Attachment C
INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE
Incident Commander
Ted Appel
Office (916) 433-5100 ext.5150
Cell (916) 752-3631
Safety Officer
Stacey Willett
Public Information Officer
William Jones
Office (916) 433-5100 ext. 2016
Office (916) 433-1020 ext. 1068
Liaison Officer
DeShannus Gray
(916) 433-5100
Operations Officer
Jim Peterson
Planning
Jim Peterson
Office (916) 433-5100 ext. 1021
Cell (916) 752-3139
(916) 433-1061 ext. 1068
Logistics
Pablo Martin
(916) 433-5100 ext. 2250
Finance and Administration
Fanny Cheung
(916) 433-5100 ext. 1040
Incident Command Structure (ICS)
The Incident Command Structure, or ICS, is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazard incident
management approach. ICS allows school personnel and community responders to adopt an
integrated organizational structure that matches the complexities and demands of the incidents
without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. The ICS structure is flexible. It can grow or
shrink to meet different needs. This flexibility makes it a very cost-effective and efficient
management approach for both small and large situations.
When Is ICS Used?
ICS can be used to manage any of the following types of incidents:
 Disasters, such as fires, tornadoes, floods, ice storms, or earthquakes.
 Disease outbreaks and prevention measures.
 Search operations for a missing student.
 Hazardous materials accidents in chemistry labs.
 Hostile intruders or other criminal acts.
 Planned events, such as school drills, festivals, sporting events, and graduations.
ICS Organization
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There is no correlation with the school administrative structure.
The structure is unique in order to avoid confusion over whom you should take direction
from.
Everyone’s titles are different from their daily school titles.
Job Descriptions
Incident Commander
The Incident Commander has overall responsibility for managing the incident by establishing
objectives, planning strategies, and implementing tactics. The Incident Commander is the only
position that is always staffed in ICS applications. On small incidents and events, one person,
the Incident Commander, may accomplish all management functions.
The Incident Commander is responsible for all ICS management functions until he or she
delegates the function. The role of the Incident Commander (IC) is to manage and coordinate the
school or district’s response to incidents affecting student, faculty, staff and facilities. In that
capacity, the IC may direct personnel, take actions and implement procedures as necessary to
resolve issues related to the incident.
Once a person has assumed command of an incident, that person will remain the IC until there is a
transfer of command. Transfer of command may take place when:
 A more qualified person assumes command.
 The incident situation changes over time.
 There is normal turnover of personnel on long or extended incidents, i.e., to accommodate
work/rest requirements.
The transfer of command process always includes a transfer of command briefing, which
may be oral, written, or a combination of both.
The responsibilities of the IC are as follows: (most often the site administrator)
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Assume command.
Classify level of threat by matching situation facts to threat criteria.
Take protective action to stabilize the scene.
Select and establish an appropriate command post.
Activate appropriate ICS functions.
Establish a unified command structure with responding agencies, if necessary.
Conduct initial briefing of the Incident Management Team (IMT).
Set specific objectives and direct that incident action plans be developed/
Brief all command post personnel on incident action plans.
Continually review and update incident action plans with the IMT.
Approve all incident information released to the news media.
Set objectives and approve plans for returning to normal operations.
Operations (very often the office manager, head teacher or 2nd site administrator)
Operations manage all tactical operations of the incident, directing the implementation of action
plans and strategies developed by the IC and IMT. The responsibilities of Operations are as
follows:
 Supervise and direct the activities of all personnel assigned to the Operations sections.
 Participate in planning sessions, concentrating on tactical objectives and operational
strategies.
 Select or recommend perimeter assignments, staging area locations and resource
requirements/availability
to the IC.
 Advise the IC of the readiness for tactical deployment of resources.
 Issue operational orders to implement directives of the IC.
 Supervise and direct tactical operations, utilizing available resources as required.
 Make expedient changes to incident action plans based on field developments (with the
concurrence of the
IC.)
