Situation Manual Insert Exercise Name

SITUATION MANUAL [INSERT EXERCISE NAME]

[INSERT EXERCISE TITLE]

[INSERT DATE OF EXERCISE HERE]

SITUATION MANUAL

This Situation Manual (SitMan) provides exercise participants with all the necessary tools for their roles in the exercise based on the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) and the Joint Commission (TJC). Some exercise material is intended for the exclusive use of exercise planners, facilitators, and evaluators, but players may view other materials that are necessary to their performance. All exercise participants may view the SitMan. [INSERT SPONSOR AGENCY NAME OR LOGO] FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 1 SITUATION MANUAL [INSERT EXERCISE NAME]

EXERCISE OVERVIEW

[Insert the formal name of exercise, which should match the name in the document title and the document header] [Insert the date(s) of the exercise]

[Insert the location(s) of the exercise]

This exercise is a [Insert exercise type-Table Top; Functional Exercise; Full Scale Exercise]. Exercise play is limited to [Insert applicable exercise parameters] [Insert applicable HSEEP Mission Areas - Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and/or Recovery]  Communications: Test the facility’s ability to communicate internally and with community partners, evaluating technology and Back Up systems. ( TJC EM.02.02.01 and HSEEP Operational Communications and Public Information and Warning)  Safety and Security: Test the coordination of security activities, and plans to manage access control, traffic control, hazardous materials and waste, and CBRN management. (TJC EM.02.02.05 and HSEEP On-Scene Safety and Security)  Patient and Clinical Support Activities: Test of how will manage patient care during an emergency incident. (Joint Commission EM.02.02.07 and HSEEP Operational Coordination)  Command and Management: Test of ability to provide coordination for an incident response within the facility, including activation of (Joint Commission and HSEEP) use of Incident Command System forms and resources. (TJC EM.01.01.01 and HSEEP Operational Coordination)  Resources and Assets Objective: Test of plans to manage and replenish personal protective equipment, water, fuel, and medical, surgical and medication – related resources and assets. (TJC EM.02.02.03 & HSEEP Planning, Public and Private Services Resources,)  Staff Responsibility Objective: Test to ensure that during an emergency staff (including physicians and volunteers) will be aware of their roles and responsibilities, and staffing resources will be managed. (TJC EM.02.02.07 & HSEEP Operational Coordination, Public Health and Medical Services)  Utility Management Objective: Test of primary and contingency plans to maintain communications, electricity, water, fuel, medical gas/vacuum, and other critical utilities during an incident. (TJC EM.02.02.09 & HSEEP On-Scene Security and Protection, Infrastructure Systems, Public and Private Services and Resource Systems). [Insert the threat or hazard (e.g. natural/earthquake, technological/cyberterrorism or human caused/active shooter)] [Insert the name of the sponsor organization, as well as any grant programs being utilized, if applicable] [Insert a brief bullet point summary of the participating agencies (i.e., Federal, State, local, Tribal, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and/or international agencies). [Insert a brief overview of the exercise scenario, including scenario impacts (2-3 sentences)] GENERAL EXERCISE INFORMATION

EXERCISE OBJECTIVES AND CORE CAPABILITIES

The following exercise objectives describe the expected outcomes for the exercise. The objectives are linked to core capabilities, which are distinct critical elements necessary to achieve the specific mission area(s). Designate a minimum of three (3) Core Capabilities to test based on needs and After Action findings from previous exercises and incidents. Then, set Organizational Capability Targets specific for what is to be tested. 1. Communications: Test the facility’s ability to communicate internally and with community partners, evaluating technology and Back Up systems. ( TJC EM.02.02.01 and HSEEP Operational Communications and Public Information and Warning) 2. Safety and Security: Test the coordination of security activities, and plans to manage access control, traffic control, hazardous materials and waste, and CBRN management. [INSERT SPONSOR AGENCY NAME OR LOGO] FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 2 SITUATION MANUAL [INSERT EXERCISE NAME]

(TJC EM.02.02.05 and HSEEP On-Scene Safety and Security) 3. Patient and Clinical Support Activities: Test of how will manage patient care during an emergency incident. (Joint Commission EM.02.02.07 and HSEEP Operational Coordination) 4. Command and Management: Test of ability to provide coordination for an incident response within the facility, including activation of Incident Command System positions, use of Incident Command System forms and resources. (TJC EM.01.01.01 and HSEEP Operational Coordination) 5. Resources and Assets Objective: Test of plans to manage and replenish personal protective equipment, water, fuel, and medical, surgical and medication – related resources and assets. (TJC EM.02.02.03 & HSEEP Planning, Public and Private Services Resources,) 6. Staff Responsibility Objective: Test to ensure that during an emergency staff (including physicians and volunteers) will be aware of their roles and responsibilities, and staffing resources will be managed. (TJC EM.02.02.07 & HSEEP Operational Coordination, Public Health and Medical Services) 7. Utility Management Objective: Test of primary and contingency plans to maintain communications, electricity, water, fuel, medical gas/vacuum, and other critical utilities during an incident. (TJC EM.02.02.09 & HSEEP On-Scene Security and Protection, Infrastructure Systems, Public and Private Services and Resource Systems). PARTICIPANT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The term participant encompasses many groups of people, not just those playing in the exercise. Groups of participants involved in the exercise, and their respective roles and responsibilities, are as follows:  Players. Players are personnel who have an active role in discussing or performing their regular roles and responsibilities during the exercise. Players discuss or initiate actions in response to the simulated emergency.  Observers. Observers do not directly participate in the exercise. However, they may support the development of player responses to the situation during the discussion by asking relevant questions or providing subject matter expertise.  Facilitators. Facilitators provide situation updates and moderate discussions. They also provide additional information or resolve questions as required. Key Exercise Planning Team members also may assist with facilitation as subject matter experts (SMEs) during the exercise.  Evaluators. Evaluators are assigned to observe and document certain objectives during the exercise. Their primary role is to document player discussions, including how and if those discussions conform to plans, polices, and procedures.

EXERCISE STRUCTURE This exercise will be a multimedia, facilitated exercise. Players will participate in the following [INSERT SPONSOR AGENCY NAME OR LOGO] FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 3 SITUATION MANUAL [INSERT EXERCISE NAME]

[insert number of modules] modules:  Module 1: [Insert module name]  Module 2: [Insert module name]  Module 3: [Insert module name]

Each module during the TTX begins with a multimedia update that summarizes key events occurring within that time period. After the updates, participants review the situation and engage in functional group discussions of appropriate response issues. [prevention, protection, mitigation, response, recovery] For this exercise, the functional groups are as follows:  [Functional group, e.g. Incident Command]  [Functional group, e.g. EMS]  [Functional group, e.g. Law Enforcement]  [Functional group, e.g. Fire Services] After these functional group discussions, participants will engage in a moderated discussion in which a spokesperson from each group will present a synopsis of the group’s actions, based on the scenario. EXERCISE GUIDELINES  This exercise will be held in an open, low-stress, no-fault environment. Varying viewpoints, even disagreements, are expected.  While discussion is encouraged, and disagreements are possible, professionalism and courtesy is expected at all times from all participants.  Respond to the scenario using your knowledge of current plans and capabilities (i.e., you may use only existing assets) and insights derived from your training.  Decisions are not precedent setting and may not reflect your organization’s final position on a given issue. This exercise is an opportunity to discuss and present multiple options and possible solutions.  Issue identification is not as valuable as suggestions and recommended actions that could improve prevention/protection efforts. Problem-solving efforts should be the focus. EXERCISE ASSUMPTIONS AND ARTIFICIALITIES In any exercise, assumptions and artificialities may be necessary to complete play in the time allotted and/or account for logistical limitations. Exercise participants should accept that assumptions and artificialities are inherent in any exercise, and should not allow these considerations to negatively impact their participation. During this exercise, the following apply:  The exercise is conducted in a no-fault learning environment wherein capabilities, plans, systems, and processes will be evaluated.  The exercise scenario is plausible, and events occur as they are presented.  All players receive information at the same time.

