When did the B.C. gov’t decide to adopt a single emergency management system? Why? Whats was it called?
- 1990’s
- A major fire in penticton resulting in mass property damage was the catalyst.
- Called Incident Command System (ICS)
What is command in fires?(Pats definition)
Effective management of issues or situations ensuring that sound decision making, and actions occur, supported with appropriate resources, effective planning and administration.
Why is ICS so effective?
- it is universal
- it is modular
- use of common terminology
- flexibility for “single” or “unified command”
What is span of control?
Refers to how many people or resources report to a single supervisor.
Whats the ideal span of control?
when do things start to get dangerous
5 personnel per supervisor
-can slow communication rate and overload the supervisor when there are more than 7 personnel assigned to him.
What 4 components complete the command section
Operations Section - doers/monitors
Planning Section - Compilers and Analysers
Logistics Section - Locators and Getters
Finance Section - Spenders and Admin
What are the incident Management Principles in order?
- Preserve human life
- Safety of Responders
- Safety of general public
- Protecting property
What is the wildland urban interface?
Boundary where forest and other wild land values meet with communities
Why is wildland urban interface important in fire management?
- people living in these communities are at potential risk
- communities are encroaching on wildlands more often
- Forested areas are being harvested near communities more often.
Some complex issues associated with interface are…
- special hazards to responders
- people and community saftey
- homes and assets
- access/egress issues
- Power/Gas/Telecom
- Community water supplies
- Industrial activity and Infrastructure
- Conflicting competing demands
Which agencies might you find at fire incidents?
Police,
Fire Dept,
BC forest service,
Ambulance
What is single command?
One agency is solely responsible for managing an incident. May require assistance.
Whats unified command?
Ex. Fire dept and BC forest service agree to co manage a fire due to complexity, duration and shared resource involvement.