 Provide the IC with frequent incident status updates.
 Ensure an activity log is maintained and after-action reports are prepared and submitted.
Logistics (very often the office manager, head teacher or 2nd site administrator)
Logistics provides personnel, facilities, services and other resources required for the incident. The
responsibilities of Logistics are as follows:
 Supervise and direct the activities of all personnel assigned to the Logistics section.
 Participate in planning sessions, concentrating on obtaining required resources and advising
on their
availability.
 Provide, maintain and control selected equipment, supplies, facilities and services required
by the
Operations section.
 Establish and maintain communications.
 Stage resources so that they are readily available.
 Coordinate the process requests for additional resources.
 Assign the security for command post, staging areas and other sensitive areas as required.
 Maintain a visible chart of resources requested and advise the IC and Operations when
resources are
available for deployment.
 Direct that meals and refreshments be provided as needed for all incident personnel.
 Ensure an activity log is maintained and after-action reports are prepared and submitted.
Planning & Intelligence
 Planning & Intelligence collects, evaluate and disseminates the information needed to
measure the size,
scope and seriousness of the incident and to plan an appropriate response. The person
serving in this
function should be prepared to tap resources both inside and outside the school district.
The responsibilities
of Planning & Intelligence are as follows:
 Provide briefing on incident size and scope to all personnel.
 Deploy and supervise personnel as needed to gather and assess intelligence information.
 Participate in planning sessions, concentrating on obtaining the information needed for
decision making.
 Prepare estimates of incident escalation or de-escalation.
 Report to Safety any condition observed which may cause danger or be a safety hazard to
personnel.
 Ensure an activity log is maintained and after-action reports are prepared and submitted
Administration/Finance
Administration/Finance handles the cost and financial matters of the incident. This generally
includes overseeing the district’s emergency procurement policy so that the essential resources for
an effective response are available. It also encompasses managing the process of filing claims for
loss, compensation, etc. The responsibilities of Administration/Finances are as follows:
 Participate in planning, concentrating on financial and cost analysis issues.
 Assist Logistics with procurement of equipment, supplies and other resources needed for
incident resolution.
 Ensure that all personnel time records are maintained.
 Prepare incident-related cost analysis as requested by the IC.
 Respond to and evaluate incident-related compensation claim requests.
 Ensure an activity log is maintained and after-action reports are prepared and submitted.
Public Information (initially may be principal, but defer to communications office if at all possible)
Public Information is responsible for the formulation and release of information regarding the
incident to the news media and other appropriate agencies and personnel. The person serving in
this function will represent the district in the eyes of the public and should be the only one
authorized to release information to the media. All information and briefing materials should be
approved by the IC prior to being released. The responsibilities of Public Information are as
follows:
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Establish a media information center.
Obtain copies of all media release and post them in the command Post (CP) for review.
Prepare information summary on media coverage for command post personnel.
Obtain approval from the IC for release of information to the new media.
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Provide press briefings and news release as appropriate.
Arrange for meetings between news media and incident personnel as directed by the IC.
Provide escort service for the media and other officials as necessary.
Maintain a log of all activities.
Safety (very often the Plant Manager or Campus Monitor)
Safety’s mission is to help prevent injuries from occurring to anyone involved in the incident. The
person serving in this function is the only person other than the IC who has the authority to stop an
authorized plan from being put into action. Safety must be prepared to intercede to protect lives at
any time, in whatever manner is necessary. The responsibilities of Safety are as follows:
 Participate in planning sessions, concentrating on issues of safety for both those caught up in
the incident
and those responding to it.
 Monitor operational activities to assess potential danger and unsafe conditions.
 Correct unsafe acts of conditions through regular lines of authority when possible.
 Invoke EMERGENCY AUTHORITY to immediately correct unsafe acts when time is of the
essence.
 Monitor stress levels of personnel involved in the response.