[INSERT SPONSOR AGENCY NAME OR LOGO] FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 4 SITUATION MANUAL [INSERT EXERCISE NAME]

EXERCISE EVALUATION Evaluation of the exercise is based on the exercise objectives and aligned capabilities, capability targets, and critical tasks, which are documented in Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs). Evaluators have EEGs for each of their assigned areas. Additionally, players will be asked to complete participant feedback forms. These documents, coupled with facilitator observations and notes, will be used to evaluate the exercise and compile the After-Action Report (AAR).

FACILITATOR INSTRUCTIONS Facilitators provide situation updates and moderate discussions; they lead the TTX and guide participants through the questions and discussions. Facilitators also provide additional information or resolve questions as needed. HANDOUTS

Provide all TTX players with the following handouts:  Participant Feedback Form  Printed PowerPoint education presentation (3 slides per page) for note taking  Participation certificate

OPENING THE EXERCISE  Begin by having everyone in the exercise introduce themselves and their role.  Review the layout of the facility (restrooms, etc.)  Remind participants to “silence the device”  Remind all participants that exercises of this type are most useful when they are treated as real; everyone should respond and answer questions as if this was a real-life incident.  Remind participants that they can ask clarifying questions at any time.  Remind participants to remain professional and courteous at all times.

CONDUCTING THE EXERCISE

 Read each scenario update.  Players should address most of the listed questions during the discussions and may take notes on decisions made and lessons learned for the debriefing at the end of the meeting.  Attempt to stay on schedule; however, if questions spark productive conversations about key issues, remain flexible.  If conversations become too detailed, combative, or unproductive, place the issue in a “parking lot,” and direct the involved participants to continue the conversation after the exercise.

CLOSING THE EXERCISE (“HOT WASH”)

 Review the Debriefing Questions with the entire group.  Remind all participants to complete the Participant Feedback Form.  Collect all exercise documentation, including Participant Feedback Forms, note sheets and any notes taken by scribes.

EXERCISE MODULES

MODULE 1: [INSERT MODULE NAME]

Scenario

[Month, Day, Year]: [Time] [Provide scenario event details, including any relevant locations and persons/groups involved in the scenario.]

Key Issues  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]

Questions Based on the information provided, participate in the discussion concerning the issues raised in Module 1. Identify any critical issues, decisions, requirements, or questions that should be addressed at this time. The following questions are provided as suggested subjects that you may wish to address as the discussion progresses. These questions are not meant to constitute a definitive list of concerns to be addressed, nor is there a requirement to address every question.

[Functional Group] 1. [List suggested discussion questions. Questions should be developed by the Exercise Planning Team with input from the Evaluators. Questions should be structured to help Evaluators collect data on the capability targets and critical tasks in the EEGs.] 2. [Provide suggested discussion questions.] 3. [Provide suggested discussion questions.]

1. MODULE 2: [INSERT MODULE NAME]

2. Scenario

3. [Month, Day, Year]: [Time] 4. [Provide scenario event details, including any relevant locations and persons/groups involved in the scenario.]

9. Key Issues  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]

10. Questions 11. Based on the information provided, participate in the discussion concerning the issues raised in Module 2. Identify any critical issues, decisions, requirements, or questions that should be addressed at this time. 12. The following questions are provided as suggested subjects that you may wish to address as the discussion progresses. These questions are not meant to constitute a definitive list of concerns to be addressed, nor is there a requirement to address every question.

13. [Functional Group] 1. [List suggested discussion questions. Questions should be developed by the Exercise 14. Planning Team with input from the Evaluators. Questions should be structured to help 15. Evaluators collect data on the capability targets and critical tasks in the EEGs.] 2. [Provide suggested discussion questions.] 3. [Provide suggested discussion questions.]

16. 17.

[INSERT SPONSOR AGENCY NAME OR LOGO] FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 8 18. MODULE 3: [INSERT MODULE NAME]

19. Scenario

26. Key Issues  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]  [Summarize the key scenario events provided in this module.]

27. Questions 28. Based on the information provided, participate in the discussion concerning the issues raised in Module 3. Identify any critical issues, decisions, requirements, or questions that should be addressed at this time. 29. The following questions are provided as suggested subjects that you may wish to address as the discussion progresses. These questions are not meant to constitute a definitive list of concerns to be addressed, nor is there a requirement to address every question.

30. [Functional Group] 1. [List suggested discussion questions. Questions should be developed by the Exercise 31. Planning Team with input from the Evaluators. Questions should be structured to help 32. Evaluators collect data on the capability targets and critical tasks in the EEGs.] 2. [Provide suggested discussion questions.] 3. [Provide suggested discussion questions.] 33.

34. APPENDIX A: SAMPLE EXERCISE SCHEDULE 35. Note: Because this information is updated throughout the exercise planning process, appendices may be developed as stand-alone documents rather than part of the SitMan.

36. Time 37. Activity 38. 39. [Month Day, Year] 40. 00:00 41. Registration 42. 00:00 43. Welcome and Opening Remarks 44. 00:00 45. Module 1: Briefing, Caucus Discussion. and Brief-Back 46. 00:00 47. Break 48. 00:00 49. Module 2: Briefing, Caucus Discussion, and Brief-Back 50. 00:00 51. Lunch 52. 00:00 53. Module 3: Briefing, Caucus Discussion, and Brief-Back 54. 00:00 55. Break 56. 00:00 57. Hotwash 58. 00:00 59. Closing Comments 60. 61. 62. APPENDIX B - EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS SIGN-IN SHEET

63. [INSERT EXERCISE NAME AND DATE OF EXERCISE] 64. Name (Print) 65. RN/EMT/Paramedic 66. Department/Agency 67. Signature License Number (if applicable 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139.

140. 141. APPENDIX C - PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK FORM

14 143. 144. 145. 2. Job N Titl e: 146 147. . F a c i l i t y : 148. Part I: Strengths 149. Based on the discussions today, what did you find most helpful? 1 151. 5 0. 1. 1 153. 5 2. 2. 1 155. 5 4. 3. 156. Part II: Recommendations 157. What changes would you make to this training? Please provide any recommendations on how this training or future trainings could be improved or enhanced. 158. 159. 160. 161. Part III: Documentation 162. List policies and procedures, forms or other incident management documents that should be reviewed, revised, or developed. Indicate the priority level for each. 163. Item for Review 164. Priority 165. 166.

167. 168. 163. Item for Review 164. Priority

169. 170.

