APPROVED FIRE, RESCUE, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION MASTER PLAN SECTION 4 FIRE-RESCUE SERVICE FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS This section of the Fire, Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, and Community Risk Reduction Master Plan addresses MCFRS functional elements -- emergency functions, non-emergency functions, facilities, apparatus and equipment, and communications. Each functional area under these five main categories includes a discussion of the existing status, associated issues and needs, and future efforts to address these issues and needs and to improve services. EMERGENCY FUNCTIONS INCIDENT COMMAND Description Incident command is a system established at the beginning of an emergency incident that places one qualified individual in charge of all on-scene personnel, equipment, and other resources to achieve the desired outcome (i.e., minimize the number of casualties and property damage, while practicing safety and cost-efficiency and abiding by applicable laws). Incident command is the most important function at the scene of a fire, rescue or EMS incident. MCFRS uses the nationally-recognized Incident Command System (ICS) to manage incidents. The ICS is an Incident Management System (IMS) derived by the Federal Government under its National Incident Management System (NIMS). At the top of the ICS is the Incident Commander (IC) who is responsible for directing all actions in response to the unique set of circumstances presented by each incident. For fire-rescue incidents, the IC is typically, but not always, the highest-ranking firefighter-rescuer on the scene. This individual establishes command upon arrival and also establishes a command post – usually the vehicle in which they are riding, although a different command post vehicle and/or location may be established as incident operations progress. The IC may change over the course of the incident as higher ranking personnel arrive. For example, the initial IC may be the Lieutenant or Captain of the first arriving unit, followed by a Battalion Chief or LFRD Duty Officer, followed by an Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, LFRD Chief or the County Fire Chief. A chief-level officer serves as the IC of any large-scale fire, rescue, or EMS incident. 4-1 APPROVED FIRE, RESCUE, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION MASTER PLAN The ICS command structure can be as simple as an IC commanding a few units at a collision scene, or as complex as an IC commanding a large command staff involving several sector officers at large-scale incidents such as structure fires, hazmat incidents, and mass casualty incidents. On large-scale incidents, the ICS could include the establishment of ICS Sections, Branches, and possibly Divisions, and corresponding Section, Branch, and Division officers in charge of command and control, planning, operations, logistics, safety, and other functions. For a major structure fire, the MCFRS IC will typically establish a command structure and staff including a fire suppression sector officer, safety sector officer, water supply officer, staging officer, EMS/triage sector officer, rehabilitation (“rehab”) sector officer, and possibly others depending on the scope of the incident. When hazardous materials are involved, a hazmat sector will also be established, led by a hazmat sector officer. The ICS is designed to be flexible, so that it can expand, contract, or otherwise change, as needed, during the course of an incident. Related to the ICS is another type of IMS– the Disaster Command System (DCS), which provides for a unified command structure for major incidents involving the response of multiple agencies. Like the ICS, the DCS features a single IC and has four sections: Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Administrative /Finance. Montgomery County uses the DCS during major incidents or disasters impacting all, or a significant portion of, the County population. The agency responsible for commanding a major incident and appointing the IC is pre-determined in the County’s Emergency Operations Plan. MCFRS is in charge of all fire-rescue related incidents (e.g., major fires, mass casualty incidents such as train wrecks, hazardous materials releases, building collapses, etc.). MCP runs law enforcement-related incidents (e.g., sniper incidents, civil disturbances, terrorism, etc.). The County Department of Health & Human Services is in- charge of health epidemics (e.g., flu, West Nile Virus, “SARS,” e-coli outbreaks, etc.). Other County departments (e.g., DPWT, DEP) would be in charge of incidents where public safety is not a major issue (e.g., pollution incident, fuel shortage). Incident command may also be passed from one agency to another at an appropriate point during the incident. For example, MCFRS has command during the emergency phase of a major hazardous materials spill; then command is passed to DEP for the cleanup/recovery phase. The key fundamentals of the DCS are that a unified command (with a single IC) is in place throughout the incident, and all departments, agencies, and volunteer disaster services organization