Liaison
Liaison serves as the point for responding agencies (law enforcement, fire, emergency medical,
utilities, etc.) and other school districts that may be involved in the incident. This includes initiating
and negotiating mutual aid agreements with these agencies and districts. Liaison usually
manages the Agency Representatives, coordinating personnel assigned to the district’s command
post by responding agencies. He/she also manages any Agency Representatives activated by the
district and sent to other command/operations posts to coordinate activities there. The
responsibilities of Liaison are as follows:
 Identify representatives from and maintain contact with each responding agency, including
communication
links and locations of all assisting personnel.
 Handle requests from command post personnel for inter-organizational contacts.
 Monitor operations to identify current potential inter-organizational problems.
 Provide information to appropriate governmental agencies.
 Maintain an activity log.
Incident Log/Scribe
Incident Log/Scribe is charged with keeping a written log of all incident events and updating
appropriate command post personnel on significant developments. This function is crucial as it
serves as the basis of documenting the information needed to effectively manage an incident and
to prepare the after-action reports and claims needed for the district to resume normal operations.
The information captured by the Incident Log/Scribe also serve as the cornerstone for analysis and
training that will aid the district’s response to future events. The responsibilities of Incident
Log/Scribe are as follows:
 Maintain a command post journal, including minutes from command post briefings.
 Periodically distribute “situation reports” to command post personnel.
 Refer pertinent information to Public Information.
Maintain and display an updated map of the incident location
Emergency Procedures
The Incident Command System - Described
The challenge for a school district (and response agencies) when faced with a critical
incident is to rapidly transition from routine day-to-day operations to effective
management control. To do that, the district needs to incorporate an emergency
management system capable of addressing the common problems. The national
standard is the Incident Command System.
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a functional system developed over twenty
years ago by the fire service to manage wild fires in Southern California. The system
grew out of a need to coordinate large-scale operations employing many resources
over a wide area. It has been modified over the years and is now accepted by the
fire service, emergency medical service, law enforcement agencies, and various
levels of government and industry throughout the country.
The key to the Incident Command System is its modular organization. The
organization is structured with overall responsibility given to an Incident Coordinator
or Incident Commander, often referred to as the IC. Some school districts think the
IC must be the Superintendent or the Principal of the school affected by an event.
This is not the case. In fact, it is often better if the Superintendent is not the IC.
When the Superintendent takes a global support role such as working with Board
Members, local political figures, etc., the IC is free to focus exclusively on operational
aspects of the response.
As a general rule, the Incident Coordinator should be the most appropriate person to
fill the function. He or she must have a clear understanding of the district's policies
and operations. The IC must also be able to make quality assessments, communicate
well, and command others.
Depending on what needs to be done, the IC can rapidly activate four functional
areas. These, along with the IC, make up the core of an Incident Management Team
(IMT).
1. Operations—Responsible for all tactical operations of an incident, directing
the implementation of action plans and strategies for resolution.
2. Logistics—Responsible for providing all resources (personnel, equipment,
facilities, services, etc.) required for incident resolution.
3. Planning & Intelligence—Responsible for collecting, evaluating and
disseminating the information needed to measure the size, scope, and
seriousness of an incident and to plan an appropriate response.
4. Administration/Finance—Responsible for all cost and financial matters
related to an incident.
Additional functions, knows as the Command Staff, can be activated. These are also
part of the Incident Management Team and report directly to the IC. They are as
follows:
1. Public Information—Responsible for compiling and releasing
information regarding an incident to the news media and other appropriate
agencies and personnel.
2. Safety—Responsible for monitoring the district's response in an attempt
to prevent injuries from occurring to both those caught up in the incident and
those trying to resolve it. Will normally correct unsafe acts or conditions
through regular lines of authority, but has authority to stop or prevent unsafe
acts when immediate action is required.
