[Narrator] ICS is based on proven management principles, which contribute to the strength and efficiency of the overall system.

ICS incorporates a wide range of management features and principles, beginning with the use of common terminology and clear text.

[David Burns, Emergency Preparedness Manager, University of California Los Angeles] Communication is probably one of the most essential elements of ICS. It’s important that we know how to communicate.

[Daryl Lee Spiewak, Emergency Programs Manager, the Brazos River Authority] If the terms that I use mean different things to different people, we’re going to have a hard time communicating and doing what needs to be done to accomplish our mission.

[Narrator] ICS emphasizes effective planning, including management by objectives and reliance on an Incident Action Plan.

[Roberta Runge, EPA National NIMS Coordinator] You have to coordinate on what your end objective is. All up and down the chain you have to have a common end goal. So you can establish your objectives, you can ensure they’re in the Incident Action Plan, and you can ensure that they are in agreement with the other Incident Action Plans that are produced by agencies.

[Narrator] The ICS features related to command structure include chain of command and unity of command.

[Bill Campbell, Director of Training, New York State Emergency Management Office] One of the benefits is it gets all of the different organizations working under the same framework.

[Narrator] ICS helps ensure full utilization of all incident resources by:

• Maintaining a manageable span of control,
• Establishing predesignated incident locations and facilities,
• Implementing resource management practices, and
• Ensuring integrated communications.

ICS supports responders and decisionmakers through effective information and intelligence management and helps establish a common operating picture.

[Kristy Plourde, NIMS Program Coordinator, U.S. Coast Guard] The common operating picture is a critical thing that the Coast Guard has been working hard on recently for ourselves because it’s something that helps us maintain a better operational picture and it’s more consistent across the board, everyone up and down the chain of command and across to other agencies understand the same picture.

[Narrator] ICS counts on each of us taking personal accountability for our own actions. And finally, the mobilization process helps ensure that incident objectives can be achieved while responders remain safe.

[Kristy Plourde, NIMS Program Coordinator, U.S. Coast Guard] To have NIMS work effectively, it’s got to be top-down support.

[Narrator] The ICS features covered in this lesson form the basis for effective, team-based incident response at all levels. Federal response coordination entities, such as the Joint Field Office, adopt these ICS features in order to provide effective support to the on-scene incident management teams.