Douglas County Emergency Management Memo

Date:  September 14, 2009

To:      Dave Corliss

From: Teri Smith

RE:     ICS Overview for Elected Officials

The Incident Command System (ICS) was developed in the 1970s following a series of catastrophic fires in California’s urban interface.  Many people were killed or injured and property damage ran into the millions.  The personnel assigned to determine the causes of these outcomes studied case histories and discovered that response problems could rarely be attributed to lack of resources or failure of tactics.  Surprisingly, studies found that response problems were far more likely to result from inadequate management than from any other single reason.

The Incident Command System:

· Is a standardized management tool for meeting the demands of small or large emergency or nonemergency situations.

· Represents “best practices” and has become the standard for emergency management across the country.

· May be used for planned events, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism.

· Is a key feature of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

In most jurisdictions, responsibility for the protection of the citizens rests with the chief elected official (city/county manager, agency administrator, etc.).  Along with this responsibility, by virtue of their office, these people have the authority to make decisions, commit resources, obligate funds, and command the resources necessary to protect the population, stop the spread of damage, and protect the environment.

Any personnel who may be involved in the planning, response, or recovery phase of an emergency or incident is required by Federal law to have ICS training.  Completion of ICS training meets NIMS compliance guidelines.  NIMS compliance is a requirement to receive EMPG and State Homeland Security Grant funds.

A specialized course for elected officials is available in a classroom setting.  I can request an instructor to teach the class in Lawrence, possibly in October.  The importance of elected officials knowing their roles and responsibilities during an emergency or incident is clear.  Any help you can give in promoting this class with Lawrence officials will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your assistance in promoting this class for the elected officials of Lawrence.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.