Appendix 9 - Incident Level Management System

Appendix 9 – Incident Level Management System

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To enhance on-scene response to natural and technological emergencies at the local level, there is a need to have an incident level management system in place that provides a standardized organizational framework to which responders can quickly recognize and adapt. The management system will provide the necessary tools to effectively manage and efficiently coordinate local and regional resources, utilizing common terminology and standard operating procedures.

The incident level management system must be designed to quickly organize and integrate multiple disciplines into one functional organization that has the flexibility to adapt to and meet the demands of any emergency/disaster situation involving one or more jurisdictions. The strength and effectiveness of such a system will be based upon written procedures that reflect department policies and provide incident management with standardized and effective response strategies to diverse emergency situations that vary in terms of their size, scope, and nature of hazard(s) they pose to the community. These procedures, which will be implemented routinely to address any given situation, can also be used as a training tool for department staff, as well as provide a baseline for assessments and critiques of emergency operations following an actual incident or exercise to test the plan.

The City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and James Madison University recognizes the critical importance of having such an organizational structure in place and have adopted the Incident Management System (see certification documents – Appendix 8). This command system is comprised of five functions that include the following: command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration. An Incident Commander is responsible for ensuring that all functions identified above are effectively working in a coordinated manner to fulfill the established objectives and overall management strategy that were defined for the emergency at hand. An Operations Section Chief, who reports directly to the Incident Commander, is designated to conduct the necessary planning to ensure operational control during emergency operations. This system has been proven nationally to be adaptable to a variety of situations with relative ease, while allowing the Incident Commander to effectively maintain a continuous and reasonable span of control and operational efficiency throughout the emergency response.

Incidents that involve multiple jurisdictions will be managed under a Unified Command management structure composed of individuals designated by their jurisdictions or by departments within a single jurisdiction, who are jointly responsible for the development of objectives, strategy, and priorities to effectively address the emergency at hand. All agencies involved in the emergency response report to one Incident Command Post and follow one Incident Action Plan like a single command structure. Also, as in a single command structure, the Operations Section Chief, who is designated by the Unified Command, will be responsible for the implementation of the plan. The designation of the Operations Section Chief is based on a variety of factors which may include, but are not limited to, such issues as which jurisdiction has the greatest involvement, the number/type of resources involved, existing statutory authority, or mutual knowledge of the individual’s qualifications.