Expanding and enhancing incident command system communications support
Abstract
This paper explores how advances in technology, widely expanded consumer communications capabilities and the lessons learned from response and recovery efforts to address large and/or complex incidents and events have all contributed to changes in how the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and incident command system have been used since their introduction in 2007. NIMS underscores the importance of providing incident response and recovery personnel, along with other key personnel, with access to the tools and information they need to make and communicate decisions. As this paper discusses, however, the command structure was not designed with today’s technology in mind. This paper reviews the history and organisation of supporting voice, data and video capabilities for effective incident management, and where the approach to addressing these — and other — emerging needs is heading.
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Author's Biography
Chris Lombard is Assistant Fire Chief of the Seattle Fire Department. Besides working assignments in the Operations Division and 9-1-1 centre, he is responsible for ongoing projects, such as managing communications coordination for the Fire Department’s specialty teams and serving as Department Liaison with other jurisdictions. Having worked in the fire service for more than 30 years, he has been involved in the response to multiple significant incidents, including the 9/11 attacks on New York City and various major landslides and hurricanes, supporting incident communications and information management. He is Chair of the FirstNet Public Safety Advisory Committee; Vice Chair of SAFECOM; and Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Communications Committee. He has helped lead the coordination of efforts to standardise training and certification for those responsible for managing emergency incident communications throughout the USA. He has also contributed to the development of such documents as the US National Emergency Communications Plan, the IAFF/IAFC/FEMA Communications Best Practices guide, the evaluation of state-wide communications interoperability plans, among others. He has a BS in geography from Oregon State University, has lectured in emergency response at Dartmouth College and at Texas A&M University, and testified before Congress on national, firstresponder, communications-related issues.
Citation
Lombard, Chris (2023, June 1). Expanding and enhancing incident command system communications support. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 16, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/PVGH3883.
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