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Glossary-Introduction to the Incident Command System ICS (100) Training
Access and Functional Needs
Individual circumstances requiring assistance, accommodation, or modification for mobility, communication, transportation, safety, health maintenance, etc., due to any temporary or permanent situation that limits an individual's ability to take action in an emergency.
Agency
A government element with a specific function offering a particular kind of assistance.
Agency Administrator/Executive
The official responsible for administering policy for an agency or jurisdiction.
Agency Representative
A person assigned by a primary, assisting, or cooperating local, state, tribal, territorial, or Federal Government agency, or nongovernmental or private organization, who has authority to make decisions affecting that agency's or organization's participation in incident management activities following appropriate consultation with that agency's leadership.
Area Command
An organization that oversees the management of multiple incidents or oversees the management of a very large or evolving situation with multiple ICS organizations. See Unified Area Command.
Assigned Resource
A resource that has been checked in and assigned work tasks on an incident.
Assignment
A task given to a person or team to perform based on operational objectives defined in the IAP.
Assistant
A title for subordinates of principal Command Staff and EOC director's staff positions. The title indicates a level of technical capability, qualification, and responsibility subordinate to the primary positions. Assistants may also be assigned to unit leaders.
Assisting Agency
An agency or organization providing personnel, services, or other resources to the agency with direct responsibility for incident management.
Authority Having Jurisdiction
An entity that has the authority and responsibility for developing, implementing, maintaining, and overseeing the qualification process within its organization or jurisdiction. This may be a state or Federal agency, training commission, NGO, private sector company, or a tribal or local agency such as a police, fire, or public works department.
Available Resource
A resource assigned to an incident, checked in, and available for assignment.
Badging
The assignment of physical incident-specific credentials to establish legitimacy and permit access to incident sites. See Credentialing.
Base
See Incident Base.
Branch
The organizational level having functional or geographical responsibility for major aspects of incident operations. A branch falls between the Section Chief and the division or group in the Operations Section, and between the section and units in the Logistics Section. Branches are identified by Roman numerals or by functional area.
Camp
A geographical site within the general incident area (separate from the Incident Base) that is equipped and staffed to provide sleeping, food, water, and sanitary services to incident personnel.
Certification
The process of authoritatively attesting that individuals meet qualifications established for key incident management functions and are, therefore, qualified for specific positions.
Chain of Command
The orderly line of authority within the ranks of incident management organizations.
Check-In
The process through which resources first report to an incident. All responders, regardless of agency affiliation, report in to receive an assignment in accordance with the Incident Commander or Unified Command's established procedures.
Chief
The ICS title for individuals responsible for the management of functional sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.
Clear Text
Communication that does not use codes. See Plain Language.
Command
The act of directing, ordering, or controlling by virtue of explicit statutory, regulatory, or delegated authority.
Command Staff
A group of incident personnel that the Incident Commander or Unified Command assigns to support the command function at an ICP. Command staff often include a PIO, a Safety Officer, and a Liaison Officer, who have assistants as necessary. Additional positions may be needed, depending on the incident.
Cooperating Agency
An agency supplying assistance other than direct operational or support functions or resources to the incident management effort.
Coordinate
To exchange information systematically among principals who have or may have a need to know certain information to carry out specific incident management responsibilities.
Core Capability
An element defined in the National Preparedness Goal as necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.
Credentialing
Providing documentation that identifies personnel and authenticates and verifies their qualification for a particular position. See Badging.
Critical Infrastructure
Assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacitation or destruction of such assets, systems, or networks would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.
Delegation of Authority
A statement that the agency executive delegating authority and assigning responsibility provides to the Incident Commander. The delegation of authority can include priorities, expectations, constraints, and other considerations or guidelines, as needed.
Demobilization
The orderly, safe, and efficient return of an incident resource to its original location and status.
Departmental Operations Center
An operations or coordination center dedicated to a single, specific department or agency. The focus of a DOC is on internal agency incident management and response. DOCs are often linked to and/or physically represented in a combined agency EOC by an authorized agent(s) for the department or agency.
