Incident Command System Training Course

1. Introduction to Incident Command System

1.1 ICS Fundamentals and History

• ICS development including (wildfire origins, system evolution, standardization efforts, and national adoption)

• System benefits including (organizational clarity, resource efficiency, communication improvement, and coordination enhancement)

• NIMS ICS framework including (national integration, standardization requirements, training mandates, and compliance obligations)

• Legal basis including (presidential directives, federal requirements, state implementations, and local adoptions)

1.2 ICS Principles and Features

• Management characteristics including (common terminology, modular organization, manageable span of control, and unified command)

• Organizational structure including (command staff, general staff, functional areas, and reporting relationships)

• FEMA ICS-100 requirements including (basic ICS principles, organizational structure, resource management, and communication systems)

• System flexibility including (scalability features, functional adaptation, organizational expansion, and operational modification)

2. ICS Organization and Structure

2.1 Command Structure Organization

• Incident commander role including (overall responsibility, authority delegation, resource allocation, and strategic decision making)

• Command staff functions including (safety officer duties, information officer responsibilities, and liaison officer coordination)

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120 integration including (hazwoper requirements, safety responsibilities, health monitoring, and incident commander qualifications)

• Single command vs unified command including (decision criteria, implementation procedures, authority sharing, and coordination mechanisms)

2.2 General Staff Functions

• Operations section including (tactical operations, resource deployment, incident suppression, and tactical coordination)

• Planning section including (situation analysis, resource tracking, documentation management, and future planning)

• Logistics section including (resource procurement, facility management, transportation coordination, and support services)

• Finance/administration section including (cost tracking, procurement management, compensation claims, and time documentation)

3. Incident Action Planning Process

3.1 Planning Cycle Management

• Planning process steps including (situation assessment, objective establishment, strategy selection, and tactical assignment)

• Operational periods including (period length determination, objective setting, resource allocation, and performance evaluation)

• ISO 22320 guidelines including (emergency management principles, incident response coordination, information management, and decision support)

• Plan components including (incident objectives, organizational structure, tactical assignments, and support requirements)

3.2 Briefing and Communication Systems

• Briefing procedures including (initial briefing, operational briefings, transfer of command, and demobilization briefing)

• Communication plans including (frequency assignments, protocol establishment, interoperability requirements, and backup systems)

• Information management including (situation reporting, status updates, documentation procedures, and information sharing)

• Decision support including (intelligence gathering, analysis procedures, recommendation development, and decision documentation)

4. Resource Management and Deployment

4.1 Resource Identification and Typing

• Resource categories including (personnel resources, equipment resources, supply resources, and facility resources)

• Resource typing including (capability descriptions, minimum standards, performance criteria, and interchangeability factors)

• FEMA ICS-200 applications including (resource management, incident organization, facilities management, and communication systems)

• Resource status including (assigned resources, available resources, out-of-service resources, and resource tracking)

4.2 Resource Coordination and Logistics

• Resource ordering including (request procedures, specification requirements, delivery coordination, and tracking systems)

• Mutual aid systems including (automatic aid, mutual aid agreements, interstate compacts, and reimbursement procedures)

• Logistics coordination including (supply management, facility establishment, transportation services, and maintenance support)

• Demobilization planning including (resource release, equipment return, personnel debriefing, and cost accounting)

5. Unified Command and Multi-Agency Coordination

5.1 Unified Command Implementation

• Unified command principles including (shared authority, joint objectives, coordinated strategies, and integrated operations)

• Agency coordination including (jurisdiction identification, authority clarification, resource sharing, and operational integration)

• FEMA ICS-300 requirements including (intermediate ICS, expanded incident management, multi-agency coordination, and area command)

• Command relationships including (single command, unified command, area command, and multi-agency coordination centers)

5.2 Multi-Agency Coordination Systems

• Coordination structures including (emergency operations centers, multi-agency coordination centers, and joint information centers)

• Information sharing including (common operating picture, situation reporting, intelligence coordination, and decision support)

• Resource coordination including (resource allocation, mutual aid coordination, priority establishment, and conflict resolution)

• Policy coordination including (strategic guidance, resource prioritization, interagency agreements, and public information coordination)

6. Emergency Operations and Tactical Implementation

6.1 Tactical Operations Management

• Tactical assignments including (task assignment, resource deployment, operational coordination, and performance monitoring)

• Safety management including (incident safety officer, safety planning, hazard assessment, and safety briefings)

• Operational coordination including (division supervision, group management, task force coordination, and strike team leadership)

• Performance monitoring including (objective assessment, progress reporting, resource evaluation, and tactical adjustment)

6.2 Specialized Operations Integration

• Hazardous materials response including (hazmat team integration, technical specialists, environmental monitoring, and decontamination coordination)

• Search and rescue operations including (search coordination, rescue team management, resource allocation, and victim tracking)

