Unit 3: Unified Command

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Unit 3 Unified Command
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Unit Objectives

• Define and identify the primary features of
  Unified Command.
• Describe how Unified Command functions on a
  multijurisdiction or multiagency incident.
• List the advantages of Unified Command.
• Given a simulated situation, demonstrate roles
  and reporting relationships under a Unified
  Command that involves agencies within the same
  jurisdiction and under multijurisdiction
  conditions.

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Question
How can you organize for incidents that cross
jurisdictional boundaries or exceed individual
agency responsibility?
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Two Options

• Divide the incident geographically or
  functionally so that each jurisdiction or agency
  can establish its own ICS organization.

• Create a single ICS incident structure and
  process that has an effective and responsible
  multijurisdictional or multiagency approach.

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Definition of Unified Command

• Unified Command is a team effort that allows all
  agencies with jurisdictional responsibility for
  an incident, either geographical or functional,
  to participate in the management of the
  incident.  This participation is demonstrated by
  developing and implementing a common set of
  incident objectives and strategies that all can
  subscribe to, without losing or abdicating agency
  authority, responsibility, or accountability.

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Applying Unified Command

• Unified Command
• Is a collaborative team-effort process.
• Allows all responsible agencies at an incident to
  establish a common set of incident objectives
  that all can subscribe to.
• Is accomplished without losing or abdicating
  agency authority, responsibility, or
  accountability.
• Is not a new process.

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NIMS and Unified Command

• As a team effort, Unified Command overcomes much
  of the inefficiency and duplication of effort
  that can occur when agencies from different
  functional and geographic jurisdictions, or
  agencies at different levels of government,
  operate without a common system or organizational
  framework.

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Unified Command

• Enables all agencies with responsibility to
  manage an incident together by establishing a
  common set of incident objectives and
  strategies.
• Allows Incident Commanders to make joint
  decisions by establishing a single command
  structure.
• Maintains unity of command. Each employee
  reports to only one supervisor.

Resources
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Spokesperson Designation

• One of the Incident Commanders may be designated
  as the spokesperson.
• Serves as a designated channel of communications
  from Command and General Staff members into the
  Unified Command.
• Does NOT make independent command decisions, but
  does provide a point of contact as necessary for
  the Command and General Staffs.

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Unified Command and Preparedness

• Include Unified Command delegations in local
  emergency operations plans and interagency/mutual
  -aid agreements.
• Conduct training exercises using Unified Command
  with adjacent jurisdictions and functional
  agencies.

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Unified Command Multiple Jurisdictions

• Incidents That Impact More Than One Political
  Jurisdiction

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Multijurisdictional Incident
Sample Organizational Chart
Unified Command Jurisdiction A
Jurisdiction B Jurisdiction CIncident
Commander Incident Commander Incident
Commander Unified Incident Objectives
Public Information Officer
Safety Officer
Liaison Officer
Finance/Admin Section
Logistics Section
Planning Section
Operations Section
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Unified Command Multiple Agencies/Single
Jurisdiction

• Incidents Involving Multiple Agencies/Departments
  Within the Same Political Jurisdiction

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Multiagency/Single Jurisdiction Incident
Sample Organizational Chart
Unified Command Unified Incident Objectives
Fire Depart.Incident Commander
Police Depart.Incident Commander
Public Health Dept. Incident Commander
Public Information Officer
Safety Officer
Liaison Officer
Finance/Admin Section
Logistics Section
Planning Section
Operations Section
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Unified Command Multiagency/Multijurisdiction 1

• Incidents That Impact on (or Involve) Several
  Political and Functional Agencies

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Multiagency/Multijurisdiction Incident 1
Sample Organizational Chart

Unified Command
City Fire Incident Commander(s)
City Police Incident Commander(s)
County EMS Incident Commander(s)
Unified Incident Objectives
Public Information Officer
Safety Officer
Liaison Officer
Finance/Admin Section
Logistics Section
Planning Section
Operations Section
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Unified Command Multiagency/Multijurisdiction 2

• Incidents That Impact on (or Involve) Several
  Political and Functional Agencies

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Multiagency/Multijurisdiction Incident 2
Sample Organizational Chart