Deputy
A fully qualified individual who, in the absence of a superior, can be delegated the authority to manage a functional operation or to perform a specific task. In some cases, a deputy can act as relief for a superior, and, therefore, should be fully qualified in the position. Deputies generally can be assigned to the Incident Commander, EOC director, General Staff, and branch directors.
Director
The ICS title for individuals responsible for supervision of a branch. Also, an organizational title for an individual responsible for managing and directing the team in an EOC.
Dispatch
The ordered movement of a resource or resources to an assigned operational mission, or an administrative move from one location to another.
Division
The organizational level having responsibility for operations within a defined geographic area. Divisions are established when the number of resources exceeds the manageable span of control of the Section Chief. See Group.
Emergency
Any incident, whether natural, technological, or human-caused, that necessitates responsive action to protect life or property.
Emergency Management Assistance Compact
A congressionally ratified agreement that provides form and structure to interstate mutual aid. Through EMAC, a disaster-affected state can request and receive assistance from other member states quickly and efficiently, resolving two key issues up front: liability and reimbursement.
Emergency Operations Center
The physical location where the coordination of information and resources to support incident management (on-scene operations) activities normally takes place. An EOC may be a temporary facility or located in a more central or permanently established facility, perhaps at a higher level of organization within a jurisdiction.
Emergency Operations Plan
A plan for responding to a variety of potential hazards.
Emergency Support Function
The grouping of governmental and certain private sector capabilities into an organizational structure to provide capabilities and services most likely needed to manage domestic incidents.
Essential Elements of Information
Important and standard information items, which support timely and informed decisions.
Evacuation
The organized, phased, and supervised withdrawal, dispersal, or removal of people from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas, and their reception and care in safe areas.
Finance/Administration Section
The ICS Section responsible for an incident's administrative and financial considerations.
General Staff
A group of incident personnel organized according to function and reporting to the Incident Commander or Unified Command. The ICS General Staff consists of the Operations Section Chief, Planning Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, Finance/Administration Section Chief.
Group
An organizational subdivision established to divide the incident management structure into functional areas of operation. Groups are composed of resources assembled to perform a special function not necessarily within a single geographic area. See Division.
Hazard
Something potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.
Incident
An occurrence, natural or manmade, that necessitates a response to protect life or property. Includes planned events as well as emergencies and/or disasters of all kinds and sizes.
Incident Action Plan
An oral or written plan containing the objectives established by the Incident Commander or Unified Command and addressing tactics and support activities for the planned operational period, generally 12 to 24 hours.
Incident Base
A location where personnel coordinate and administer logistics functions for an incident. There is typically only one base per incident. The ICP may be co-located with the Incident Base.
Incident Command
The ICS organizational element responsible for overall management of the incident and consisting of the Incident Commander or Unified Command and any additional Command Staff activated.
Incident Command Post
The field location where the primary functions of incident command are performed. The ICP may be co-located with the Incident Base or other incident facilities.
Incident Command System
A standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of on-scene incident management, providing a common hierarchy within which personnel from multiple organizations can be effective. ICS is the combination of procedures, personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of on-scene resources during incidents.
Incident Commander
The individual responsible for on-scene incident activities, including developing incident objectives and ordering and releasing resources. The Incident Commander has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations.
Incident Complex
Two or more individual incidents located in the same general area and assigned to a single Incident Commander or Unified Command.
Incident Management
The broad spectrum of activities and organizations providing operations, coordination, and support applied at all levels of government, using both governmental and nongovernmental resources to plan for, respond to, and recover from an incident, regardless of cause, size, or complexity.
Incident Management Assistance Team
A team of ICS-qualified personnel, configured according to ICS, that deploy in support of affected jurisdictions and/or on-scene personnel.
Incident Management Team
A rostered group of ICS-qualified personnel consisting of an Incident Commander, Command and General Staff, and personnel assigned to other key ICS positions.
Incident Objective
A statement of an outcome to be accomplished or achieved. Incident objectives are used to select strategies and tactics. Incident objectives should be realistic, achievable, and measurable, yet flexible enough to allow strategic and tactical alternatives.