171. Part IV: Assessment of Training Design and Conduct 172. Please rate, on a scale of 1 to 5, your overall assessment of the training relative to the statements provided below: (1 = strong agreement; 5 = strong disagreement)

174. 175. 173. Assessment Factor Disagre Agree e 1 1 1 1 1 7 7 7 8 8 176. The training was well structured and organized. 7 8 9 0 1 . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 1 1 1 8 8 8 8 8 182. The tabletop scenario was plausible and realistic. 3 4 5 6 7 . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 1 1 1 8 9 9 9 9 188. The facilitator was knowledgeable about the material, 9 0 1 2 3 kept the training on target, and was sensitive to group dynamics...... 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 1 1 1 9 9 9 9 9 194. The handouts were helpful. 5 6 7 8 9 . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 200. Participation in the training was appropriate for someone 1 2 3 4 5 in my position...... 1 2 3 4 5 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 206. The participants included the right people in terms of 7 8 9 0 1 level and mix of disciplines...... 1 2 3 4 5 212. Part V: Comments 213. 214. 215. 216. 217. Please Use Reverse Side for Any Additional Comments 218. 219. APPENDIX D: ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY

220. Acronyms:

221. 222. Term Acronym 223. 224. After Action Report AAR 225. 226. Alternate Care Sites ACS 227. 228. Advanced Life Support ALS 229. 230. American Red Cross ARC 231. 232. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS) ASPR 233. 234. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ATSDR 235. 236. Basic Life Support BLS 237. 238. California Association of Health Facilities CAHF 239. 240. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives CBRNE 241. 242. Closed Circuit Television CCTV 243. 244. Center for Domestic Preparedness CDP 245. 246. Certified Emergency Manager CEM 247. 248. Chief Executive Officer CEO 249. 250. Continuing Education Unit CEU 251. 252. Continuity Guidance Circular 1 (FEMA) CGC 1 253. 254. Certification in Hospital Emergency Management CHEM 255. 256. Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional CHEP 257. 258. Chemical Transportation Emergency Center CHEMTR EC 259. 260. Continuing Medical Education CME 261. 262. Continuity of Operations COOP 263. 264. Comprehensive Preparedness Guide CPG 265. 266. Computed Tomography CT 267. 268. Disaster Medical Assistance Team DMAT 269. 270. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team DMORT 271. 272. Emergency Credential Level ECL 273. 274. Emergency Management Agency EMA 275. 276. Emergency Management Institute (FEMA) EMI 277. 278. Electromechanical Pulse EMP 279. 280. Emergency Medical Services EMS 281. 282. Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act EMTALA 283. 284. Emergency Operations Center EOC 285. 286. Emergency Operations Plan EOP 287. 288. Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health ESAR- Professionals VHP 289. 290. Emergency Support Function 8 – Public Health and Medical Services ESF #8 291. 292. Family Assistance Center FAC 293. 294. Federal Communications Commission FCC 295. 296. Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA 297. 298. Federal Medical Station FMS 299. 300. Field Operations Guide FOG 301. 302. Hazardous Materials HazMat 303. 304. Hospital Command Center(s) HCC(s) 305. 306. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS 307. 308. Hospital Incident Command System HICS 309. 310. Hospital Incident Management Team HIMT 311. 312. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA 313. 314. Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program HSEEP 315. 316. Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD 317. 318. Hazard Vulnerability Analysis HVA 319. 320. Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning HVAC 321. 322. Incident Action Plan IAP 323. 324. Incident Command or Incident Commander IC 325. 326. Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management ICDRM 327. 328. Incident Command Post ICP 329. 330. Incident Command System ICS 331. 332. Intensive Care Unit ICU 333. 334. Incident Management Team IMT 335. 336. Information Technology/Information Services IT/IS 337. 338. Institute of Medicine IOM 339. 340. Improvement Plan IP 341. 342. Incident Planning Guide IPG 343. 344. Incident Response Guide IRG 345. 346. Job Action Sheet JAS 347. 348. Joint Information Center JIC 349. 350. Joint Information System JIS 351. 352. Multi-Agency Coordination MAC 353. 354. Multi-Agency Coordination System MACS 355. 356. Management by Objectives MBO 357. 358. Mobile Field Hospitals MFH 359. 360. Memorandum of Understanding MOU 361. 362. Medical Reserve Corps MRC 363. 364. Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI 365. 366. Material Safety Data Sheet MSDS 367. 368. Net Control NC 369. 370. National Disaster Medical System NDMS 371. 372. National Fire Protection Association NFPA 373. 374. Nursing Home Incident Command System NHICS 375. 376. National Incident Management System NIMS 377. 378. National Response Framework NRF 379. 380. National Veterinary Response Team NVRT 381. 382. Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA 383. 384. Presidential Policy Directive PPD 385. 386. Public Information Officer PIO 387. 388. Point of Dispensing (Pharmaceutical) or Distribution (Non-Pharmaceutical) POD 389. 390. Personal Protective Equipment PPE 391. 392. Recognize, Activate, Isolate, Notify RAIN 393. 394. Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site REAC/TS 395. 396. Radiation Emergency Medical Management REMM 397. 398. Regional Hospital Coordination Center RHCC 399. 400. Registered Nurse RN 401. 402. Sort, Assess, Lifesaving Interventions, Treatment/Transport SALT 403. 404. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome SARS 405. 406. Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time Sensitive SMART 407. 408. Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment START 409. 410. Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment THIRA 411. 412. Unified Command UC 413. 415. Veterans Health Administration VHA 416. Viral Hemorrhagic Fever 414. VHF 417. 418. Voice Over Internet Protocol VOIP 419. 420. Glossary: 421. 422. Activate: To begin the process of mobilizing a response team, or to set in motion an emergency 423. operations (response) or recovery plan, process, or procedure in response to incident or exercise. 424. An activation may be partial (stipulating the components of the EOP to activate, or some 425. indication of the level of commitment to be made by the notified entity) or full (stipulating 426. activation of the notified entity’s entire EOP) 427. 428. Activation Notification: A notification category that provides urgent information about an 429. unusual occurrence or threat of occurrence, and orders or recommends that the notified entity 430. activate its emergency response (usually via its emergency operations plan). An activation 431. notification may indicate a partial or full activation (see “Activate”). It usually includes actionable 432. information directing the notified entity on initial actions for mobilization, deployment, and/or 433. response (See “Advisory”, “Alert” and “Update” for contrast with other notification categories.) 434. 435. Advisory: A notification category that provides urgent information about an unusual occurrence 436. or threat of an occurrence, but no activation of the notified entity is ordered or expected at that 437. time. The advisory notification may convey actionable information for individual personnel even 438. though the response entity is not being activated or directed to address any specific 439. organizational activity. For example, a weather advisory that includes recommended actions for 440. individuals. (See “Alert”, “Activation” and “Update” for contrast with other notification 441. categories.) 442. 443. After‐Action Report (AAR): The AAR summarizes key exercise‐related evaluation information, 444. including the exercise overview and analysis of objectives and core capabilities. The AAR is 445. usually developed in conjunction with an Improvement Plan (IP). 446. 447. Agency: A division of government with a specific function offering a particular kind of assistance. 448. In the ICS, agencies are defined either as jurisdictional (having statutory responsibility for 449. incident management) or as assisting or cooperating (providing resources or other assistance). 450. Governmental organizations are most often in charge of an incident, though in certain 451. circumstances private sector organizations may be included. Additionally, nongovernmental 452. organizations may be included to provide support. 453. 454. Agency, Assisting: An agency or organization providing personnel, services, or other resources to 455. the agency with direct responsibility for incident management. 3 (See “Supporting Agency”) 456. 457. Agency, Cooperating: An agency supplying assistance other than direct operational or support 458. functions or resources to the incident management effort. 459. 460. Agency, Supporting: An agency that provides support and/or resource assistance to another 461. agency. (See “Assisting Agency”) 462. 463. Agency Administrator/Executive: The official responsible for administering policy for an agency 464. or jurisdiction. An Agency Administrator/Executive (or other public official with jurisdictional 465. responsibility for the incident) usually makes the decision to establish an Area Command. 466. 467. Agency Dispatch: The agency or jurisdictional facility from which resources are sent to incidents. 