U.S. Department of Homeland Security
OEC/ICTAP
CLASSIFIED
Office of Emergency Communications / Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program
[State]
Incident Command System (ICS)
Communications Unit Program
Plan Outline
A supplement to the Incident Command System Communications Unit
Implementation and Best Practices guide
Prepared by:
[Name]
DHS/OEC/ICTAP
Day, Month, Year
DHS/OEC/ICTAP
ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
How to Use This Template
This template supplements the ICS Communications Unit Implementation and Best
Practices: A Guide for Program Development. Use it within your agency to create an
Incident Command System (ICS) Communications Unit (COMU) Program Plan to
support your ICS COMU Program. SEARCH used several sources to develop this
model:

The National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators’ (NASNA) Model State
9-1-1 Plan.1

Responses to the survey of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (SWICs)
conducted by the Executive Council of the National Council of SWICs (NCSWIC)
in 2010.

Responses from states interviewed to develop the ICS Communications Unit
Implementation and Best Practices guide.
This ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline serves to guide SWICs and other
personnel charged with overseeing public safety communications projects, and who are
responsible for establishing a COMU Program, to incorporate COMU positions into
planning and response. It is intended to provide assistance with the development of the
COMU Program Plan and the associated document sections. Additional information
related to each plan section presented in this document is available in the ICS
Communications Unit Implementation and Best Practices guide.
This template provides instructions on how to create an ICS COMU Program Plan—what
to consider, who to engage, and what information to collect. You may need to modify the
template to meet specific organizational needs. The basic sections and sub-sections of
the COMU Program Plan include:
Executive Summary (see pp. 4–5)
— Background and Purpose
— The Planning Process
— Goals and Objectives
Introduction (see pp. 5–6)
— Overview: National History/Background of All-Hazards ICS COMU Positions
— Overview: History/Background of All-Hazards COMU Positions in Your State
— Conclusion
Current ICS COMU Environment (see pp. 6–10)
— Current Legislative and Regulatory Environment and Program Structure
— Current ICS COMU Staff and Technology
— Integration with PSAP/Dispatch Operations and Incident Communications
Center
— Economics
— Mutual Aid Considerations and EMAC
Future Environment (see p. 10)
1
Published July 2008. Available at https://www.911resourcecenter.org/code/ContentDetail.aspx?ContentID=333
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
Goals, Objectives, and Measures (see pp. 10–11)
— Developing a Vision, Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures
— Tracking Progress
Resource Allocation (see pp. 11–12)
Updating the Plan (see p. 12)
Governance and Managing the ICS COMU Program (see pp. 12–13)
— Implementation Plan
Conclusion (see p. 13)
References (see p. 13)
Appendixes (see p. 13)
— Glossary
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
Executive Summary
The Executive Summary section is a condensed version of the full ICS COMU Program
Plan. It summarizes the contents of the full document so the audience can quickly
familiarize themselves with the material. Generally, it contains a statement of the
problem or purpose of the document, highlights of any background information, provides
an abridged analysis, and offers primary conclusions. An effective executive summary
should give the audience a clear idea of the main points of the document without reading
the entire document. A good executive summary can serve as an aid to decision-making
by executive-level personnel.
Executive summary key points:

Since the intent is to summarize the content and highlight the mission-critical
elements of the ICS COMU Program Plan that can affect decision-making, write
the executive summary after you write the plan.

Target the executive summary for the executive/senior-level management and
the nontechnical managers and administrators.2

An executive summary of more than 3 pages will not be as effective as one that
is less than a page or two.

The executive summary is not the place for new information. The information in
an executive summary must be located within the main sections of plan.
Recommended components of the ICS COMU Program Plan executive summary are:



Background and Purpose
Planning Process
Goals and Objectives
— Background and Purpose
Background and Purpose describes the following to your audience: why you are
writing the ICS COMU Program Plan, what the purpose of the plan is, who the intended
users are, and the expected outcomes.
— The Planning Process
Planning Process presents a condensed version of the planning process. Project
management research clearly demonstrates the importance of following a project
management methodology and includes a high level of stakeholder and user
involvement. 3 User involvement is vital to project success and implementation of the ICS
COMU Program Plan. Include these planning tools in your planning process:

