Incident Command System

During an emergency, the City uses the Incident Command System (ICS), which is a standardized approach to command, control, and coordination used by public agencies to manage emergencies. The system guides all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents.

ICS is the result of decades of lessons learned in the organization and management of emergency incidents. ICS helps ensure a clearly defined chain of command, uses a common language to allow diverse management and support entities to work together, provides for the safety of responders, the achievement of response objectives, and efficient use of resources.

The City used a multiple department Incident Command System during the 2008 Flood, 2016 Flood, and the 2020 Derecho, for example.

When large-scale disasters occur, the City utilizes an Incident Management Team to provide a coordinated response to the disaster. The Incident Management Team is comprised of individuals from almost every department in the City. When the incident is too large for the local resources to mitigate, Cedar Rapids has mutual aid agreements with area agencies to provide resources to the incident. The Fire Department utilizes these agreements, also known as mutual aid agreements, several times a year when there is a large fire or chemical leak, for example.

If further assistance is needed, the City works with the Linn County Emergency Management Agency, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) was adopted as response framework as part of an after action review of the response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The guiding principles of this framework is flexibility, standardization, and unity of effort. Resources requested outside of the Incident Management System diminishes response effectiveness and capabilities to protect the safety and health of the community. NIMS provides resources management, command and coordination, and communication and information management.

Overview of ICS Roles in Cedar Rapids

• Incident Commander
  In the City of Cedar Rapids, the Fire Chief is designated as the Incident Commander. Incident command is used to respond to emergency calls for service every day. While the Incident Management Team manages the incident, the Incident Commander manages the team.
  
  The Fire Chief has extensive experience in emergency management and provides leadership during a disaster in the community. They are responsible for making sure the Incident Command Post is activated and positions within the Incident Command System are filled in order to provide a coordinated, effective response.
  
  
• Planning Section Chief
  Organizes and leads all incident meetings and briefings, ensures the entire organization follows the established planning process on-time and accurately, and maintains an overview of all incident activities to ensure that complete information is provided for the planning process.
  
  The Planning Section Chief coordinates the different Incident Management Team sections to ensure an efficiently coordinated response to the incident while managing incident-relevant operational data. They need to determine if specialized resources are needed and help assemble information for alternative strategies.
  
  
• Logistics Section Chief 
  Finds the tools necessary to assist emergency responders during a time of crisis. They coordinate response personnel communications and information technology needs, food and medical services for emergency responders, organizes facilities, supplies and transportation needs, and oversees credentialing.
  
  The Logistics Section Chief ensures first responders and city employees have the proper equipment and resources in order to fulfill their missions. Response efforts are sustained when those responding to the emergency have food, water, equipment, portable radios or other communications equipment, and they are being monitored for their own health and well-being.
  
  
• Operations Section Chief
  Responsible for the direction and coordination of all tactical operations. They must implement the action plan established by the Incident Commander. The Operations Section Chief establishes priorities, has to predict probable resource needs, prepare alternative strategies for procurement and resource management, and coordinates all requests for mutual aid and other operational resources.
  
  The Operations Section Chief exercises overall responsibility for the coordination of unit and group activities. They designate leaders for a combination of elements depending upon the scope and complexity of the disaster. They may assign a Fire, Police, Public Works, Building and Safety, and/or Mass Care Branch to accomplish the overall mission of the particular incident.
  
  
• Finance/Administrative Section Chief
  Supports command and operations with administrative issues, including tracking and processing incident expenses. Finance Department Managers rotate as section Chief in order to provide continuous support at incident command.
  
  The Section Chief has established a list of vendors who can be called upon to deliver equipment or services during a disaster, tracks personnel costs and invoices, and processes reimbursement claims. They are responsible for all financial, cost analysis, and procurement aspects of the incident.
  
  During an emergency it is important to have purchase agreements and resources quickly available so the most cost-effective methods can be considered. Tracking expenditures and following purchasing guidelines assists the City in receiving reimbursement from state and federal resources, which aids in long-term recovery efforts.
  
  

• Public Information Officer
  Responsible for formulation and release of information about the incident to the public, media, and other appropriate agencies and organizations.

• Liaison Officer
  Responsible for facilitating the integration of local and statewide agency resources into the City’s Incident Command System structure.

• Safety Officer
  Responsible for safety messages, identification of hazardous situations associated with an incident, and investigation of accidents that occur within incident areas.