468. 469. Agency Representative: A person assigned by a primary, assisting, or cooperating Federal, 470. State, tribal, or local government agency, or nongovernmental or private organization, that has 471. been delegated authority to make decisions affecting that agency’s or organization’s 472. participation in incident management activities following appropriate consultation with the 473. leadership of that agency. 474. 475. Alert: A notification category between “Advisory” and “Activation” that provides urgent 476. information and indicates that system action may be necessary. An alert can be used for initial 477. notification that incident activation is likely, and for ongoing notification throughout an incident 478. to convey incident information and directed or recommended actions (see “Advisory” – “Alert” – 479. “Activation” for contrast between the other notification categories). 480. 481. All‐Hazards: Describing an incident, natural or manmade, that warrants action to protect life, 482. property, environment, public health or safety, and minimize disruptions of government, social, 483. or economic activities. 484. 485. Allocated Resources: Resources dispatched to an incident. 486. 487. American Red Cross: The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers 488. and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red 489. Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, 490. and respond to emergencies. 491. 492. Area Command: An organization established to oversee the management of multiple incidents 493. that are each being handled by a separate ICS organization or to oversee the management of a 494. very large or evolving incident that has multiple Incident Management Teams engaged. An 495. Agency Administrator/Executive or other public official with jurisdictional responsibility for the 496. incident usually makes the decision to establish an Area Command. An Area Command is 497. activated only if necessary, depending on the complexity of the incident and incident 498. management span‐of‐control considerations. 499. 500. Assigned Resource: Resource checked in and assigned work tasks on an incident.3 501. 502. Assignment: Task given to a personnel resource to perform within a given operational period 503. that is based on operational objectives defined in the Incident Action Plan. 504. 505. 506. 507. Assistant: Title for subordinates of principal Command Staff positions. The title indicates a level 508. of technical capability, qualifications, and responsibility subordinate to the primary positions. 509. Assistants may also be assigned to Unit Leaders. 510. 511. Authority: The power or right to give orders and/or to make decisions. Authority may be 512. delegated from one entity to another. 513. 514. Available Resource: Resource assigned to an incident, checked in, and available for a mission 515. assignment, normally located in a Staging Area. 516. 517. Branch: The organizational level having functional or geographical responsibility for major 518. aspects of incident operations. A Branch is organizationally situated between the Section Chief 519. and the Division or Group in the Operations Section, and between the Section and Units in the 520. Logistics Section. Branches are identified by the use of Roman numerals or by functional area. 521. 522. Camp: A geographical site within the general incident area (separate from the Incident Base) that 523. is equipped and staffed to provide sleeping, food, water, and sanitary services to incident 524. personnel. 525. 526. Chain of Command: The orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident management 527. organization. 528. 529. Check‐In: The process through which resources first report to an incident. All responders, 530. regardless of agency affiliation, must report in to receive an assignment in accordance with the 531. procedures established by the Incident Commander. 532. 533. Chief: The ICS title for individuals responsible for management of functional Sections: 534. Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration, and Intelligence/Investigations (if 535. established as a separate Section). 536. 537. Chief Executive Officer (CEO): A common title for the senior‐most decision maker (other than a 538. board of directors or equivalent) in private and non‐governmental organizations. 539. 540. Command: The act of directing, ordering, or controlling by virtue of explicit statutory, regulatory, 541. or delegated authority. 542. 543. Command Staff: The staff that report directly to the Incident Commander, including the Public 544. Information Officer, Safety Officer, Liaison Officer, and other positions as required. They may 545. have an assistant or assistants, as needed.3 546. 547. Common Operating Picture: An overview of an incident by all relevant parties that provides 548. incident information enabling the Incident Commander/Unified Command and any supporting 549. agencies and organizations to make effective, consistent, and timely decisions. 550. 551. Common Terminology: Normally used words and phrases—avoiding the use of different 552. words/phrases for same concepts—to ensure consistency and to allow diverse incident 553. management and support organizations to work together across a wide variety of incident 554. management functions and hazard scenarios. 555. 556. Communications/Dispatch Center: Agency or interagency dispatch centers, 911 call centers, 557. emergency control or command dispatch centers, or any naming convention given to the facility 558. and staff that handles emergency calls from the public and communication with emergency 559. management/response personnel. 560. 561. Community: A political entity that has the authority to adopt and enforce laws and ordinances 562. for the area under its jurisdiction. In most cases, the community is an incorporated town, city, 563. township, village, or unincorporated area of a county. Each State defines its own political 564. subdivisions and forms of government. 565. 566. Coordinate: To advance an analysis and exchange of information systematically among principals 567. who have or may have a need to know certain information to carry out specific incident 568. management responsibilities. 569. 570. Corporate Healthcare System: A collection of healthcare organizations owned by a corporate 571. parent organization. 572. 573. Corrective Action: The concrete, actionable steps outlined in an Improvement Plan (IP) that are 574. intended to resolve preparedness gaps and shortcomings experienced in exercises or real‐world 575. events. 576. 577. Crisis Standards of Care: The level of care possible during a disaster due to limitations in 578. supplies, staff, environment or other factors. 579. 580. Demobilization: The orderly, safe, and efficient return of an incident resource to its original 581. location and status. 582. 583. Department Operations Center (DOC): An emergency operations center (EOC) specific to a single 584. department or agency. Its focus is on internal agency incident management and response. DOCs 585. are often linked to and, in most cases, are physically represented in a combined agency EOC by 586. authorized agent(s) for the department or agency. 587. 588. Deputy: A fully qualified individual who, in the absence of a superior, can be delegated the 589. authority to manage a functional operation or perform a specific task. In some cases a deputy 590. can act as relief for a superior, and therefore must be fully qualified in the position. Deputies 591. generally can be assigned to the Incident Commander, General Staff, and Branch Directors. 592. 593. Director: The ICS title for individuals responsible for supervision of a Branch. 594. 595. Division: The organizational level having responsibility for operations within a defined 596. geographic area. Divisions are established when the number of resources exceeds the 597. manageable span of control of the Section Chief. 598. 599. Emergency: Any incident, whether natural or manmade, that requires responsive action to 600. protect life or property. Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 601. Act, an emergency means any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the 602. President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to 603. save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of 604. a catastrophe in any part of the United States. 605. 606. Emergency Assistance: Assistance which may be made available under an emergency 607. declaration. In general, Federal support to State and local efforts to save lives, protect property 608. and public health and safety, and lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. 609. 610. 611. 612. 613. Emergency Declaration (Federal): A declaration by the President of the United States based 614. upon criteria and authority described in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 615. Assistance Act, as amended. This declaration is more limited in scope and without the long‐term 616. Federal recovery programs of a major disaster declaration. Generally, Federal assistance and 617. funding are provided to meet a specific emergency need or to help prevent a major disaster from 618. occurring. 619. 620. Emergency Management Committee (EMC): A committee established by an organization that 621. has the responsibility for EMP oversight within the organization. As such, the committee would 622. normally have the responsibility to ensure the overall preparation, implementation, evaluation 623. and currency of the EMP. 624. 