The Incident Command System is a model tool for control, command, and coordination of a recovery and a response. It is a model that provides a means to coordinate the efforts of individual agencies and companies as they work towards the same objective of alleviating the incident and protecting property, the environment, business sustainability and life (Bennett 32). As such, it has five primary functions applying during routine emergencies, when working on a response to a major disaster, or when getting ready for a most important event. These are the command, planning, operations, logistics and finance and administration functions.
Functions of Incident Command System
Command is a function directed by the Incident Commander (IC). This person is fully qualified and has the power to manage the incident. Incident command, thus, encompasses ensuring the safety of the responder, assessing the priorities of the incident, establishing leadership, defining operational objectives, maintaining a manageable control span, and coordinating activities of outside agencies, among others (Bigley and Karlene 1283). However, the Incident Commander has three main incident priorities: minimizing property damage, incident stabilization, and protection of the life of the general public and the emergency responders. Planning includes the collection of information, its evaluation, dissemination, and its use, concerning the development of the status of resources and the incident. Besides, it also includes the creation of Incident Action Plan (IAP), which is known for defining the response activities, as well as utilization of resources for a particular period through a standardized process of planning.
Operation carries out the response activities that are described in the Incident Action Plan. This includes coordinating and directing all activities, helping in the development of reaction objectives, requesting and releasing resources, and delivering support and situation status updates. Logistics is meant to provide services, materials, and facilities. This includes personnel to work on the requested tools for the incident. However, this function is significant in extended operations when there is a need for more resources. Finance and administration is a function that is meant for tracking costs of the incident and reimbursement accounting. Reimbursement would be difficult if financial operations and other expenses are not justified and carefully recorded.
Critical Incident Protocols and Tactics
Critical incidents involving barricaded persons and hostages represent very trying moments for the law enforcement individuals who respond to them. When the personnel first respond to the scene, they must quickly assess the situation’s totality, gauge the threat to the bystanders or hostages, secure the place, and ask for more units as required (Slatkin 28). Besides, the negotiators of crisis are needed to establish the contact with their subjects, pinpoint their demands, and try to resolve tense and volatile standoffs with no loss of life. Additionally, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) members are obliged to be ready to neutralize the subjects through a swift and a smart way. The field commanders ignore the ultimate responsibility for every facet of the police response.
The success of such coordinated response requires that each component understands precisely the others’ functions. For example, supervisors are supposed to understand the purpose of the actions taken by negotiators to avoid any delays at the scene that may occur when negotiators are forced to stop and justify their intended actions. Consequently, such understanding becomes necessary. In recent years, the negotiators changed to become very active because of the reputations they established for the satisfactory and peaceful resolution of some critical incidents. Examples include expending 263 negotiator hours in 1993 when the Hostage Negotiations Team of Seattle Police Department resolved 21 critical incidents. Besides, in 1994, the negotiations team settled 32 incidents in 407 hours (Slatkin 31).
Despite appearing that the tactical teams and the negotiators work together during a crisis, then nothing could be far from the truth. The society needs the law enforcement to exhaust all the available means before launching a diplomatic resolution to the incident. However, if it becomes unsuccessful, then changing from negotiation to tactical assault must be smooth.
Works Cited
Bennett, Brian. "Effective Emergency Management A Closer Look At The Incident Command System." Professional Safety 56.11 (2011): 28-37.
Bigley, Gregory A., and Karlene H. Roberts. "The Incident Command System: High-Reliability Organizing For Complex And Volatile Task Environments." Academy Of Management Journal 44.6 (2001): 1281-1299.
Slatkin, Arthur A. "Suicide Risk And Hostage/ Barricade Situations Involving Older Persons."FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 72.4 (2003): 26-32.
