EMC005 ICS is expandable 
To:   Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin
By:   Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), the volunteer
      communications reserve of the State of California 
      Governor's Office of Emergency Services

The major benefit of the Incident Command System (ICS) is that it
can expand in a logical manner from an initial isolated incident
into a major widespread disaster with the least disruption of
systems and resources. Here is the basic structure of the ICS.



                    INCIDENT COMMANDER
                            I
                            I
                            I--------INFORMATION
                            I
                            I--------LIAISON
                            I
                            I--------SAFETY
                            I
                            I
          _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
         I           I              I              I
     Operations   Planning      Logistics      Finance
      Section      Section       Section        Section
       Chief        Chief         Chief          Chief


In our fire scenario (last bulletin) the ranking officer set up the
basic element of ICS when he (as a strike team leader of the
crew that responded to the fire) took command and assigned the
fire fighters to their work. At that point it was a local
situation and only the single command element was implemented.

When the fire exploded, everything changed. His crew was not able
to handle much of the fast moving fire. So, he used the radio to
call for help. Moments later the local fire chief arrived and
assumed command from the first-in unit. The fire chief's first
action was to appoint an Operations Section Chief, a Liaison
Officer and a Logistics Section Chief and to designate a Staging
Area as they prepared for the arrival of reinforcements. He also
appointed a Planning Section Chief to develop the plan of attack
on the fast moving fire-storm. 

What do these positions do, and why take the time to appoint 
them in the middle of an emergency?  See the next bulletin on
ICS in Action, Pt 2.

Visit ACS on the World Wide WEB at http://www.garlic.com/oes
E-mail: crm@oes.ca.gov or seh@oes.ca.gov.  Phone:916-262-1600
BBS 916-262-1657  Packet: W6SIG@WA6NWE.CA    FAX 916 262-1677
ACS c/o State OES, 2800 Meadowview Rd., Sacramento, CA. 95832
EOM EMC005                          W6WWW@KM6PX.#NOCAL.USA.NA