625. Emergency Management Program (EMP): A program that implements and sustains the mission, 626. vision, and strategic emergency management goals and objectives of the organization. It 627. provides the management framework for the EM program and defines EM’s role within the 628. larger organization. The EM program promotes a balanced comprehensive approach that 629. incorporates mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery into a fully integrated set of 630. activities. The “program” applies to all departments and functional units within the organization 631. that have roles in responding to a potential or actual emergency. 632. 633. Emergency Management/Response Personnel: Includes Federal, State, territorial, tribal, 634. substate regional, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), private sector 635. organizations; critical infrastructure owners and operators, and all other organizations and 636. individuals who assume an emergency management role. Also known as emergency or first 637. responder. 638. 639. Emergency Manager: The person who has day‐to‐day responsibility for emergency management 640. programs and activities. 641. 642. Emergency Program Manager (EPM): The individual primarily responsible for developing, 643. implementing and maintaining a healthcare organization’s emergency management program. 644. See “Emergency Manager.” 645. 646. Emergency Operations Center (EOC): The physical location at which the coordination of 647. information and resources to support incident management (on‐scene operations) activities 648. normally takes place. An EOC may be a temporary facility or may be located in a more central or 649. permanently established facility, perhaps at a higher level of organization within a jurisdiction. 650. EOCs may be organized by major functional disciplines (e.g., fire, law enforcement, medical 651. services), by jurisdiction (e.g., Federal, State, regional, tribal, city, county), or some combination 652. thereof. 653. 654. Emergency Operations Plan: An ongoing plan for responding to a wide variety of potential 655. hazards. 656. 657. Emergency Support Function #8: Public Health and Medical Services provides the mechanism for 658. coordinated Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal and local resources in response to a 659. public health and medical disaster, potential or actual incidents requiring a coordinated Federal 660. response, and/or during a developing potential public health and medical emergency. 661. 662. Exercise: An exercise is an instrument to train for, assess, practice, and improve performance in 663. prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery capabilities in a risk‐free 664. environment. Exercises can be used for testing and validating policies, plans , procedures, 665. training, equipment, and interagency agreements; clarifying and training personnel in roles and 666. responsibilities; improving interagency coordination and communications; improving individual 667. performance; identifying gaps in resources; and identifying opportunities for improvement. 668. 669. Field Operations Guide: (FOG) Durable pocket or desk guide that contains essential information 670. required to perform specific assignments or functions. 671. 672. Finance/Administration Section: The Incident Command System Section responsible for all 673. administrative and financial considerations surrounding an incident. 674. 675. First Receivers: Employees at a hospital engaged in decontamination and treatment of victims 676. who have been contaminated by a hazardous substance(s) during an emergency incident. The 677. incident occurs at a site other than the hospital. These employees are a subset of first 678. responders. 679. First Responders: Refers to individuals who in the early stages of an incident are responsible for 680. the protection and preservation of life, property, evidence, and the environment, including 681. emergency response providers as defined in Section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 682. U.S.C. 101). It includes emergency management, public health, clinical care, public works, and 683. other skilled support personnel (e.g., equipment operators) who provide immediate support 684. services during prevention, response, and recovery operations. 685. 686. Full‐Scale Exercise (FSE): FSEs are typically the most complex and resource‐intensive type of 687. exercise. They involve multiple agencies, organizations and jurisdictions and validate many facets 688. of preparedness. FSEs often include many players operating under cooperative systems such as 689. the Incident Command System or Unified Command. 690. 691. Function: One of the five major activities in ICS: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and 692. Finance/Administration. A sixth function, Intelligence/Investigations, may be established, if 693. required, to meet incident management needs. The term function is also used when describing 694. the activity involved (e.g., the planning function). 695. 696. Functional Exercise (FE): Functional exercises are designed to validate and evaluate capabilities, 697. multiple functions and/or sub‐functions, or interdependent groups of functions. FEs are typically 698. focused on exercising plans, policies, procedures, and staff members involved in management, 699. direction, command, and control functions. In Fes, events are projected through an exercise 700. scenario with event updates that drive activity at the management level. An FE is conducted in a 701. realistic, real‐time environment; however, movement of personnel and equipment is usually 702. simulated. 703. 704. General Staff: A group of incident management personnel organized according to function and 705. reporting to the Incident Commander. The General Staff normally consists of the Operations 706. Section Chief, Planning Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and Finance/Administration Section 707. Chief. An Intelligence/Investigations Chief may be established, if required, to meet incident 708. management needs. 709. 710. Group: An organizational subdivision established to divide the incident management structure 711. into functional areas of operation. Groups are composed of resources assembled to perform a 712. special function not necessarily within a single geographic division. 713. 714. Hazard: Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted 715. outcome. 716. 717. 718. Hazard Probability: The estimated likelihood that a hazard will occur in a particular area. 719. 720. Hazard Risk: A quantitative product of the probability of a hazard occurring and the projected 721. consequence of the impact. 722. 723. Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA): A systematic approach to identifying all hazards that may 724. affect an organization and/or its community, assessing the risk (probability of hazard occurrence 725. and the consequence for the organization) associated with each hazard and analyzing the 726. findings to create a prioritized comparison of hazard vulnerabilities. The consequence, or 727. “vulnerability,” is related to both the impact on organizational function and the likely service 728. demands created by the hazard impact. 729. 730. 731. Healthcare Coalition: A collaborative network of healthcare organizations and their respective 732. public and private sector response partners that serve as a multi‐agency coordination group to 733. assist with preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation activities related to healthcare 734. organization disaster operations. During response, healthcare coalitions should represent 735. healthcare organizations by providing multi‐agency coordination in order to provide advice on 736. decisions made by incident management regarding information and resource coordination for 737. healthcare organizations. This includes either a response role as part of a multi‐agency 738. coordination group to assist incident management (area command/unified command) with 739. decisions, or through coordinated plans to guide decisions regarding healthcare organization 740. support. 741. 742. Healthcare Facility: Any asset where point‐of‐service medical care is regularly provided or 743. provided during an incident. It includes hospitals, integrated healthcare systems, private 744. physician offices, outpatient clinics, long‐term care facilities and other medical care 745. configurations. During an incident response, alternative medical care facilities and sites where 746. definitive medical care is provided by EMS and other field personnel would be included in this 747. definition. 748. 749. Healthcare System: A collection of a community’s healthcare organizations 750. 751. Healthcare System Resiliency: The ability to maintain operational continuity, or the ability to 752. maintain mission critical business operations and regular healthcare services despite the effects 753. of a hazard impact. 754. 755. Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP): HSEEP is a program that provides a set of guiding principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to exercise 756. program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement 757. planning. 758. 759. Hospital Command Center (HCC): A designated location in the hospital prepared to convene and 760. coordinate response activities, resources, and information during an emergency or disaster. 761. 762. Improvement Plan (IP): The IP identifies specific corrective actions, assigns them to responsible 763. parties, and establishes target dates for their completion. The IP is developed in conjunction with 764. the After‐Action Report. 