Command Procedures are designed to:
- Fix the responsibility for Command on a certain individual through a standard identification system, depending on the arrival sequence of members, companies, and Command officers.
- Ensure that a strong, direct, and visible Command will be established from the onset of the incident.
- Establish an effective incident organization defining the activities and responsibilities assigned to the Incident Commander (IC) and the other individuals operating within the Incident Command System.
- Provide a system to process information to support incident management, planning, and decision‐making.
- Provide a system for the orderly transfer of Command to subsequent arriving officers.
- Ensure a seamless transition from a Type 5/4 incident to a Type 3/2/1 (NIMS).
Roles and Responsibilities within the Incident Command System: Shift Commanders:
- Phoenix (South Deputy)
- Glendale (West Deputy)
- Mesa (East Deputy)
- Manage Battalions and supervise Battalion Chiefs.
- Occupy the position of Senior Advisor (Incident Advisor) on the Command Team
- (Incident Advisory Team) during first and greater alarm incidents.
Roles and Responsibilities within the Incident Command System
Battalion Chiefs:
- Manage companies and supervise company officers.
- Occupy the position of Incident Commander (IC) when appropriate.
- Occupy the position of Sector Officer when appropriate.
- Occupy the position of IC on the Command Team (Incident Advisory Team) during first and greater alarm incidents.
Roles and Responsibilities within the Incident Command System
Company Officer:
- Occupy the position of IC when appropriate.
- Occupy the position of Sector Officer when appropriate.
- Manage task level activities and supervise firefighters.
Responsibilities of Command:
The Incident Commander is responsible for the completion of the tactical objectives. The Tactical Objectives are:
- Rescue
- Fire Control
- Property Conservation
The Incident Command System is used to facilitate the completion of the ___ ___. The ____ ____ is the person who drives the command system towards that end. The Incident Commander is responsible for building a ____ ____ that matches the organizational needs of the incident to achieve the completion of the Tactical Objectives for the incident. The ___ of ____ define standard activities that are performed by the Incident Commander to achieve the Tactical Objectives.
Tactical Objectives
Incident Commander
Command structure
Functions of Command
Functions of Command Include:
- Assume and announce Command and establish an effective initial command position (Command Post).
- Rapidly evaluate the situation (size up).
- Initiate, maintain, and control effective incident communications.
- Provide and manage a steady, adequate, and timely stream of appropriate resources.
- Identify the incident strategy, develop an Incident Action Plan (IAP), and assign companies and personnel consistent with plans and standard operating procedures.
- Develop an effective incident organization using Sectors/Divisions/Groups to decentralize and delegate geographic and functional responsibility.
- Review, and revise (as needed) the strategy to keep the IAP current.
- Provide for the continuity, transfer, and termination of Command.
The Incident Commander is responsible for all of these functions. As Command is transferred, so is the responsibility for these functions. The first six (6) functions must be addressed _____ from the initial assumption of Command. Use of the Strategic Decision Making Model greatly increases effectiveness of the command team.
Immediately
Establishing Command
o Single unit response
o Check Hazard
o Any EMS call requiring only one or two companies
On-Scene Report
- Clear alarm.
- Unit designation/on the scene.
- Building/area description.
- Occupancy
- Size (large, medium, small)
- Height (assumed 1 story unless reported otherwise)
- Obvious problem/conditions.
- Nothing showing (indicates checking)
- Smoke showing (amount and location)
- Fire showing (amount and location)
- Working fire
- Fully involved
- Action taken.
- Assuming command
- Laying a line
- Attacking with…etc.
- Declaration of Strategy.
- Offensive or defensive
- Command confirmation with name
Follow Up Report:
- Any immediate safety concerns
- Accountability started (announce the initial accountability location)
- Disposition of resources (hold/add/return)
- Disposition of IRIC (only required if IRIC will not be present)
Investigation Mode/Nothing Showing
This is a mobile IC on a portable radio, moving around and evaluating conditions while looking for the incident problem. The company officer should go with the company to investigate while utilizing a portable radio to command the incident.
Fast Attack:
Visible working fires in houses or commercial occupancies. IC #1 arrives and his/her direct participation in the attack will make a positive difference in the outcome (search and rescue, fire control, and crew safety). They give an initial radio report and quickly assign an attack team (2 engines and ladder) coming in behind them. Next arriving units all stage. IC #1 goes inside (when in the offensive mode) with a portable radio supervising their crew in the attack. Examples of these situations include:
- Visible working fire in a house or small commercial occupancy.
- Critical life safety situations (i.e. rescue that must be achieved in a compressed time.
- Any incident where the safety and welfare of fire fighters is a major concern.
- Obvious working incidents that require further investigation by the Company Officer.
- Combined crew experience level
Fast Attack:
The Fast‐attack‐mobile Command mode should not last more than a few minutes and will end with one of the following:
- Situation is stabilized.
- Command is transferred from the fast attack company officer IC to a later arriving command officer.
- If the situation is not stabilized, the fast attack company officer IC must move to an exterior (stationary) command position and is now in the Command mode. The company officer must decide whether or not to withdraw the remainder of the crew, based on the crew’s capabilities and experience, safety issues, and the ability to communicate with the crew. No crew will remain in a hazardous area without radio communications.