Decision-making Structure

Risk Management Plan

Project Charter

Communications Plan
2
The NASA Model State 9-1-1 Plan is available for download at
https://www.911resourcecenter.org/code/ContentDetail.aspx?ContentID=333
3
Law Enforcement Tech Guide: How to Plan Purchase, and Manage Technology, Successfully!, available at
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/Publications/lawenforcementtechguide.pdf. Hereafter, LETG.
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
The information contained in these tools is part of the most vital planning tool—the
Project Charter.4 By using a project management methodology, you are providing
decision-makers with the confidence that the process is structured and based on user
needs.
Even though each state, region, or local jurisdiction’s experience with the planning
process will differ in actual implementation and environmental factors such as politics
and economics, there are areas of commonality. Although a Project Charter exists as a
separate document from the ICS COMU Program Plan, this “Planning Process” section
should contain summary statements about the information in these three planning tools
(Decision-making Structure, Risk Management Plan, Communications Plan).
— Goals and Objectives
This component of the executive summary is straightforward. It briefly outlines key
Goals and Objectives of the ICS COMU Program. Just like the planning process, there
will be differences between each state, region, or local jurisdiction—but there should be
continuity of goals and objectives within the state itself. Categories to formulate program
goals and objectives on include:
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ICS COMU services and capabilities
Equipment and technology (capital improvements) to be acquired
Funding and sustainability requirements
Legislative requirements
Operational support
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Staffing needs
Training and recognition requirements
State ICS COMU program administration
Recordkeeping and documentation needs
Deployment and mutual aid
Methods for bringing the ICS COMU into a formalized existence during planning
and response, via documentation and a process that recognizes what they are
and what they do, and how they operate so they become an asset to the state.
Introduction
The Introduction section should be brief and provide information on the state’s ICS
COMU Program Plan. The introduction provides the opportunity to explain why the plan
was developed and what the purpose of the plan is.
— Overview: National History and Background of All-Hazards ICS
Communications Unit Positions
This subsection provides a national perspective of the ICS COMU and its position as a
component of the ICS from its inception to its current state. Do not expect this section to
include every detail of the evolution of the ICS COMU. Rather, it should present the
audience with information needed to see the benefits and contributions the ICS COMU
4
This document is the foundation of any project and contains a project description (scope, objectives, risks,
organization/staffing, decision-making structure, the project management approach, and initial resource requirements).
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
brings to the table. This section should highlight required actions to ensure that future
incidents include recognized ICS COMU personnel.
— Overview: History and Background of All-Hazards COMU Positions in Your
State
This subsection brings the history of the ICS COMU and its position closer to home and
provides an overview of the development of the ICS COMU within your state. This
means that it will be unique to each state.
— Conclusion
The conclusion of the Introduction should emphasize that work exists into the future.
Include a brief description of how this plan fits within the national and state positions.
Current ICS Communications Unit Environment
The Current Environment section focuses on the specifics of the state’s ICS COMU
Plan, including a description of the state’s coordination function, staffing, funding
mechanism, authority, etc. Include factors that potentially influence ICS COMU
development throughout the state. Examples include states that do not have recognized
Communications Unit Leader (COML) Instructors, challenges getting Position Task
Books (PTBs) completed, responding to results of after action reports, funding
reductions, etc.
— Current Legislative and Regulatory Environment and Program Structure
This subsection is straightforward and should include statutory provisions for ICS
COMU Program development, including governance, training, and funding. Include a
description of the nature and scope of authority of state, regional, and local-level ICS
COMU programs. Include specific references to existing statutes or other state codes.
Information relating to an ICS COMU coordinating function, if one exists, should include:

How it is organized or positioned within local, regional, and/or state government,
including references to any legislative, statutory, or other regulatory codes.

The roles, responsibilities, and scope of authority.

Identification of staff.

Relationships to other agencies that may have a role in ICS COMU Program
coordination, such as the State Training Office, Office of Emergency
Communications (OEC), Telecommunicator Emergency Response Team
(TERT), etc.

Interactions or relationships with local or regional ICS COMU authorities.

Methods for funding local, regional, or state ICS COMU Programs, such as
COML training and COML exercise Technical Assistance offered by OEC and
COML training offered through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI).

Current methods for documenting and tracking both trained and deployable
personnel.
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline

Methods used to engage users and obtain feedback, such as from National
Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC) involvement.

Identify pending legislation that may affect the ICS COMU Program.
A regular review of current governing rules and legislation should identify if any changes
are necessary to achieve ICS COMU Program goals and objectives.
— Current ICS Communications Unit Staff and Technology
This subsection should include an assessment of the current ICS COMU staffing and
technology for the state, region, or jurisdiction. It should include the number of
recognized personnel and command vehicles, availability for deployment, and general
capabilities. The technology element may already be contained in a Tactical
Interoperable Communications Plan (TICP) or Statewide Communications
Interoperability Plan (SCIP). If not, conduct an inventory of technology along with ICS
COMU staffing resources.
For example, staffing and assessment for any ICS COMU position—Communications
Unit Leader (COML), Communications Unit Technician (COMT), Incident
Communications Center Manager (INCM), Radio Operator (RADO), Technical Specialist
(THSP), Message Runner (MsgR), and Communications Coordinator (COMC)—could
include the following elements:

Identify and provide contact information for members of the governance
structure, including subcommittees and working groups.