Unified Command
Local Incident Commander(s)
State Incident Commander(s)
Federal Incident Commander(s)
Unified Incident Objectives
Public Information Officer
Safety Officer
Liaison Officer
Finance/Admin Section
Logistics Section
Planning Section
Operations Section
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Example Organization
Chart for Flood Response
Unified Command Fire/Police/Public Works/EMS
Liaison Officer
Public Information Officer
Safety Officer
Operations Section Chief
Planning Section Chief
Logistics Section Chief
Finance/AdministrationSection Chief
StagingArea Manager
West Branch
East Branch
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Example Organization
Chart for School Shooting Response
Unified Command Fire/Police/EMSSchool
Administrators
Liaison Officer
Public Information Officer
Safety Officer
Information/Intelligence Officer
Operations Section Chief
Planning Section Chief
Logistics Section Chief
Finance/AdministrationSection Chief
StagingArea Manager
Fire Branch
Law Enforcement Branch
EMS Branch
School Branch
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Example Organization
Chart for Tornado Response
Unified Command Fire/Police/EMS
Liaison Officer
Public Information Officer
Safety Officer
Operations Section Chief
Planning Section Chief
Logistics Section Chief
Finance/AdministrationSection Chief
StagingArea Manager
Fire Branch
Law Enforcement Branch
EMS Branch
Damage AssessmentBranch
Public Works Branch
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Unified Command Elements (1 of 2)

• Authorities, Policies, Incident Objectives,
  Strategies Are established jointly by each
  jurisdiction/agency.
• Organization Consists of the various
  jurisdictional or agency on-scene senior
  representatives (agency Incident Commanders)
  operating within a Unified Command structure.
• Resources Are supplied by the jurisdictions and
  agencies that have functional or jurisdictional
  responsibility.

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Unified Command Elements (2 of 2)

• Operations Are directed by one person, the
  Operations Section Chief, who controls tactical
  resources. There is still unity of command.
• Resources (personnel and equipment) stay under
  the administrative and policy control of their
  agencies. Operationally, they respond to mission
  assignments under the coordination and direction
  of the Operations Section Chief.

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Unified Command Features Overview

• A single integrated incident organization
• Collocated (shared) facilities
• A single planning process and Incident Action
  Plan with one set of objectives
• Integrated General Staff
• Coordinated process for resource ordering

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Single Integrated Incident Organization

• In a Unified Command
• Jurisdictions and/or agencies blend into an
  integrated, unified team.
• The mix of participants dependson location of
  the incident and kind of incident.
• The members must function together as a team.

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Building Teamwork
How can you build the teamwork necessary for
Unified Command?
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Collocated (Shared) Facilities

• A coordinated effort can be maintained by
  establishing
• A single Incident Command Post
• One incident Base
• Shared Staging Area(s)

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Single Planning Process and IAP

• Joint planning must be initiated as soon as two
  or more agencies form a Unified Command.
• This planning process results in a single
  Incident Action Plan (IAP) that addresses
  multijurisdiction or multiagency priorities and
  specifies tactical operations and resource
  assignments.

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Planning P and Unified Command
The Planning P illustrates the operational
period planning process.
IAP Preparation Approval
Planning Meeting
Preparing for Planning Meeting
Information Gathering and Sharing
Operational Period Briefing
Tactics Meeting
Begin Operational Period
Information Gathering and Sharing
IC/UC Validate or Adjust Objectives
Strategy Meeting If Objectives Adjusted
Execute Plan Assess Progress
After the initial response and assessment, the
Unified Command meets to set the incident
objectives for the next operational period.
Initial Strategy Meeting
Information Sharing
Operational Period Planning Cycle
IC/UC Sets Initial Incident
Objectives
Initial UC Meeting (If Unified
Command)
Information Gathering Sharing
Incident Briefing ICS 201
Initial Response
Agency Administrator Briefing
(If Appropriate)
Initial Response Assessment
Notification
Incident/Threat
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Unified Command Meeting

• The unified command meeting is a key part of the
  incident planning process
• Includes only agency Incident Commanders.
• Provides the responsible agency officials with an
  opportunity to discuss and concur on important
  issues prior to joint incident planning.