Incident Personnel
All individuals who have roles in incident management or support, whether on scene, in an EOC, or participating in a MAC Group.
Information Management
The collection, organization, and control over the structure, processing, and delivery of information from one or more sources and distribution to one or more audiences who have a stake in that information.
Intelligence/Investigations Function
Efforts to determine the source or cause of the incident (e.g., disease outbreak, fire, complex coordinated attack, or cyber incident) in order to control its impact and/or help prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.
Interoperability
The ability of systems, personnel, and equipment to provide and receive functionality, data, information, and/or services to and from other systems, personnel, and equipment, between both public and private agencies, departments, and other organizations, in a manner enabling them to operate effectively together.
Joint Field Office
The primary Federal incident management field structure. The JFO is a temporary Federal facility that provides a central location for the coordination of local, state, tribal, and Federal governments and private sector and NGOs with primary responsibility for response and recovery.
Joint Information Center
A facility in which personnel coordinate incident-related public information activities. The JIC serves as the central point of contact for all news media. Public information officials from all participating agencies co-locate at, or virtually coordinate through, the JIC.
Joint Information System
A structure that integrates overarching incident information and public affairs into a cohesive organization designed to provide consistent, coordinated, accurate, manageable, timely, and complete information during crisis or incident operations.
Jurisdiction
A range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority. Also refers to a political subdivision (e.g., municipality, county, parish, state, Federal) with the responsibility for ensuring public safety, health, and welfare within its legal authorities and geographic boundaries.
Kind
As applied to incident resources, a class or group of items or people of the same nature or character or classified together because they have traits in common.
Leader
The ICS title for an individual who is responsible for supervision of a unit, strike team, resource team, or task force.
Liaison Officer
A member of the ICS Command Staff responsible for coordinating with representatives from cooperating and assisting agencies or organizations.
Local Government
Public entities responsible for the security and welfare of a designated area as established by law. Includes counties, municipalities, cities, towns, townships, local public authorities, school districts, special districts, tribal entities, and other public entities.
Logistics
The process and procedure for providing resources and other services to support incident management.
Logistics Section
The ICS Section responsible for providing facilities, services, and material support for the incident.
Management by Objectives
A management approach fundamental to NIMS that involves (1) establishing specific, measurable and realistic objectives; (2) identifying strategies, tactics, and tasks to achieve the objectives; (3) performing and documenting results; and (4) taking corrective action to modify strategies, tactics, and/or performance to achieve the objectives.
Manager
The individual within an ICS organizational unit assigned specific managerial responsibilities (e.g., Staging Area Manager or Camp Manager).
Mission Area
One of five areas (Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery) designated in the National Preparedness Goal to group core capabilities.
Mitigation
The capabilities necessary to reduce the loss of life and property from natural and/or manmade disasters by lessening the impacts of disasters.
Mobilization
The processes and procedures for activating, assembling, and transporting resources that have been requested to respond to or support an incident.
Multiagency Coordination Group
A group, typically consisting of agency administrators or executives from organizations, or their designees, that provides policy guidance to incident personnel, supports resource prioritization and allocation, and enables decision making among elected and appointed officials and senior executives.
Multiagency Coordination System
An overarching term for the NIMS Command and Coordination systems: ICS, EOCs, MAC Group/policy groups, and JISs.
Mutual Aid Agreement or Assistance Agreement
A written or oral agreement between and among agencies/organizations and/or jurisdictions that provides a mechanism to quickly obtain assistance in the form of personnel, equipment, materials, and other associated services.
National Incident Management System (NIMS)
A systematic, proactive approach to guide all levels of government, NGOs, and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the effects of incidents. NIMS provides a consistent foundation for dealing with all incidents, ranging from daily occurrences to incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response.
National Preparedness Goal
Doctrine describing what it means for the whole community to be prepared for the types of incidents that pose the greatest threat to the security of the Nation. The goal: 'A secure and resilient Nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.'
Nongovernmental Organization (NGO)
A group that is based on the interests of its members, individuals, or institutions. An NGO is not created by a government, but it may work cooperatively with government. Examples include faith-based groups, relief agencies, and animal welfare organizations.