List state, regional, and local agency websites and databases that contain ICS
COMU information.

Identify practices, processes, and procedures that exist at the state, regional, and
local level.

Identify how many individuals have received training, including the training
source.

Identify how many individuals have completed their Position Task Books (PTBs).

Identify how many individuals that the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
recognizes and has available for deployment, including agency, location, and
contact information.

Identify how many individuals the AHJ recognizes as instructors for ICS
Communication position-specific training.

List anticipated annual training and exercise requirements.
Baseline data should be available through each of the SWICs. It is important to know
where your program is and where you want to go so you can plan how to get there. If
you do not know where you are, you cannot determine what you need. A baseline
assessment determines your starting point. The relationship between baseline
information and future assessments determines your progress, where your gaps are,
and how far you need to go to achieve your ICS COMU Program goals.
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
— Integration with Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)/Dispatch Operations
and Incident Communications Center
This subsection describes how the PSAP or dispatch center fits into ICS and integrates
with an Incident Communications Center. This integration is an important consideration
and may impact incident resource coordination. It is necessary for many, if not most
states today to not only use ICS, but also to integrate incident-based communications
with daily PSAP and dispatch operations. Once an Incident Command Post (ICP) is
established, there often tends to be a lack of information flow and therefore a disconnect
between the ICP back to the PSAP and/or the main dispatch center. On-scene
personnel may focus efforts on communicating face-to-face or between the ICP and field
units. The result of this approach is that vital information is not shared and available
technology and resources fail to get used. Some areas with Incident and Tactical
Dispatch Teams that deploy with a command vehicle or that are based on incident-level
criteria have already moved in a positive direction with regard to this challenge.
Incident-based communications, once established, need to address these missioncritical elements for successful integration of the PSAP, main dispatch center, or both
into ICS. Items to document in the plan include:

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Technology and equipment
Staffing
Deployment and mutual aid
Information and data sharing functions
Exploring the what, who, when, and where of these elements to support incidents of all
levels is key to a successful incident resolution. Identify specific integration
considerations and reference SOPs that address these considerations.
Develop this subsection with the big picture in mind. Do not focus solely on a state,
regional, or specific local agencies. This area of the document should identify
opportunities to request and deploy resources at the local level, as well as inter- and
intra-state mutual aid (e.g., mutual aid agreements, TERT, etc.). Cost recovery and
interoperable communications can also provide additional opportunities for integration.
— Economics
As the name implies, this subsection includes information related to the current
economic and funding environment specific to the ICS COMU Program. This can
include Federal, state, and local funding for training and exercises, equipment, and
mutual aid deployment (including cost recovery).
Current Funding Mechanism(s). The most common funding mechanism for ICS
COMU-related activities is currently through the OEC Interoperable Communications
Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP). States/Territories may request COML and
COMT training and COML exercises, SOP assessment and development, governance
assessment and development, etc., through the SWIC.5 A COMU Exercise (COMLEX) is
a good opportunity for attendees who need to complete their PTB. Plan authors can
refer to the ICS Communications Unit Implementation and Best Practices guide for a list
5
OEC Technical Assistance Catalogue: www.publicsafetytools.info
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
of funding mechanisms that may be available. Conducting a funding source review and
analysis helps to identify funding sources within the listed categories.6
List references to any Federal or state funding legislation that exists to provide the
audience with an idea of how ICS COMU needs are funded.
Current Revenues and Costs. Present data on any revenues and expenditures that
may be part of the ICS COMU Program. Describe state, regional, and local relationships
that are part of planning for revenue, costs, and cost recovery. Full and advanced ICS
COMU Programs will likely have more costs associated with technology and equipment.7
List potential new costs. Costs may change as states expand training and exercises to
include INCM, RADO, AUXCOMM and others, not just COML and COMT. With new
technology we now have the ability to share radio resources (Voice over Internet
Protocol [VoIP] , interoperability networks, common talk groups, etc.), and there will be
new costs that may be shared between state, regional, and local agencies.
It is important to note that the existing cost recovery and funding allocation mechanisms
do not account for new or shared costs. Funding and cost allocation may be further
complicated if agencies share network components. Organizations can implement ICS
COMU Programs element by element or use a strategic planning process. Each
implementation will have its own unique stakeholder group, interoperability resources
(shared and independent), operational needs and expectations (man-made and/or
natural disasters), as well as its own unique funding and cost allocation needs.
Allocating and Distributing Federal, State, Regional, and Local Funding for
Equipment, Operations, and Personnel. Describe the process to allocate and
distribute funds and include a sustainability model. Fund distribution between states and
local agencies differs from one state to another, and depends on a variety of factors,
including statutory requirements. State statutes generally define the purposes for using
or not using specific funds. Many variables can affect how much funding is available, as
well as the process for acquiring it.
In situations where a state-level agency receives funds, the state redistributes them, with
the smallest portion going to the state for its administrative costs and the largest portion
sent back to local governments. States determine the actual amount to be distributed to
each region or county in a variety of ways, including population, subscriber count,
percentage, and budget/funding requests.
Federal funding is rapidly becoming scarce. The current year’s SAFECOM grant
guidance can provide valuable information that can assist in applying for grant funding
opportunities.8
6
A set of ICS COMU funding and sustainment strategy forms are described in Part 2 of the ICS Communications Unit
Implementation and Best Practices guide. Download them at http://www.publicsafetytools.info/ or
http://www.search.org/products.
7
Review the ICS Communications Unit Assessment and Development Matrix for definitions of early, moderate, full, and
advanced programs. Download the matrix at http://www.publicsafetytools.info/ or www.search.org/products.
8
SAFECOM Guidance of Emergency Communications Grants:
http://www.safecomprogram.gov/library/lists/library/DispForm.aspx?ID=334
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
— Mutual Aid Considerations and EMAC
Some states require regional policy development to dictate how to request an ICS
COMU resource at the regional level first. The state then develops a complementary
policy expanding the process to go beyond the region when a regional resource is not
available. These policies should describe who maintains the list of ICS COMU resources
in the state and the procedure for requesting them. States should also consider how to
manage requests for an ICS COMU from across a state border. Making ICS COMU
resources available through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
and existing cross-border Memorandums of Understanding helps streamline requests
and deployments during emergencies.
This subsection should specify how to request, deploy, and use ICS COMU resources,
during interstate and intrastate mutual aid situations based on the policies. It does not
need to repeat the policies, just summarize them, and provide links to find them.
During times of an emergency, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) staff
works with EMAC member states to ensure that a smooth relay of information passes
through the EMAC system to coordinate relief efforts. States may use EMAC for any
capability—no matter how large or small, how typical or specialized—that one member
state has available that it can share with another member state. As long as there is a
governor-declared state of emergency, you can request resources using EMAC.9
EMAC’s website also offers educational resources and library documents that can help
determine the types of information that need to be contained in this section.
Future Environment
The ICS Communications Unit Implementation and Best Practices guide provides a
detailed overview of future environment considerations for ICS COMU Program
development. This section should reflect considerations specific to the state, region, or
local agency programs and how they dovetail together.
Goals, Objectives, and Measures
— Developing a Vision, Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures
This section describes the vision for the ICS COMU program at the state, regional, and
local level. The vision statement brings a tangible reality to what the program will
address by developing COMU-specific positions and plays a major role in defining the
program scope and developing realistic objectives and milestones.10 A vision statement
answers the question: What will success look like?11
Like other sections, the information contained in this section will be unique to each state,
region, or agency. The items on this list are the key elements of the ICS
Communications Unit Program Assessment and Development Matrix.12 This is not an
9
http://www.emacweb.org/
LETG, at page 52.
Alliance for Nonprofit Management: www.allianceonline.org
12
The ICS Communications Unit Program Assessment and Development Matrix is a supplement to the ICS
Communications Unit Implementation and Best Practices guide. It is available for download at
http://www.publicsafetytools.info/ or http://www.search.org/products
10
11
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ICS Communications Unit Program Plan Outline
exhaustive list—however, ICS communications experts and SEARCH project staff think
it contains the primary elements that program coordinators should consider and
measure:

Governance (Leadership, Decision-making Structure, Agreements, Strategic
Planning, SWIC Integration, State Training Officer [STO] Integration)

Funding (Operational, Sustainability)

Training, Exercises, and Staffing (Initial Training, Recurrent Training,
Exercises, COML, COMT, AUXCOMM, INCM, RADO, Instructor, Other
Positions)

Recognition and Currency (PTB, Currency)
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SOPs (Policies, Procedures, and Practices)

