Introduction
The management of highly unstable situations that may potentially lead to catastrophic outcomes requires the urgent establishment of high-reliability systems and organizations. The Incident Command System (ICS) implies a management system used by the government of the United States in order to organize effective emergency response in case of natural or human-made disasters. The analysis of the ICS components and the system’s readiness to potential infectious outbreaks and current pandemics caused by the coronavirus demonstrates certain vulnerabilities connected with the nature of this catastrophe.
Origin and Inception of the Incident Command System
According to the presidential directive, the Incident Command System employed as a highly reliable virtual organization is currently incorporated by state and federal agencies into their plans of emergency response. The system is characterized by simple design, and it helps major agencies “to facilitate the integration of their assets into local emergency operations” (Bogucki & Schulz, 2015, p. 257). The ICS was elaborated to coordinate the multijurisdictional responses of multiple structures to large-scale emergencies. It was originally designed in the United States for practical application by civilian emergency responders in the middle of the 1970s (Bogucki & Schulz, 2015).
Firefighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) was the first interagency representative group that developed the prototype of the ICS to eliminate serious management deficiencies connected with the wildland firefighting of the state (Bogucki & Schulz, 2015). The system of FIRESCOPE was recognized as highly effective and it subsequently started to be used on a nationwide scale to offer an appropriate response to emergencies of any magnitude.
ICS Organizational Structure
The efficacy of the ICS substantially depends on the interconnection of the complex system’s components. The organizational structure of the Incident Command System includes five major functional elements – Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance (Administration) (“Appendix B: Incident Command System,” 2008). As the system’s structure is modular and extends to incorporate all essential elements for the size, type, complexity, and scope of a catastrophe, performance and responsibility begin with Command. In case of an incident, the General Staff is organized from four separate sections (“Appendix B: Incident Command System,” 2008).
Each section has several subordinate branches that may be utilized according to the incident’s requirements. If one individual may control all main functional areas, a further organization is not essential.
The Operations element is responsible for operational management to restore normal conditions, reduce the immediate hazard, save human lives and property, and establish situation control. In general, incidents include urban and wildland fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, war-related disasters, hazardous materials spills, earthquakes, nuclear and aircraft accidents, medical and public health emergencies, bio-terror, and pandemic outbreaks. The Planning section focuses on the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of operational information related to an incident (“Appendix B: Incident Command System,” 2008).
This element is responsible for the gathering and distribution of critical intelligence, forecasting management requirements, and the incident maps’ preparation. In turn, Logistics provides all essential support for incident personnel for effective emergency response, such as transportation, equipment maintenance, supplies, facilities, fuel, food and medical services, communications. Finally, the Finance (Administration) section functions when incident management activities require additional financial or administrative support, as large scenarios traditionally involve significant funding.
ICS Disaster Preparedness
All major components of the ICS provide the algorithm of the system for efficient incident response. The fundamental concepts of the ICS include common terminology, integrated communications, recognized command structure, modular organization, consolidated action plans, manageable supervisory structure, pre-designated incident facilities, and comprehensive resource management (Burgiel, 2019).
In the case of a natural disaster, such as an infectious pandemic outbreak, the response of the system implies the identification of pathogenic agents and data collection concerning the ways of disease distribution. The total number of infected citizens at the moment and accessible preventive measures are considered for the further elaboration of an action plan that involves the active participation of all medical services, quarantine measures, and drug design. There are several reasons for infectious pandemic outbreaks, such as viruses from invasive species or transmitted from person to person.
The potential vulnerabilities of the Incident Command System of the United States in the context of severe pandemic outbreaks consist in the nature of this incident. Pandemic outbreaks are frequently characterized by violence, and disease distribution may be so rapid that emergency units maybe not be ready for an enormous number of infected individuals. Moreover, in a contemporary globalized world, the spread of any infection from person to person is simplified by people’s moving all over the world. In addition, The outcomes that determine the efficacy of the ICS response substantively depend not only on responsible services but on the citizens’ consciousness as well.
The rejection of quarantine measures may substantially complicate the implementation of the emergency plan and contribute to disease distribution as well. The system’s vulnerabilities may be currently observed in the setting of a respiratory disease pandemic caused by a new coronavirus. Although the federal government works with public health local, state, and territorial partners to respond to this serious situation, the number of morbid events and deaths indicates its unpreparedness to this emergency scale.
Conclusion
The Incident Command System is a management program used in the United States in order to organize an efficient emergency response to natural or human-made disasters. Despite its well-defined components, the ICS demonstrates significant vulnerabilities in the case of infectious pandemic outbreaks that are connected with the nature of this disaster. Rapid disease distribution, the absence of appropriate medications, and the rejection of quarantine by citizens have a highly negative impact on the efficacy of the ICS emergency response.
References
Appendix B: Incident Command System. (2008). National Incident Management System. Web.
Bogucki, S., & Schulz. K. J. (2015). Incident command system and National Incident Management System. In D. C. Cone, J. H. Brice, T. R. Delbridge, & J. B. Myers (Eds.), Emergency medical services: Clinical practice and systems oversight (2nd ed.) (pp. 257-263). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Burgiel, S. W. (2019). The incident command system: A framework for rapid response to biological invasion. Biological Invasions, 22(1), 155-165. Web.