Regional Response Demands Joint Command and Control

Officials have spent countless hours and dollars in a quest to implement the National Incident Management System (NIMA) and the Incident Command System (ICS), in an attempt to change how we respond to emergencies and disasters. But have we truly found that clear chain of command?

In an article on the Government Technology website, Eric E. Holdeman asks these questions and more to discover whether or not the initiative has worked. He questions: “Are we attempting to impose a system that does not function well within the day-to-day governance models that make up the American system?”

Holdeman says the initial idea was to respond together to protect people and property, but while the mechanisms that allow a coordinated response are the goal, the process isn’t an easy one, particularly when many jurisdictions are still fighting over the turf.

“The ideal scenario is that everyone uses the same system and terminology when responding, which allows disparate agencies to come together quickly and avoid miscommunication when confusion ultimately rules - during disasters,” Holdeman writes. “This applies to localized emergencies where mutual aid resources come to the assistance of their neighbors, or in situations of a much broader scale like 9/11 and Katrina when the nation’s resources are called upon to respond to a catastrophe of mega-proportions.”

He adds that the idea is “working on paper,” and “working in practice to a degree.” However, he says, the “ultimate solution is to implement a ‘train as you will fight’ mentality. We need joint training, planning and exercises with all potential partners if we’re ever going to fix the issue of unified command within single jurisdictions.”

To read the full article, click here: http://www.govtech.com/gt/print_article.php?id=365410