3. Liaison—Serves as the point of contact for responding agencies (law
enforcement, fire, emergency medical, utilities, etc.) and other school districts
that may be involved in the incident. This includes negotiating mutual aid
agreements with these agencies and districts. Usually manages the Agency
Representatives, coordinating personnel assigned to the district's command
post by responding agencies. (The district may choose to send its own Agency
Representative to the command/operations posts of responding agencies to
help coordinate activities there.)
4. Incident Log/Scribe - Responsible for keeping a written log of all
incident events and updating appropriate command post personnel on
significant developments. Not only is this information crucial for managing the
incident, it also provides the foundation for post-incident activities such as
report writing, reviews, analysis and training for future events.
Incident Coordinator
Safety
Public Information Officer
Incident Log/Scribe
Liaison
Agency Representatives
Operations
Logistics
Planning & Intelligence
Administration/Finance
The Incident Management Team
The organizational structure will be set by the management needs of each incident.
If the IC can simultaneously manage all major functional areas, no organizational
expansion is required. On the other hand, if managing alone is not feasible, the IC
can appoint IMT members to handle specific areas. They can further delegate
authority for their areas as required.
It is important to understand that the Incident Command System is driven by
functions being performed, not people manning positions. As such, each
function does not have to be assigned to a different person. One person may be able
to handle several functions at once. The key is that the team should be expanded
any time a team member starts to become overwhelmed.
Only the most severe incident would require all eight functions be activated and
assigned to eight different people. More often than not, the district should be able to
manage an event with just a few functions, frequently with one person handling
multiple sets of responsibilities. It is this flexibility that enables ICS to be used by all
school district, including smaller ones where there may be only three or four people
who are truly in positions to be key decision-makers.
Another crucial component of ICS is its unified command structure. Unified command
is where all agencies that have incident responsibility contribute to the resolution.
This is necessary because critical incidents do not recognize jurisdictional boundaries.
One event can and often does affect several communities and response agencies. If
all communities and agencies pursue their own strategies for incident resolution,
they may work at cross-purposes, thereby allowing the situation to become worse.
When a unified command is implemented, all of those affected by an incident will be
involved in joint activities such as setting objectives, selecting strategies, planning
tactics and carrying out those tactics in an integrated manner. This helps ensure a
cohesive response and reduces the chance of organizational conflicts. It also allows
resources to be used to their maximum benefit.
The school district will likely be involved in a unified response at some time. When a
serious incident occurs, a district cannot be expected to resolve it on its own.
Responding public safety agencies will assume primary responsibility, but the district
will probably participate since it can contribute knowledge, personnel, and resources.
The Incident Command System also has a number of other major components. A
school district may not ever use all of these, but the responding public safety
agencies will, so the district's Incident Management Team should be aware of them.
Other Components of the Incident Command System
1. Common terminology—Common terms are established for
organizational functions, resource elements, and facilities. This enables
individuals from different agencies and backgrounds to communicate with
each other rapidly and accurately. A glossary of terms is included in the
software and training materials. It should be used in planning documents,
during training sessions and when responding to an incident.
2. Integrated Communications—The importance of well-managed
information and communication resources cannot be overemphasized. ICS
recognizes this and provides a way to integrate all communications. The
school district's operations plan will need to coordinate the use of telephones,
cellular phones, fax machines, e-mail, radio communications, and
interpersonal communications.
3. Consolidated Action Planning—Every incident needs a plan of action.
In large incidents, when numerous resources are used, when several districts
or departments are involved, or when a shift change is required, the plan
should be in writing
4. Manageable Span of Control—As in any organization, the number of
people or functions that any one individual can supervise is limited. When that
number becomes too large, ICS allows the management team to expand to
avoid being overwhelmed. The number of people or tasks one person will
manage ranges from three to seven, with five being the average. Factors
such as size of the incident, tasks to be performed, hazards and distances
involved will influence the size of the team.