765. 766. Incident: An occurrence, natural or manmade, that requires a response to protect life or 767. property. Incidents can, for example, include major disasters, emergencies, terrorist attacks, 768. terrorist threats, civil unrest, wildland and urban fires, floods, hazardous materials spills, nuclear 769. accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, tsunamis, war related disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and other occurrences requiring an 770. emergency response. 771. 772. Incident Action Plan: An oral or written plan containing general objectives reflecting the overall 773. strategy for managing an incident. It may include the identification of operational resources and 774. assignments. It may also include attachments that provide direction and important information 775. for management of the incident during one or more operational periods. 776. 777. Incident Base: The location at which primary Logistics functions for an incident are coordinated 778. and administered. There is only one Base per incident. (Incident name or other designator will be 779. added to the term Base.) The Incident Command Post may be co‐located with the Base. 780. Incident Command: The ICS organizational element responsible for overall management of the 781. incident and consisting of the Incident Commander (either single or unified command structure) 782. and any assigned supporting staff. 783. 784. Incident Command Post (ICP): The field location where the primary functions are performed. The 785. ICP may be co‐located with the Incident Base or other incident facilities. 786. 787. Incident Command System (ICS): A standardized on‐scene emergency management construct 788. specifically designed to provide for the adoption of an integrated organizational structure that 789. reflects the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents, without being hindered by 790. jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, 791. and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the 792. management of resources during incidents. It is used for all kinds of emergencies and is 793. applicable to small as well as large and complex incidents. ICS is used by various jurisdictions and 794. functional agencies, both public and private, to organize field‐level incident management 795. operations. 796. 797. Incident Commander (IC): The individual responsible for all incident activities, including the 798. development of strategies and tactics and the ordering and the release of resources. The IC has 799. overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations and is responsible for the 800. management of all incident operations at the incident site. 801. 802. Incident Management: The broad spectrum of activities and organizations providing effective 803. and efficient operations, coordination, and support applied at all levels of government, utilizing 804. both governmental and nongovernmental resources to plan for, respond to, and recover from an 805. incident, regardless of cause, size, or complexity.3 806. 807. Incident Management Team (IMT): An Incident Commander and the appropriate Command and 808. General Staff personnel assigned to an incident. The level of training and experience of the IMT 809. members, coupled with the identified formal response requirements and responsibilities of the 810. IMT, are factors in determining “type”, or level, IMT. 811. 812. Incident Objectives: Statements of guidance and direction needed to select appropriate 813. strategy(s) and the tactical direction of resources. Incident objectives are based on realistic 814. expectations of what can be accomplished when all allocated resources have been effectively 815. deployed. Incident objectives must be achievable and measurable, yet flexible enough to allow 816. strategic and tactical alternatives. 817. 818. 819. Incident Planning Guides and Incident Response Guides: Guidance documents whose purpose is to prompt the healthcare facility to review their own plans relative to incident planning and 820. response. The scenarios and planning/response considerations provided are not meant to be 821. exhaustive; each hospital should build and/or modify IPG/IRGs based on their HVA. 822. 823. Information Management: The collection, organization, and control over the structure, 824. processing, and delivery of information from one or more sources and distribution to one or 825. more audiences who have a stake in that information. 826. 827. Job Action Sheets (JAS): Guidance documents for each HICS Command and General staff position 828. to assist with describing the position’s responsibilities, reporting relationship, needed forms, and 829. potential action steps based on time period. 830. Joint Information Center (JIC): A facility established to coordinate all incident‐related public 831. information activities. It is the central point of contact for all news media. Public information 832. officials from all participating agencies should co‐locate at the JIC. 833. 834. Joint Information System: A structure that integrates incident information and public affairs into 835. a cohesive organization designed to provide consistent, coordinated, accurate, accessible, timely, 836. and complete information during crisis or incident operations. The mission of the JIS is to provide 837. a structure and system for developing and delivering coordinated interagency messages; 838. developing, recommending, and executing public information plans and strategies on behalf of 839. the Incident Commander (IC); advising the IC concerning public affairs issues that could affect a 840. response effort; and controlling rumors and inaccurate information that could undermine public 841. confidence in the emergency response effort. 842. 843. Jurisdiction: A range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an incident 844. related to their legal responsibilities and authority. Jurisdictional authority at an incident can be 845. political or geographical (e.g., Federal, State, tribal, and local boundary lines) or functional (e.g., 846. law enforcement, public health). 847. 848. Jurisdictional Agency: The agency having jurisdiction and responsibility for a specific 849. geographical area, or a mandated function. 850. 851. Liaison: A form of communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and 852. cooperation. 853. 854. Liaison Officer: A member of the Command Staff responsible for coordinating with 855. representatives from cooperating and assisting agencies or organizations. 856. 857. Local Government: Public entities responsible for the security and welfare of a designated area 858. as established by law. A county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, special 859. district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of 860. governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate 861. government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; an Indian tribe or 862. authorized tribal entity, or in Alaska a Native village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; a 863. rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity. See Section 2 (10), 864. Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107, 296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002). 865. 866. Logistics: The process and procedure for providing resources and other services to support 867. incident management. 868. 869. 870. Logistics Section: The ICS Section responsible for providing facilities, services, and material 871. support for the incident. 872. 873. Major Disaster: As defined under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 874. Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), a major disaster is any natural catastrophe (including any 875. hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, wind‐driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, 876. volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, 877. flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President 878. causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under 879. this Act to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, tribes, local governments, 880. and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused 881. thereby. 882. Major Disaster Declaration (Federal): A declaration by the President of the United States based 883. upon criteria and authority described in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 884. Assistance Act, as amended. The Presidential declaration of a major disaster is warranted when a 885. hazard impact “causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant Federal disaster 886. assistance to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and 887. the disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering.” Funding 888. comes from the President's Disaster Relief Fund, which is managed by FEMA, and the disaster aid 889. programs of other participating Federal departments and agencies. A Presidential major disaster 890. declaration triggers long‐term Federal recovery programs, some of which are matched by State 891. programs, and designed to help disaster victims, businesses, and public entities. 892. 893. Management by Objectives (MBO): A management approach that involves a five‐step process 894. for achieving the incident goal. The Management by Objectives approach includes the following: 895. establishing overarching incidents objectives; developing strategies based on overarching 896. incidents objectives; developing and issuing assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols; 897. establishing specific, measurable tactics or tasks for various incident management, functional 898. activities, and directing efforts to attain them, in support of defined strategies; and documenting 899. results to measure performance and facilitate corrective action. 