• Medical operations including (medical group management, triage coordination, transportation management, and hospital coordination)

• Public works coordination including (infrastructure assessment, utility coordination, debris management, and restoration planning)

7. Communication and Information Management

7.1 Communication Systems Design

• Communication planning including (frequency planning, equipment selection, interoperability requirements, and backup procedures)

• Information flow management including (reporting procedures, information sharing, data management, and communication protocols)

• FEMA ICS-400 applications including (advanced ICS, command and general staff, area command, and emergency operations center interface)

• Technology integration including (digital systems, mobile communications, data networks, and information systems)

7.2 Public Information and Media Relations

• Public information management including (message development, media coordination, rumor control, and social media management)

• Joint information center operations including (multi-agency coordination, spokesperson coordination, information verification, and message consistency)

• Stakeholder communication including (elected officials, community leaders, business partners, and special interest groups)

• Crisis communication including (initial response messaging, ongoing updates, protective action guidance, and recovery information)

8. Incident Safety Management

8.1 Safety Officer Functions

• Safety responsibilities including (hazard assessment, safety planning, risk mitigation, and safety briefings)

• Personnel safety including (personal protective equipment, medical monitoring, rehabilitation procedures, and injury management)

• Operational safety including (tactical safety, equipment safety, environmental hazards, and safety supervision)

• Safety communication including (safety briefings, hazard warnings, safety reports, and incident safety analysis)

8.2 Risk Management and Hazard Assessment

• Risk assessment procedures including (hazard identification, risk analysis, risk evaluation, and control measures)

• Environmental monitoring including (air monitoring, weather assessment, structural evaluation, and contamination detection)

• Personnel accountability including (check-in procedures, resource tracking, personnel assignment, and emergency evacuation)

• Medical support including (emergency medical services, medical monitoring, rehabilitation services, and fatality management)

9. Documentation and Record Keeping

9.1 Incident Documentation Systems

• Documentation requirements including (incident action plans, situation reports, resource status, and cost documentation)

• Record keeping procedures including (unit logs, message forms, personnel time, and resource utilization)

• Legal documentation including (evidence preservation, witness statements, photographic documentation, and chain of custody)

• Administrative records including (personnel records, training documentation, equipment records, and financial documentation)

9.2 After-Action Review and Improvement

• After-action review process including (data collection, analysis procedures, finding development, and recommendation formulation)

• Lessons learned including (best practice identification, improvement opportunities, corrective actions, and knowledge sharing)

• System improvement including (procedure updates, training enhancement, equipment modification, and organizational development)

• Performance measurement including (objective achievement, resource efficiency, cost effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction)

10. Training and Qualification Management

10.1 ICS Training Program Development

• Training requirements including (position-specific training, competency standards, certification requirements, and continuing education)

• Curriculum development including (learning objectives, instructional design, delivery methods, and assessment procedures)

• Training delivery including (classroom instruction, online learning, simulation exercises, and field training)

• Competency assessment including (knowledge testing, skill demonstration, performance evaluation, and certification maintenance)

10.2 Exercise Design and Implementation

• Exercise planning including (objective setting, scenario development, participant selection, and evaluation criteria)

• Exercise types including (tabletop exercises, functional exercises, full-scale exercises, and operational drills)

• Exercise conduct including (facilitation procedures, controller functions, evaluator responsibilities, and safety management)

• Exercise evaluation including (performance assessment, improvement identification, corrective action planning, and lessons learned integration)

11. Technology Integration and Innovation

11.1 Information Technology Systems

• ICS software applications including (resource tracking systems, communication platforms, mapping applications, and database management)

• Mobile technology including (tablets, smartphones, portable computers, and satellite communication)

• Geographic information systems including (mapping applications, location services, spatial analysis, and visualization tools)

• Data management including (data collection, storage systems, analysis tools, and information sharing)

11.2 Emerging Technologies

• Artificial intelligence applications including (decision support, pattern recognition, predictive analytics, and automated reporting)

• Drone technology including (aerial reconnaissance, damage assessment, search operations, and communication relay)

• Social media integration including (information gathering, public communication, rumor monitoring, and stakeholder engagement)

• Internet of things including (sensor networks, environmental monitoring, equipment tracking, and automated alerting)

12. Case Studies & Group Discussions

• Regional case studies from Middle East operations including (industrial incidents, natural disasters, security events, and multi-agency responses)

• ICS implementation successes including (effective coordination, resource efficiency, communication excellence, and objective achievement)

• Problem-solving exercises including (command structure design, resource allocation decisions, coordination challenges, and tactical planning)

• Multi-agency coordination scenarios including (unified command implementation, jurisdictional coordination, resource sharing, and policy integration)

• The importance of proper training in successful incident command system implementation and emergency response coordination