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Unified Command Meeting Agenda (1 of 3)

• Statement of specific jurisdictional/agency
  goals, based on the following overarching
  priorities
• 1 Life Safety
• 2 Incident Stabilization
• 3 Property Conservation
• Presentation of jurisdictional limitations,
  concerns, and restrictions

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Unified Command Meeting Agenda (2 of 3)

• Development of a collective set of incident
  objectives
• Establishment of and agreement on acceptable
  priorities
• Agreement on the basic organization structure
• Designation of the best qualified and acceptable
  Operations Section Chief
• Agreement on General Staff personnel designations

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Unified Command Meeting Agenda (3 of 3)

• Agreement on planning, logistical, and finance
  procedures
• Agreement on the resource ordering process to be
  followed
• Agreement on cost-sharing procedures
• Agreement on informational matters
• Designation of one agency official to act as the
  Unified Command spokesperson

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Integrated General Staff Sections

• Integrating multijurisdictional and/or
  multiagency personnel into various other
  functional areas may be beneficial. For example
• In Operations and Planning, Deputy Section Chiefs
  can be designated from an adjacent jurisdiction.
• In Logistics, a Deputy Logistics Section Chief
  from another agency or jurisdiction can help to
  coordinate incident support.

Are there more examples?
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Integrated General Staff (1 of 2)

• Incident Commanders within the Unified Command
  must concur on the selection of the General Staff
  Section Chiefs.

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Integrated General Staff (2 of 2)

• The Operations Section Chief must have full
  authority to implement the tactics within the
  IAP.
• Deputies from other agencies or disciplines may
  be assigned.

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Selection of the Operations Section Chief
What should be considered when selecting the
Operations Section Chief in a Unified Command?
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Coordinated Resource Ordering

• The Incident Commanders within the Unified
  Command work together to establish resource
  ordering procedures that allow for
• Deployment of scarce resources to meet
  high-priority objectives.
• Potential cost savings through agreements on
  cost sharing for essential services.

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Incident Commander Responsibilities

• Each designated agency Incident Commander
  functioning in a Unified Command must
• Act within his/her jurisdictional or agency
  limitations.
• Inform the other Commanders of any legal,
  political, jurisdictional, or safety
  restrictions.
• Be authorized to perform certain activities and
  actions on behalf of the jurisdiction or agency
  he/she represents.
• Manage the incident to the best of his/her
  abilities.

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Advantages of Unified Command

• One set of incident objectives
• Collective approach to strategies
• Improved information flow
• Mutual understanding of priorities and
  restrictions
• Agency authority not compromised
• Awareness of others tactics
• Combined efforts are optimized
• Duplicate efforts/resources reduced or eliminated

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Click on the video.
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Activity 3.1 School Bus Accident

• Applied Exercise (1 of 2)
• Time Allotted 60 minutes
• Objective To apply the key learning points and
  the objectives for this unit to a simulated
  incident. The scenario involves a school bus
  accident on a highway that is the boundary
  between two political jurisdictions.
• Instructions
• 1. Review the activity objective.
• 2. Turn to the activity in your Student Manual
  and review the scenario, scenario map, and
  resource list.

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Activity 3.1 School Bus Accident

• Applied Exercise (2 of 2)
• 3. Assuming that a Unified Command will
  be established, complete the following steps
• Identify the issues facing the development of the
  Unified Command structure.
• Develop strategies to deal with these issues.
• Draw an organization chart down to the section
  level.
• 4. Select a spokesperson and be prepared to
  present your work in 30 minutes.

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Unified Command Keys to Success

• No agency authority is compromised or neglected.
• Only one IAP is developed.
• Participants empowered to speak for their
  agencies.
• Command speaks with one voice.
• Facilities shared among agencies.
• Use one resource ordering process.

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Summary

• You should now be able to
• Define and identify the primary features of
  Unified Command.
• Describe how Unified Command functions on a
  multijurisdiction or multiagency incident.
• List the advantages of Unified Command.
• Given a simulated situation, demonstrate roles
  and reporting relationships under a Unified
  Command that involves agencies within the same
  jurisdiction and under multijurisdiction
  conditions.