Fast Attack:
When in Fast Attack Mode responding companies should:
- Critically listen to the radio
- Update, review, and reinforce the size up.
- Verify safety, welfare, adn accountability of the fast attacks, and back up the basic attack.
Stationary Command Post:
Certain incidents, by virtue of their size, complexity, or potential for rapid expansion, demand early, strong, stationary command from the outset. In these cases, the first arriving IC will assume command and, from the very beginning stay out of the hazard zone in a stationary exterior command position. The IC must remain there until the incident is terminated or command is transferred. The ____ ____ shall be initiated and utilized to assist in managing these types of incidents.
tactical worksheet
Stationary Command Post:
If the Company Officer assumes a Command mode, the following options are available with regards to the assignment of the remaining crew members.
- “Move up” an acting officer within the Company. This is determined by the individual and collective capabilities and experience of the crew.
- Assign the crew members to perform staff functions to assist the IC. Staff functions include recon/reporting, communications assistance; help with tactical worksheet tracking etc.
- Assign company personnel to another Company. This creates a larger work group with an officer. This must be acknowledged by both the original and the receiving officer and by their inclusion in the accountability system.
Transfer of Command:
Command is transferred to improve the quality of the ____ ____. When Command is transferred, it should trigger ____ in the Command structure. The following guidelines outline the transfer of Command. Using a standard routine for both establishing and transferring command creates the capability within the responding units for the IC to effectively and safely establish and continue command. Using a fast attack company officer IC (IC #1) in the initial stages of an offensive incident, and then having a subsequent arriving response command officer (IC #2) transfer, ____ and ____ command within the IAP from an upgraded Command Post (CP), in a vehicle, outside the hazard zone, creates a strong, safe, and under control approach
Command organization
Upgrades
Strengthens and Continues
Transfer of Command:
Benefits of an upgraded Command Post include:
- Provides IC #2 with a Support Officer
- Establishes an Incident Safety Officer (FIT) (ISO)
- IC #2 has a wider view of the fireground
- Improves communication
- Creates a lighted, warm (or cool), and dry environment for IC #2 to operate in
Transfer of Command Process:
7 Steps
- The first fire department member arriving on the scene will automatically assume Command. This will normally be a Company Officer but could be any fire department member up to and including the Fire Chief.
- The first arriving Company Officer will assume Command after the Transfer of Command procedures have been completed (assuming an equal or higher ranking officer has not already assumed Command). IC #1 is usually a Company Officer.
- The first arriving Command Officer should assume Command of the incident following Transfer of Command procedures and becomes IC #2.
- Subsequent arriving Command Officers should report their location to the IC and wait for an assignment. The first arriving Shift Commander will assume the role of Senior Advisor and assist the IC. The Engineer of the CRV will set up the Command Response Vehicle (CRV) while the Senior Advisor manages the transition of the Command Team to the CRV. The Senior Advisor, IC and Support Officer become the Command Team (Incident Advisory Team). The Command Team may assign additional staff such as a Safety Officer (relieves the Support Officer’s ISO responsibility) and a Staging Officer.
- Assumption of Command is discretionary for Assistant Chiefs and the Fire Chief.
- Local events that are of long duration or require long term evacuations may require a larger Command staff including Planning Chief, Liaison, and Public Information Officer (PIO). The Assistant Chief of Operations may provide additional support by assisting the Senior Advisor while a Shift Commander manages the evacuation and Command staff.
- When an incident is so large or of such duration that State or Federal resources are called to assist, an Incident Management Team (IMT) may be assigned to manage these resources. In this case the local jurisdiction having authority (JHA) will maintain Command or delegate authority for managing resources to the IMT. In either case the JHA retains authority to set incident objectives and determine when the IMT, State, and Federal resources are no longer needed.
Transfer of Command:
In certain situations, it may be advantageous for the first arriving IC (i.e. Company Officer) to transfer Command to the next Company ON SCENE. This is indicated when:
- The initial commitment of the first arriving Company requires a full crew (i.e., high‐rise or an immediate rescue situation) and another Company or Command Officer is on the scene.
- When a Chief Officer arrives at the scene at the same time as the initial arriving Company, the Chief Officer should assume Command of the incident.
Transfer of Command:
Should a situation occur where a later arriving Company or Command officer cannot locate or communicate with Command (after several radio attempts), they will:
Assume and announce their assumption of Command and initiate whatever actions are necessary to confirm the safety of the missing crew.
Transfer of Command:
Within the chain of Command, the actual transfer of Command will be regulated by the following procedure:
- The officer assuming Command (IC #2) will communicate with the person being relieved (IC #1) by radio or face‐to‐face. Face‐to‐face is the preferred method to transfer Command.
- The person being relieved will brief the officer assuming Command indicating at least the following:
- General situation status:
- Incident conditions (fire location and extent, Hazmat spill or release, number of patients, etc.)
- Incident Management Plan. Completion of the Tactical Objectives.
- Safety considerations.
- Deployment and assignments of operating companies and personnel.
- Appraisals of need for additional resources.
- General situation status:
- When an incident becomes so large that an Incident Management Team (IMT) is requested, Command will not transfer to the IMT (Type I/III) unless a formal written Delegation of Authority has been signed by both the JHA and the IMT.