900. 901. Manager: Individual within an ICS organizational unit who is assigned specific managerial 902. responsibilities (e.g., Staging Area Manager or Camp Manager). 903. 904. Medical‐Technical Specialist: Persons with specialized expertise in areas such as infectious 905. disease, legal affairs, risk management, medical ethics, etc., who may be asked to provide the 906. HIMT staff with needed insight and recommendations. Medical‐Technical Specialists may be 907. assigned anywhere in the HICS structure as needed. 908. 909. Mitigation: The capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact 910. of disasters. 911. 912. Mobilization: The process and procedures used by all organizations ‐‐ Federal, State, tribal, and 913. local ‐‐ for activating, assembling, and transporting all resources that have been requested to 914. respond to or support an incident. 915. 916. 917. 918. 919. 920. 921. Multi‐Agency Coordination (MAC) Group: A group of administrators or executives, or their 922. appointed representatives, who are typically authorized to commit agency resources and funds. 923. A MAC Group can provide coordinated decision making and resource allocation among 924. cooperating agencies, and may establish the priorities among incidents, harmonize agency 925. policies, and provide strategic guidance and direction to support incident management activities. 926. MAC Groups may also be known as multiagency committees, emergency management 927. committees, or as otherwise defined by the Multiagency Coordination System. 928. 929. Multi‐Agency Coordination System(s) (MACS): Multiagency coordination systems provide the 930. architecture to support coordination for incident prioritization, critical resource allocation, 931. communications systems integration, and information coordination. The elements of 932. multiagency coordination systems include facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and 933. communications. Two of the most commonly used elements are emergency operations centers 934. and MAC Groups. These systems assist agencies and organizations responding to an incident.3 935. 936. Multi‐Jurisdictional Incident: An incident requiring action from multiple agencies that each have 937. jurisdiction to manage certain aspects of an incident. In the ICS, these incidents will be managed 938. under Unified Command. 939. 940. Mutual Aid or Assistance Agreement: Written or oral agreement between and among 941. agencies/organizations and/or jurisdictions that provides a mechanism to quickly obtain 942. emergency assistance in the form of personnel, equipment, materials, and other associated 943. services. The primary objective is to facilitate rapid, short‐term deployment of emergency 944. support prior to, during, and/or after an incident. 945. 946. National Disaster Medical System (NDMS): A federally coordinated system that augments the 947. Nation's medical response capability. The overall purpose of the NDMS is to establish a single, 948. integrated national medical response capability for assisting State and local authorities in dealing 949. with the medical impacts of major peacetime disasters. NDMS, under Emergency Support 950. Function #8 – Public Health and Medical Services, supports Federal agencies in the management 951. and coordination of the Federal medical response to major emergencies and federally declared 952. disasters. 953. 954. National Incident Management System (NIMS): A set of principles that provides a systematic, 955. proactive approach guiding government agencies at all levels, the private sector, and 956. nongovernmental organizations to work seamlessly to prepare for, prevent, respond to, recover 957. from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in 958. order to reduce the loss of life or property and harm to the environment. 959. 960. National Response Framework (NRF): A guide to how the Nation conducts all‐hazards response.3 961. Officer: The ICS title for the personnel responsible for the Command Staff positions of Safety, 962. Liaison, and Public Information. 963. 964. Operational Period: The time scheduled for executing a given set of operation actions, as 965. specified in the Incident Action Plan. Operational periods can be of various lengths, although 966. usually they last 12‐24 hours. 967. 968. Operational Period Objectives: A statement that describes a specific, measurable achievement 969. or progress for the organization to accomplish during a specific time interval with the available 970. resources, and that contributes towards achieving the incident objectives. The Operational 971. Period Objectives, once delineated, guide the development of appropriate strategies and tactics 972. and assignment of resources to achieve the stated objective. 973. 974. Operations Section: The ICS Section responsible for all tactical incident operations and 975. implementation of the Incident Action Plan. In ICS, the Operations Section normally includes 976. subordinate Branches, Divisions, and/or Groups. 977. 978. Plain Language: Communication that can be understood by the intended audience and meets 979. the purpose of the communicator. For the purposes of NIMS, plain language is designed to 980. eliminate or limit the use of codes and acronyms, as appropriate, during incident response 981. involving more than a single agency. 982. 983. Planned Event: A scheduled nonemergency activity (e.g., sporting event, concert, parade, etc.). 984. 985. Planning Meeting: A meeting held as needed throughout the duration of an incident to select 986. specific strategies and tactics for incident control operations and for service and support 987. planning. For larger incidents, the Planning Meeting is a major element in the development of 988. the Incident Action Plan. 989. 990. Planning Section: The Incident Command System Section responsible for the collection, 991. evaluation, and dissemination of operational information related to the incident, and for the 992. preparation and documentation of the Incident Action Plan. This Section also maintains 993. information on the current and forecasted situation and on the status of resources assigned to 994. the incident. 995. 996. Point of Dispensing (POD): A designated area to distribute medications and vaccinations and 997. provide risk communication and public information during a public health emergency. A Point of 998. Dispensing may be a “closed” POD operated by a hospital to distribute medications to their 999. patients and staff or an “open” POD used to distribute medications to the general public. A Point 1000. of Distribution may also be a centralized location where the public obtains life‐ sustaining 1001. commodities following a disaster, including shelf stable food and water. 1002. 1003. Point of Distribution (POD): A designated area to distribute medications and vaccinations and 1004. provide risk communication and public information during a public health emergency. A Point of 1005. Distribution may also be a centralized location where the public obtains life‐sustaining 1006. commodities following a disaster, including shelf stable food and water. 1007. 1008. Preparedness: A continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, 1009. evaluating, and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during 1010. incident response. Within NIMS, preparedness focuses on the following elements: planning; 1011. procedures and protocols; training and exercises; personnel qualification and certification; and 1012. equipment certification. 1013. 1014. Private Sector: Organizations and individuals that are not part of any governmental structure. 1015. The private sector includes for‐profit and not‐for‐profit organizations, formal and informal 1016. structures, commerce, and industry. 1017. 1018. Public Information: Processes, procedures, and systems for communicating timely, accurate, 1019. accessible information on the incident's cause, size, and current situation; resources committed; 1020. and other matters of general interest to the public, responders, and additional stakeholders 1021. (both directly affected and indirectly affected). 1022. 1023. 1024. Public Information Officer (PIO): A member of the Command Staff responsible for interfacing 1025. with the public and media and/or with other agencies with incident‐related information 1026. requirements. 1027. 1028. Regional Hospital Coordination Center (RHCC): The Regional Hospital Coordination Center is a 1029. multi‐agency coordination center that provides policy and strategic guidance for hospitals and 1030. healthcare centers within a defined region. The RHCC has no jurisdictional authority, and its 1031. function and scope is determined by the incident. Functions of the RHCC may include working 1032. with local or regional EOCs in the coordination of hospital requests and response within the 1033. region and providing guidance on resource allocation and utilization. 1034. 1035. Reimbursement: A mechanism used to recoup funds expended for incident‐specific activities. 1036. 1037. Resource Tracking: A standardized, integrated process conducted prior to, during, and after an 1038. incident by all emergency management/response personnel and their associated organizations. 1039. 