Incident Command System- The Best Way To Manage Incidents

The incident command system is an approach to manage the on-scene and all hazard incidents. The system is flexible and can be used for any type of incidents be it simple or complex. The ICS users can adopt an organizational structure so that the demands and complexities of multiple incidents can be matched.

ICS has been used by different levels of government like federal, state, tribal and local. Apart from this, various non-government and private sector organizations also use it.

Mainly five areas are facilitated through ICS and these are commanded, operations, planning, logistics and finance/administration.

Different kinds of problems can be addressed by ICS like:

• Many people report to a single supervisor
• Lacking incident information
• Inadequate communication with lack of compatibility.
• Difference in terminologies among agencies

In the year 1980, the officials of the federal government transitioned ICS into a national program which was named as National Interagency Incident Management System or NIIMS. This further became the basis of response management system for all the agencies of the federal government with wildfire management responsibilities.

If ICS and incident command equipment are used in all types of incident and planned events, it will hone and maintain skills for the management of large scale incidents.

Multi-Casualty Incident- Unidentified Loss Of Life And Property

Multi-casualty incident causes devastation to many people at one time. Generally, any incident where emergency resources be it personnel or equipment are less than the number and severity of individuals come under the above category.

Multi casualty incidents require proper action so that more and more lives can be saved. There is a large number of disaster management organization which train individuals and professionals to handle such mass casualties with patience and intelligence. In such incidents, lot many people get displaced from their homes. There is a shortage of food water and medications in such conditions.

The Fire is also such a mass casualty incident where many lives are at stake. The fire rehab department works for fighting with emergencies. The department train personnel for firefighting services which includes immediate medical attention like dehydration, treatment for smoke inhalation, heat stroke, heart attack, etc.

Any multi casualty incident claims a lot of lives. These can be either natural like floods, earthquake, wildfire, etc. or man-made like explosion, plane crash, chemical spill, etc. Whatever is the reason, the loss of life and property is just irreversible and therefore, we can just hope that these incidents do not repeat with anybody and anywhere in the future.

We prepare with HICS (Hospital incident command syatem) and evacuation facility at emergency time:

Evacuating the person at the time of emergency helps in saving the patients life. Facility evacuation and providing medical facility at the time of emergency are prime important things person should know. For this Hospital Incident Command system was created, to assist hospitals in improving their response, recovery capabilities and emergency management planning for planned or unplanned event.

HICS or ICS was developed by the group of twenty hospitals in United States. They offer services like moving facility, Community event or dispensing medical facilities to hospital staff at the time of non-emergency. It also ensures how authority and responsibility are distributed among the incident management team. They also find the weakness of the hospital staff for making improvements in it. 

 

Preparing for any emergency or disaster is not only helpful to you but, for whole humanity. EMS training programs, Incident command system and many others help in providing the training to the responders, teaching roles and responsibilities during emergency. ICS responders helps the people in non emergency cases also.

It is not always possible to have medical facility on time. So Hospital incident command system coordinate with the emergency response team and provides emergency services like facility evacuation and medical facilty.

First responders during emergency or disaster: CERT

It becomes impossible for the medical service and others to reach on time during emergency or major disaster, number of factors hinder's their way. People have to rely on each other to meet immediate life sustaining and saving needs. For these people proper training and education is required to act them as volunteers during emergency.

CERT or Community emergency response team is one such organization or team developed and implemented by LAFD or Los angeles city fire department in 1985. CERT perform number of tasks needed in emergencies. Along with it they also provide hospital facility, shifting the serious patients to hospital for immediate treatment. 

CERT members are generally common people with training provided by local police and fire department to help their family, neighbours, community and other people in case of emergency. This team is all about people helping people, readiness, rescuer safety, realistic and positive approach in disaster situation. CERT members are provided with light sources, pry bars, bullhorns, radios, hospital facility or medical kit and other necessary entities to survive during emergency.

Community emergency response team also provides education and training to other people, making them capable of providing service during emergency. They are the first responders and has great impact during emergency and disaster situation.