Usage (Requests, Deployment, Integration)

Other User-Defined Elements

ICS COMU Program Planning (Program Plan, Communications Plan, Risk
Management Plan)
We should be clear here that there are actually two sets of goals and objectives:
1. One set relates to the goals and objectives for the overall ICS COMU Program.
This set relates to the overall strategic planning process and is the focus of this
section of the plan.
2. The second set is part of the project plan to implement the ICS COMU Program.
Steps for creating and monitoring the implementation goals and objectives of an
ICS COMU Project Plan are located in the ICS Communications Unit
Implementation and Best Practices guide.
— Tracking Progress
SCIPs, TICPs, and ICS COMU Program Plans are all dynamic documents. As lessons
are learned, technology advances, and as the social, economic, and environmental
factors change, you should expect to update the plans. This section should describe the
process that will be used to track and measure progress and update the plan. The ICS
Communications Unit Assessment and Development Matrix referenced throughout this
document is intended to be used for this purpose.
Resource Allocation
This section of the plan is not exactly what you would think after reviewing the ICS
Communications Unit Implementation and Best Practices guide. This section actually
outlines the resources needed to implement the plan, not the number of trained or
response-ready ICS COMU personnel. This section includes the resource needs to
actually execute the ICS COMU Program Plan. This could include personnel such as the
SWIC, STO, Emergency Support Function #2 (ESF2) Coordinator, administrative
support, non-staff expertise, funding priorities, and others. The focus of this section is on
the overall ICS COMU Program, not just the implementation aspect of it.
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Questions this section should answer include:

Are current staffing levels adequate to support ICS COMU Program initiatives
and tasks?

Does existing staff have the necessary expertise?
This section should also describe how you plan to allocate and/or train resources. For
example, if the expertise does not exist, the question becomes how to acquire it.
Methods include:

Collaborative agreements with another state agency or organization that has
employees with the necessary expertise.

Hiring consultants or other subject matter experts with the specific knowledge,
skills, and experience that are required.
Updating the Plan
The ICS Communications Unit Implementation and Best Practices guide includes
considerations regarding the process and frequency for updating an ICS COMU
Program Plan. This section of the Program Plan should contain the language specific to
that process, along with identifying who is responsible for it.
This section can describe handling revisions—anything more significant than
administrative—through a more formal process that engages users and stakeholders.
Individuals who were involved in the original process would be ideal; however, with
typical staff turnover, it is unlikely that will be possible. The process should also be
flexible enough to address lessons learned, technology upgrades, and legislative
changes in a timely manner. How to accomplish the updates will be a decision each ICS
COMU governance structure will have to determine. The important thing is to define a
process.
Governance and Managing the ICS Communications Unit Program
All the information relating to governance and coordination appears in this section of the
ICS COMU Program Plan, including the organizational structure. This will be unique to
each state and include roles, responsibilities, and authority of the decision-making
structure, stakeholder involvement, service providers, equipment vendors, etc.
No matter what the final governance structure looks like, some of the responsibilities of
program management include:


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



Coordinate the development and implementation of the ICS COMU Program
Plan.
Provide a single point of accountability for ICS COMU Program issues.
Review and update the plan.
Coordinate ICS COMU Program implementation activities.
Provide a clearinghouse for information about state, regional, local, and national
ICS COMU issues.
Gather and disseminate information on how the plan’s initiatives are progressing.
Be the liaison between other ICS COMU stakeholders.
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— Implementation Plan
The ICS Communications Unit Implementation and Best Practices guide addresses the
importance of engaging in a flexible project management process, including developing
a Project Charter and detailed Project Plan. You can include information relating to the
ICS COMU Program Project Plan here, along with a project schedule.
Conclusion
This section provides a recap and review of the key points of an ICS COMU Program. It
can include a brief outline of any significant gaps and provide recommendations for
program development.
References
This section includes information related to the references used to develop the ICS
COMU Program Plan. This is important to establish continuity of research and data
between updates. It can save those tasked with updating the plan time by allowing
stakeholders to locate resources easily when they need supporting documentation.
Appendixes
This section includes information referenced elsewhere in the ICS COMU Program Plan
but may need to be listed at the end of document rather than in the body. This could
include copies of the assessment, funding strategy information, and copies of the
Communications or Risk Management Plans, etc.
— Glossary
This section identifies industry terms and acronyms. Including a glossary, or referring
readers to an external resource, will assist those not familiar with or new to the
profession. It also assists in making sure stakeholders are on the same map and talk the
same language.
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