work together toward a common set of response and recovery goals. Although field personnel implement the ICS at an incident scene, the DCS is implemented by the Emergency Management Group (EMG) from an off-scene facility -- the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or Alternate EOC if the EOC is unusable. If both the EOC and Alternate EOC1 are unusable, another facility or several facilities having direct communications connectivity would serve the EMG. The DCS and ICS systems, although implemented at different sites, are linked by communications systems and work in tandem to address all on-scene and off-scene issues and needs related to the incident. On-scene incident command personnel may use commonplace vehicles such as SUVs or vans, or they may use MCFRS and/or MCP mobile command post buses at long-term incidents. The two buses are outfitted with several types of communications equipment, telescoping video cameras, lighting systems, furniture and various creature comforts to support the IC and the command staff. The MCFRS Mobile Command Post unit will have the capabilities to transmit live feed to the cable TV network and to transmit video. 1 As of January 1, 2005, management and oversight of the EOC and Alternate EOC became the responsibility of the County’s newly established Homeland Security Department. Prior to that date, MCFRS had this responsibility. 4-2 APPROVED FIRE, RESCUE, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION MASTER PLAN Another component of IMS is the Incident Management Team (IMT). An IMT is comprised of qualified, ICS-trained command and general staff personnel who are assembled in response to an unusually large, complex, and/or long-term incident (e.g., tropical storm, hurricane, winter storm, etc.). The MCFRS IMT consists of personnel trained to perform the functions of the command and general staff of the ICS. These functions include command, operations, planning, logistics, and administration/finance, as well as safety, information, and liaison. The IMT provides incident management assistance to complement and support the existing ICS organization. The anticipated size, scope, and duration of an incident, as well as the anticipated demand on MCFRS resources, will be used when determining the need for an IMT. The MCFRS IMT can operate in place of, or in conjunction with, the County’s Emergency Management Group (EMG) during a full EOC activation or partial EMG during a partial EOC activation. Unlike the EOC, which supports a large-scale event from a “global” perspective, the scope of the MCFRS IMT is specific to MCFRS and its ability to effectively deliver services during large-scale events. The IMT can also serve in between the field ICS and the EMG, supporting both groups. The IMT functions from a building or temporary structure that can accommodate/support a group of 6-10 personnel for continuous 24-hour operations for up to several days. Future Incident Command Issues, Needs and Strategies Looking to the future of incident command, the MCFRS must take steps to ensure that incident command meets the demands of incidents of increasing scope and complexity. In addition to commonly occurring incidents involving fires, various types of rescue, hazmats and destructive devices, future incidents could very well involve many forms of terrorism and mass casualties. As explained in Section 3 of this Master Plan, acts of terrorism occurring in or near Montgomery County could involve a wide array of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) including conventional explosives and firearms, incendiary devices, “dirty bombs,” chemical warfare agents, biological agents, radiological materials and/or nuclear devices. Mass casualty incidents occurring in or near the County could involve crashes of commercial airlines, trains (i.e., passenger trains -- including METRO -- or freight trains), buses, and other highway vehicles; building collapse; natural, technological or societal disasters; and/or acts of terrorism. Most terrorism incidents also will be mass casualty incidents. The MCFRS, as well as other County departments and agencies, must be ready to establish and maintain effective incident command for these complex incidents. Mandates from OSHA and MOSH, as well as the provisions of NFPA Standard 1500, have increased the scope of responsibilities (e.g., scene safety, accountability of personnel and resources, etc.) placed upon fire- rescue incident commanders. Between 2005 and 2015, new technologies will become available that will further enhance the capabilities of incident commanders to manage incidents. The MCFRS will need to continuously explore ways in which new technology can be applied to incident command as well as other incident scene functions. Command staff will have to become proficient in the use of this technology, in addition to being able to maintain the vigilance and skills necessary to manage an incident. 4-3 APPROVED FIRE, RESCUE, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION MASTER PLAN One facet of incident command that will need to be improved over the ten-year period of 2005 to 2015 is incident command for regional incidents.