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When ICS Meets the EOC

NCJ Number
217718
Journal
Homeland Protection Professional Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2007 Pages: 14-18
Author(s)
Randall D. Larson
Date Published
January 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the benefits and challenges of implementing an Incident Command System (ICS) within existing Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs).
Abstract
The goal of ICS is to facilitate incident command and management in the field. ICS provides a common language and approach to emergency management so that responding personnel from different departments can function seamlessly together. ICS has been widely recognized as a valid and efficient incident management structure and has been adopted by agencies such as OSHA and the National Fire Protection Association. While ICS has been adapted to fit within a dispatch center environment, the adaptation does not always go smoothly. Several emergency management operations centers have reported a basic disconnect between the ideal operation and theory of ICS and its real-world implementation. For example, during the response to Hurricane Katrina the Jackson County EOC in Pascagoula, MS operated very well, but once out-of-State help arrived they set up their own EOC which operated independently of the Jackson County EOC. The result was confusion and consternation about who was in charge. Moreover, in spite of the widespread use of ICS for field incident management, not all agencies include ICS as part of their EOC operational procedures. Some of the challenges to ICS implementation across the country have been identified as agency territoriality as well as agency reorganization often necessary to accommodate an ICS approach. The implementation of ICS in New York City and the State of California are described and recommendations are offered for adapting an ICS model to an existing agency’s structure and incident command approach. In closing, the author notes that one of the key components to successful implementation of ICS is thorough staff and personnel training. Exhibits