5. Pre-designated Incident Facilities-A number of common facilities are
designated in ICS. They include the command post, the location where the
management team typically operates; base, the location where the primary
logistics functions are coordinated; and staging areas, the locations where
incident personnel and equipment are assigned on an "immediately available"
status. For instance, the person on the management team responsible for
logistics will operate at the command post and have a detailed accounting of
the resources available through the base. From there, he or she can send the
resources to various staging areas so they can be called up quickly when
needed.
6.
Comprehensive Resource Management—Resources are managed by
number and function and are classified in three ways: single resource (one
resource of any kind), strike team (five of the same kind of resource with a
leader and common communications) and task force (a grouping of different
resources organized for a specific task, also having a leader and common
communications).
There are a number of benefits to using the Incident Command System.
 First, the system is flexible. It will work for any incident that might confront
the school district, and it can be used on a site-based or district-wide basis.
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Second, it incorporates existing contingency plans. ICS is a "shell" or
"emergency organization" with roles and functions defined and predesignated. However, the actual plan employed to resolve a situation is not
pre-designated. Plans that the school district has already developed can be
used or modified within the ICS structure to meet the needs of a specific
situation.
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Third, ICS allows for rapid expansion and contraction of functional areas
depending on incident conditions. Only those functions needed during a
particular situation are assigned and used. They can be deactivated whenever
they are no longer needed.
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Fourth, given the wide acceptance of ICS, the school district can link with
responding public safety agencies. By using common organizational
structures, terminology and procedures, school officials will be able to
coordinate and work cooperatively with emergency service personnel.
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Finally, the system is simple enough to ensure ease of understanding and
application. The emergency plan, training, and exercises all focus on making
the use of ICS almost "second nature" for district personnel.
Emergency Procedures
District Incident Management Team (DIMT)
Purpose, Scope, and Relationship to School Sites
This team will be comprised of central office personnel. Its function is to provide
assistance and guidance to site administration involved in a critical incident. The
team also aids in the resolution of events by structuring levels of response to
address a particular incident. The team does not replace the site's Incident
Management Team, but rather supplements and facilitates the needs of the site.
Assistance with communications and public information access will be provided.
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District Incident Management Team
The DIMT is maintained to help manage a crisis response. Our District will have the
Emergency Services Coordinator act as the Incident Coordinator (IC) for the District.
This is based on the nationally recognized Incident Command System (ICS). ICS
provides flexibility and adaptability to a variety of situations. It does this by
establishing common standards hi organization, procedures, communications, and
terminology. Understanding this system will facilitate District employees
communicating with emergency and law enforcement groups.
This system recognizes the need to ensure direction and control for an incident
affecting more than one site or school district. When such a situation exists, a unified
command structure will be used under the direction of one IC. The concept of unified
command means that all agencies and organizations having responsibility and
authority at an incident will contribute to the process of:
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Determining overall response objectives.
Selecting response strategies.
Ensuring joint application of tactical activities.
Maximizing the use of available resources.
How Incidents Will Be Managed
Generally, emergency incidents will be managed by the site administration and its
Incident Management Team (IMT). In a critical incident, the site will notify the
District Communications Office. The Communications Office will notify the
Superintendent and the Emergency Services Coordinator for the DIMT. The IC will
determine the level of threat and set the proper response actions into motion. When
warranted, the IC will notify members of the "on-call DIMT. The IC will direct the
team members and consult with them as the situation and time permit.
The District IC will maintain contact with the site or command post IC through the
duration of the incident. When other sites, districts, or agencies are involved, a
unified command structure is employed.
Role and Authority of Site Incident Coordinator and Management Team
By adopting this emergency operations plan, the School District empowers the
Incident Coordinator and Incident Management Team to take action as appropriate
to protect students, faculty, staff, visitors, facilities, and equipment, during all critical
incidents. The IC and IMT are authorized representatives of the Superintendent;
their directives are to be followed.