1040. Response: Activities that address the short‐term, direct effects of an incident. Response includes 1041. immediate actions to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs. Response also 1042. includes the execution of emergency operations plans and of mitigation activities designed to 1043. limit the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and other unfavorable outcomes. 1044. 1045. Response Period: Refers to the period from the time of the onset of the incident. It provides a 1046. reference timeframe for response activities see Operational Period. 1047. 1048. Responsibility: Obligation or duty to perform in a specific manner or achieve a defined result. 1049. While responsibility may be extended to another entity (along with delegated authority), the 1050. ultimate responsibility lies with the entity of highest authority within that authority domain. 1051. 1052. Risk: The expectation of loss from the impact of hazards. Risk is a function of probability 1053. (likelihood) of a hazard occurrence and the impact (consequences) of a hazard on the target of 1054. the risk assessment. It connotes a relationship between the hazard and the target’s vulnerability 1055. to the hazard. Risk can be addressed by managing probability (through mitigation) and/or 1056. managing impact (through mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery). 1057. 1058. Safety Officer: A member of the Command Staff responsible for monitoring incident operations 1059. and advising the Incident Commander on all matters relating to operational safety, including the 1060. health and safety of emergency responder personnel.3 1061. 1062. Section: The ICS organizational level having responsibility for a major functional area of incident 1063. management (e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration, and 1064. Intelligence/Investigations (if established)). The Section is organizationally situated between the 1065. Branch and the Incident Command. 1066. 1067. Single Resource: An individual, a piece of equipment and it personnel complement, or a 1068. crew/team of individuals with an identified work supervisor that can be used on an incident. 1069. 1070. Situation Report: Confirmed or verified information regarding the specific details relating to an 1071. incident. 1072. 1073. Situational Awareness: Is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the essential 1074. information about an incident to inform the decision making process in a continuous and timely 1075. cycle and includes the ability to interpret and act upon this information. 1076. 1077. Span of Control: The number of resources for which a supervisor is responsible, usually 1078. expressed as the ratio of supervisors to individuals. (Under NIMS, an appropriate span of control 1079. is between 1:3 and 1:7, with optimal being 1:5.) 1080. 1081. Stafford Act: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93‐ 1082. 288, as amended provides an orderly and continuing means of assistance by the Federal 1083. Government to State and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to alleviate the 1084. suffering and damage which result from disaster. The President, in response to a State 1085. Governor’s request, may declare an “emergency” or “major disaster” in order to provide Federal 1086. assistance under the Act. The President, in Executive Order 12148, delegated all functions, 1087. except those in Sections 301, 401, and 409, to the Director of FEMA. The Act provides for the 1088. appointment of a Federal Coordinating Officer who will operate in the designated area with a 1089. State Coordinating Officer for the purpose of coordinating state and local disaster assistance 1090. efforts with those of the Federal Government. (44 CFR 206.2) 1091. 1092. Staging Area: Temporary location for available resources. A Staging Area can be any location in 1093. which personnel, supplies, and equipment can be temporarily housed or parked while awaiting 1094. operational assignment. 1095. 1096. Strategy: The general plan or direction selected to accomplish incident objectives. 1097. 1098. Strike Team: A set number of resources of the same kind and type that have an established 1099. minimum number of personnel, common communications, and a leader. 1100. 1101. Supervisor: The ICS title for an individual responsible for a Division or Group. 1102. 1103. Surge Capability: The ability to manage patients requiring unusual or very specialized medical 1104. evaluation and care. Surge requirements span the range of specialized medical and health 1105. services (expertise, information, procedures, equipment, or personnel) that are not normally 1106. available at the location where they are needed (e.g., pediatric care provided at non‐ pediatric 1107. facilities or burn care services at a non‐burn center). Surge capability also includes patient 1108. problems that require special intervention to protect medical providers, other patients, and the 1109. integrity of the medical care facility. 1110. 1111. Surge Capacity: The ability to evaluate and care for a markedly increased volume of patients— 1112. one that challenges or exceeds normal operating capacity. The surge requirements may extend 1113. beyond direct patient care to include such tasks as extensive laboratory studies or 1114. epidemiological investigations. 1115. 1116. Tabletop Exercise: A scenario‐driven interaction that permits evaluation of the EOP and/or 1117. Recovery Plan, or elements thereof, through orally provided action descriptions and application 1118. of plan guidance. It is used to have individuals and teams describe their roles and responsibilities 1119. through a presented scenario, and to evaluate the performance of these roles and 1120. responsibilities in a relatively low stress environment. Through the use of simulation techniques, 1121. emphasis is placed on information processing, collaboration and cooperation, decision‐ making 1122. and team building in the context of a specified scenario. This format allows a significant amount 1123. of comment and coaching from the facilitator. 1124. 1125. Tactics: The deployment and directing of resources on an incident to accomplish the objectives 1126. designated by the strategy. 1127. 1128. 1129. 1130. Task: A clearly defined and measurable activity accomplished by organizations or some subset 1131. thereof (sections, functions, teams, individuals and others). 1132. 1133. Task Force: Any combination of resources assembled to support a specific mission or operational 1134. need. All resource elements within a Task Force must have common communications and a 1135. designated leader. 1136. 1137. Technical Specialist: Person with special skills that can be used anywhere within the Incident 1138. Command System organization. No minimum qualifications are prescribed, as technical 1139. specialists normally perform the same duties during an incident that they perform in their 1140. everyday jobs, and they are typically certified in their fields or professions. 1141. Threat: Natural or manmade occurrence, individual, entity, or action that has or indicates the 1142. potential to harm life, information, operations, the environment, and/or property. 1143. 1144. Triage: An organized process that matches needs with available resources according to a priority 1145. scheme designed to achieve the end objective (i.e., goal) of the specific triage system. In 1146. healthcare emergency management, ‘triage’ usually refers to sorting of patients based upon 1147. matching their healthcare needs with available healthcare resources, with priority assigned using 1148. specific criteria called a triage algorithm. The algorithm is designed to achieve an objective, such 1149. as transporting the most critical casualties first, “doing the greatest good for the greatest 1150. number” or other objective. 1151. 1152. Unified Command (UC): An ICS application used when more than one agency has incident 1153. jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions. Agencies work together through the 1154. designated members of the UC, often the senior persons from agencies and/or disciplines 1155. participating in the UC, to establish a common set of objectives and strategies and a single 1156. Incident Action Plan. 1157. 1158. Unit: The organizational element with functional responsibility for a specific incident Planning, 1159. Logistics, or Finance/Administration activity. 1160. 1161. Unit Leader: The individual in charge of managing Units within an ICS functional section. The Unit 1162. can be staffed by a number of support personnel providing a wide range of services. Some of the 1163. support positions are pre‐established within ICS (e.g. Base Camp Manager), but many others will 1164. be assigned as Technical Specialists. 1165. 1166. Unity of Command: An ICS principle stating that each individual involved in incident operations 1167. will be assigned to only one supervisor. 1168. 1169. Update: A notification category that provides non‐urgent emergency management information 1170. during all four phases of emergency management (see “Advisory” – “Alert” – “Activation” for 1171. contrast with other notification categories.) 1172. 1173. Warning: Dissemination of notification message signaling imminent hazard that may include 1174. advice on protective measures. For example, a warning is issued by the National Weather Service 1175. to let people know that a severe weather event is already occurring or is imminent, and usually 1176. provides direction on protective actions. A “warning” notification for individuals is equivalent to 1177. an “activation” notification for response systems. 1178. 1179. 1180.