Simplified Guide to the Incident Command System for Transportation Professionals

Publications Simplified Guide to the Incident Command System for Transportation Professionals

Printable Version [PDF 2.2 MB] You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF. Contact Information: Laurel Radow at [email protected]

NOTICE

THIS DOCUMENT IS DISSEMINATED UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE INTEREST OF INFORMATION EXCHANGE. THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS OR USE THEREOF. THIS REPORT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A STANDARD, SPECIFICATION, OR REGULATION.

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ENDORSE PRODUCTS OR MANUFACTURERS. TRADE AND MANUFACTURERS’ NAMES APPEAR IN THIS REPORT ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TO THE OBJECT OF THE DOCUMENT.

February 2006

Dear Colleague:

Reducing traffic congestion and improving roadway safety are high priorities for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Traffic incidents are a major source of both highway congestion and safety problems. Incidents are estimated to cause approximately half of all traffic delay. Crashes that result from other incidents account for approximately 16 percent of all crashes and cause 18 percent of freeway deaths. For these reasons, FHWA strongly endorses the establishment and use of good traffic incident management. Effective transportation system management and operations depends on the aggressive management of temporary disruptions (caused by traffic incidents, work zones, weather, special events, etc.) in order to reduce the consequences of these disruptions and return the system to “full capacity.”

The Incident Command System (ICS) is the systematic tool for the command, control, and coordination of an emergency response. ICS allows agencies to work together using common terminology and operating procedures for controlling personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications at an incident scene.

The purpose of this Simplified Guide is to introduce the ICS to stakeholders who may be called upon to provide specific expertise, assistance, or material during highway incidents but who may be largely unfamiliar with ICS organization and operations. These stakeholders include transportation agencies and companies involved in towing and recovery, as well as elected officials and government agency managers at all levels. This document may also be beneficial to public safety professionals, who are familiar with ICS but may not fully understand how ICS concepts are applicable to transportation agencies.

The ICS is considered part of the broader incident management system as outlined in the Department of US DOT Home | FHWA Home | Operations Last modified: Home | Privacy Policy March 14, 2006

United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration