Hey guys/gals, how is everyone....a quick question fo yall.....I am working on a IC Chart, for my dept for our officers to go on a fire or other incident to follow/go by when giving crews ordrers, here is what i have so far:
Fire Attack 1/2 and what division
Water Supply
RIT
Search Group (primary/sencondary)and what division
Ventilation (PPV or Roof)
Salvage
Extension group
Rehab
also have a place for utilities, times, location, who is IC, Safety, Operations, place for the crews onlocation, PAR's, and a place for a diagram of the scene....what do i need to add????
The thing about ICS that people that take all the courses and synthesize all the information understand is that ICS is meant to be flexible. It can be used for a house fire involving one structure and one responding agency. In that case, it may be perfectly acceptable that the Chief is the IC and runs the show himself. But as the incident grows, there is more need for expansion. When the number of agencies/responders becomes more than the chief can manage on his own, thats where the command staff is activated (see ICS 100), If the situation grows, the enters the general staff (see ICS 200). These things are especially important when you have multiple agencies on seen. Are they assisting agencies who are legally bound to assist of co-operating agencies that can pull their gear and FFs out any time they want.
The reason that alot of posters, including myself say that its not as easy as a chart if there is no system to your chart. Simply knowing where youre resources are isnt enough. Does the FF need rehab? Does the apparatus need rehab? We're gonna be on this thing for 12 hours. What do we do about restroom facilities? We're gonna have to get some food besides power bars out here, where are we going to get it and who is going to pay for it if no one is willing to donate it. Im telling ya, if you take ICS 100, 200 and 700 again, it will jump of the page at you why more than a simple chart is needed. The chart is only for organizing your system. But if you have no system, you may as well throw out the chart, because it is meaningless.
Steve
I am sorry but I just read this post again and it seems we are all mistaken because you asked for an IC chart to track your incidents. However in re-reading the above it seems you are really talking about something much more bacis and simple and that is a standard operating guideline (SOG) (procedure (SOP). You want to set up an SOG so folks all know what is expected of them when they arrive. Most departments have some type of unit assignment SOG in place and your question probably just slid past us.
Be aware that even when you set up SOG/SOP, that company/unit assignments and work flow will depend upon conditions found and actions taken by the first arriving unit so the guidelines must be flexible as well.