Incident Command System Principles and Terms

Common Incident Command System Principles and Terms 

The use of common terminology for resource descriptions, organizational functions, and incident facilities across disciplines can contribute to improve effectiveness. Integrated communications 

Situational awareness refers to a persons knowledge of the situation as related to the evolving state of the event environment. Situation assessment during emergency response and recovery combines information about incident geography, topography, weather, hazard or hazard impact, and resource data. This assessment provides a foundation for decision making (Table 7.3). 

Standardized processes and methods involve well-described, reproducible, and usually sequential steps to accomplish a stated objective. The EOP guides response and recovery using standardized formats and the ICS. Standardized processes contribute to efficiency in all four phases of emergency management. Use standardized templates from the ICS to help develop incident action plans, conduct briefings, and complete situation reports. 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Publication H-34, entitled Are You Ready A Guide to Citizen Preparedness, contains facts on disaster survival techniques, disaster-specific information, and how to prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made disasters. 

---