Officer
The ICS title for a member of the Command Staff authorized to make decisions and take action related to his/her area of responsibility.
Operational Period
The time scheduled for executing a given set of operation actions, as specified in the IAP. Operational periods can be of various lengths, but are typically 12 to 24 hours.
Operations Section
The ICS Section responsible for implementing tactical incident operations described in the IAP. In ICS, the Operations Section may include subordinate branches, divisions, and/or groups.
Plain Language
Communication that the intended audience can understand and that meets the communicator's purpose. For NIMS, plain language refers to a communication style that avoids or limits the use of codes, abbreviations, and jargon during incidents involving more than a single agency.
Planned Event
An incident that is a scheduled non-emergency activity (e.g., sporting event, concert, parade).
Planning Section
The ICS Section that collects, evaluates, and disseminates operational information related to the incident and for the preparation and documentation of the IAP. This section also maintains information on the current and forecasted situation and on the status of resources assigned to the incident.
Public Information Officer
A member of the ICS Command Staff responsible for interfacing with the public and media and/or with other agencies with incident-related information needs.
Q
No terms found
Recovery
The capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively.
Resource Management
Systems for identifying available resources at all jurisdictional levels to enable timely, efficient, and unimpeded access to resources needed to prepare for, respond to, or recover from an incident.
Resource Tracking
The process that all incident personnel and staff from associated organizations use to maintain information regarding the location and status of resources ordered for, deployed to, or assigned to an incident.
Resources
Personnel, equipment, teams, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for assignment to incident operations and for which status is maintained.
Response
The capabilities necessary to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs after an incident has occurred.
Safety Officer
In ICS, a member of the Command Staff responsible for monitoring incident operations and advising the Incident Commander or Unified Command on all matters relating to operational safety, including the health and safety of incident personnel. The Safety Officer modifies or stops the work of personnel to prevent unsafe acts.
Section
The ICS organizational element having responsibility for a major functional area of incident management (e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration).
Single Resource
An individual, a piece of equipment and its personnel complement, or a crew/team of individuals with an identified work supervisor that can be used on an incident.
Span of Control
The number of subordinates for which a supervisor is responsible, usually expressed as the ratio of supervisors to individuals.
Staging Area
A temporary location for available resources in which personnel, supplies, and equipment await operational assignment.
Standard Operating Procedure
A reference document or an operations manual that provides the purpose, authorities, duration, and details for the preferred method of performing a single function or several interrelated functions in a uniform manner.
Strike Team
A set number of resources of the same kind and type that have an established minimum number of personnel, common communications, and a leader. In the law enforcement community, strike teams are referred to as resource teams.
Supervisor
The ICS title for an individual responsible for a division or group.
Tactics
The deployment and directing of resources on an incident to accomplish the objectives.
Task Force
Any combination of resources of different kinds and/or types assembled to support a specific mission or operational need.
Terrorism
Any activity that involves an act that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure and is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any state or other subdivision; and appears intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, or to influence or affect the conduct of a government.
Threat
A natural or manmade occurrence, an individual, an entity, or an action having or indicating the potential to harm life, information, operations, the environment, and/or property.
Type
A NIMS resource classification that refers to capability of a specific kind of resource to which a metric is applied to designate it as a specific numbered class.
Unified Area Command
A version of command established when incidents under an Area Command are multijurisdictional. See Area Command.
Unified Command
An ICS application used when more than one agency has incident jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions.
Unit
The organizational element with functional responsibility for a specific activity within the Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration Sections in ICS.
Unit Leader
The individual in charge of a unit in ICS.
Unity of Command
A NIMS guiding principle stating that each individual involved in incident management reports to and takes direction from only one person.
Unity of Effort
A NIMS guiding principle that provides coordination through cooperation and common interests and does not interfere with Federal department and agency supervisory, command, or statutory authorities.
V
No terms found
Whole Community
A focus on enabling the participation in incident management activities of a wide range of players from the private and nonprofit sectors, including NGOs and the general public, in conjunction with the participation of all levels of government, to foster better coordination and working relationships.
X
No terms found
Y
No terms found
Z
No terms found
