an ICS/UC to help responders
understand their roles and responsibilities and
prepare them to work together in the ICS. - The OSC and the Area Committee are responsible
for developing, adopting, and implementing a
response management system, such as ICS/UC,
through the Area Contingency Plan (ACP). - Using a NIIMS-based ICS/UC as the model for
response management in the ACP to ensure an
effective response
28Essential Planning Elementsfor Implementing
ICS/UC
- Formalized structure accepted by all parties
- Well-defined functions and responsibilities
- Designated individuals for each function
- Defined and accepted reporting mechanisms
- Established methodology for developing IAP and
Site Safety Plan
- Participant commitment to respond as a team
- Training and familiarity with ICS/UC addressed in
plans - Defined relationships to entities outside ICS but
relevant to the NRS
29Area Contingency Plans and ICS/UC
- Area Contingency Plans should consider
- Jurisdictional responsibilities
- Roles of all levels of government in the Unified
Command (i.e., federal, state, and local) - Financial agreements
- Information dissemination
- Communications
- Training and exercising
- Logistics
- NRS organizational components
- Lessons learned
30OSCs Planning Roles and Responsibilities
- Oversee development of the area contingency plan
(ACP) - Coordinate, direct, and review work of other
agencies, Area committees, RPs and contractors - Coordinate with state and local response agencies
- Periodically conduct drills of spill removal
capability - Monitor the actions of the RP and state and local
governments
31RRT Planning Roles and Responsibilities
- Develop and coordinate preparedness activities
before a response is taken - Coordinate assistance and advice to OSC during
response actions - Provide guidance to Area Committees to ensure
inter-area consistency and consistency of
individual ACPs with the Regional Contingency
Plan and the NCP
32OSCs Response Roles and Duties
- Direct, monitor and coordinate response actions
- Monitor the actions of the RP and/or local and
state governments and provide support and advice
where appropriate - Explain the OSCs authority at a response during
both the planning and response phases - Implement an ICS at the beginning of a response,
OR be prepared to integrate into an existing,
properly functioning, ICS during a response - May establish any of the functions of an ICS by
assigning responsibility to another individual - Provide access to appropriate response trust funds
33The Role of the Regional Response Teams
National Response System Concept of Response
34Implementation During an Incident Initial
Unified Command Meeting
- Initial meeting is an opportunity for open
discussion to - Set priorities and objectives
- Present considerations
- Develop a collective set of incident objectives
and priorities - Adopt an overall strategy
- Select a Unified Command spokesperson
- Establish a JIC, as needed
- Decide on initial membership of UC
35Initial Unified Command Meeting Step 1 Set
Priorities and Objectives
- National Response Priorities specifically for oil
response established by the NCP for the NRS - Preserve safety of human life
- Stabilize the situation to prevent the event from
worsening - Minimize adverse effects to the environment
- Address these three priorities concurrently
- Each responding entity will likely have other
significant priorities
36Initial Unified Command Meeting Step 2 Present
Considerations
- UC members discuss their organizations
authorities, equipment, skills, experience, and
response capabilities - Constraints and capabilities must be shared openly
37Initial Unified Command Meeting Step 3 Develop
a Collective Set of Incident Objectives
- Identify what the Unified Command as a whole
needs to accomplish - Develop a set of incident-specific objectives for
the response - Objectives should be measurable, assignable,
reasonable, and time-related - Helps to provide focus to the growing response
organization - Includes establishing and agreeing upon
acceptable priorities
38Initial Unified Command Meeting Step 4 Adopt
an Overall Strategy
- Determine how to accomplish the objectives
- Request preferred strategies for later approval
as necessary
39Initial Unified Command Meeting Step 5 Select
a Unified Command Spokesperson
- Establish a JIC
- A single spokesperson is typically needed to
speak for the Unified Command - One of the members of the Unified Command
- Point of contact and a single voice to the
incident management team - Spokesperson at internal and external briefings
- Final procedural check
40ICS/UC at WorkProfessional Food Systems Case
Study
- Leak in accumulator assembly valve released
anhydrous ammonia into the PFS building and the
outside environment - Approximately 4,000-5,000 pounds of anhydrous
ammonia contained in the system was leaking at
4-5 pounds per hour - Leak was slowed by initial responders, but not
completely contained - Ammonia gas accumulated in the building,
presenting difficulties for the responders
41ICS/UC at Work Professional Food Systems Case
Study (contd)
- Bedford Volunteer Fire Company and the Roanoke
Valley Regional HAZMAT Response Team were first
to respond - Established an ICS
- Began response actions
- FOSC initiated response from off-site by
deploying ERT - FOSC merged into the existing ICS structure
42Responding Organizations
- US EPA Region III Removal Response Section
- VA DES
- Bedford Volunteer Fire Company/Rescue Squad
- Forrest Volunteer Fire Company/Rescue Squad
- USCG Atlantic Strike Team
- Roanoke Valley Regional Hazardous Materials
Response Team - Bedford Police Department
- Professional Food Systems
- US EPA ERT
- USDA
- Roy F. Weston Inc. SATA
- City of Bedford, VA
- Webb Technologies
43Responding Organizations (contd)
- Franklin County Fire Department
- Evington Fire Department
- Smith Mt. Lake Fire Department
- Lyn/Dan Heights Fire Department
- Stuartsville/Chamblissberg Fire Department
- Huddleston Fire Department/Rescue Squad
- Chamblissberg Fire Department
- Moneta Fire Department/Rescue Squad
- Boonesboro Fire Department/Rescue Squad
- Montvale Fire Department
- Saunders Fire Department
- Good Rescue Squad
- Campbell Rescue Squad
44Effective ICS/UC Actions to the Professional Food
Systems Response
- OSC immediately able to identify and integrate
roles and positions for USCG-AST and contractor
resources - Coordination between and presence of FOSC and
state OSC allowed for seamless operations - ICS/UC informally applied to allow UC to
effectively manage diverse responding agencies
45Effective ICS/UC Actions to the Professional Food
Systems Response (contd)
- Early and continued presence of the USCG-AST, the
EPA ERT, and the SATA team provided continuity
throughout the response - Early coordination with local, state, and federal
response teams - Representatives from all appropriate levels of
government in the UC expedited coordination
efforts with other agencies - Close and early coordination with the ERT and
SATA team
46Moving Forward
- There are four keys to effective implementation
of the ICS/UC as a tool of the NRS - Learn the NRS and the ICS
- Plan ACP process
- Start Early
- Practice - Federal, state, and local officials
should plan and conduct exercises - Develop a sense of team work and trust
47Sources of ICS Information
- NRTs Minimum Essential ICS Training Elements
- NRTs Federal Natural Resource Trustees and the
ICS/UC - Annex 3 of the NRT ICP Guidance
- USCGs Incident Management Handbook
- USCG HQ ICS web site
- RRTs I and II ICS in Oil Spill Response web site
- NSFCC ICS web site
- FEMAs and the U.S. Fire Administrations
Computer-assisted Instruction for ICS
Self-study Course - USCGs OSC2 On-scene Command and Control
Prototype - Setting Objectives in a Unified Command The
Cost of Leadership,1999 IOSC Proceedings - Incident Command System, Fire Protection
Publications, Oklahoma State University - NWCG ICS National Training Curriculum modules
- NOAA Electronic ICS Forms ICSFORMS Solution
- Unified Command The Mechanism for Ensuring a
Comprehensive, Coordinated Response, 1995 IOSC
Proceedings