Introduction
Commonly abbreviated as ICS, Incident Command System is regarded as an effective tool applied in hazard management, when commanding, controlling and coordinating emergency responses.
This tool is principally aimed at improving the manner in which an organization responds to emergencies. It falls under the National Incident Management System. Additionally, ICS focuses on minimizing the chances of miscommunication and problems, which may arise while responding to an emergency (NWCG 2). This paper discuses the history of ICS.
According to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, there are factors which hamper emergency management and which equally have impact on the cost-effectiveness of an emergency response system. Some of these factors include but not limited to population, cultural difference, legal changes, insufficient resources, use of radio frequencies and sophisticated media coverage (NWCG 2). As a result, there are complex incidents, which have emerged, demanding streamlined responses.
History of ICS
The establishment of ICS was triggered by the demand for improved emergency response services for firefighters in 1970s. Before its initiation, there were several challenges, which bothered emergency managers. For instance, supervisors were usually bombarded with numerous reports, which made it difficult to handle them effectively.
Additionally, there was variation in the manner in which different organizations responded to emergency calls (NWCG 2). Other factors included unreliable incident information, poor communication, lack of interagency coordination, and terminology differences. In order to develop an emergency response system that would address the above issues, time was a necessity.
The system was developed by FIRESCOPE, an interagency task force. They focused on the flexibility, efficiency and affordability of the system in order to be embraced by many organizations.
It is important to note that most ICS applications were initially designed for wildlife services. Nevertheless, wildlife emergency incidents have similar characteristics with those experienced in other common places. For instance, they can occur at any time, develop rapidly, become complex, have personal response risk, have public and media visibility and have cost implications. ICS is widely used by firefighters in the U.S. and its usage has also extended to other departments.
Evolution of ICS
Due to its efficiency in emergency responses, ICS applications and users have continuously increased since its establishment in 1970s. In the year 1980, ICS was recognized nationally and renamed as the National Interagency Incident Management System, NIIMS. As a result of this recognition, ICS became the foundation of all federal agencies, with wildlife management roles (NWCG 4).
Following its success and national recognition in incident management, ICS has received endorsements from various organizations around the country. One of these organizations is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Emergency Operations Management Systems ratified the adoption of ICS multi-hazard system.
In addition, FEMA’s National Fire Academy adopted the system as its model fire system in offering fire services to the society. Similarly, the Urban and Rescue Response System adopted ICS as its main onsite management response structure.
Importantly, the NFPA Standard 1405 was established due to the increased demand for the inclusion of ICS in its services, together with the U.S. Coast Guard. ICS has also been applied in responding to oil and hazardous material pollution.
Furthermore, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has set requirements for government and private organizations to respond to emergency incidents using ICS principles. This has been echoed by the National Fire Protection Association, Standard 1500, which recommends that all departments must embrace ICS response procedure in writing (NWCG 4).
Works Cited
NWCG 1994, The History of ICS. PDF file. 24 Apr. 2012. <https://www.nwcg.gov/>.