NCJ Number
213200
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 8,10,12,14,18
Date Published
January 2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the structure of critical incident command and the role of the critical incident commander.
Abstract
One of the main defining characteristics of an effective critical incident response is effective teamwork between all the different responders at all levels of government. It is the job of the critical incident commander to ensure responders work like a team to meet incident objectives. The author describes how the Single Command structure of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), introduced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), holds one critical incident commander responsible for identifying and achieving all of the strategic goals, which is accomplished through the development of the Incident Action Plan (IAP). Unified Command structures, on the other hand, are less concerned with who is in charge and are more focused on what needs to be done; this type of command structure is usually used for larger incidents. The importance of training for critical incident commanders is underscored, along with the scarcity of opportunities for on-the-job training in critical incident command. Finally, lessons learned from a critical incident simulation training in North Carolina are presented, including the importance of media control and pre-deployment personnel checks. Resources