Background

In the late 1980s, the California Emergency Medical Services Authority developed the hospital incident command system. HICS was designed as a hospital-specific incident management system that can be used to prepare for, respond to and recover from crises, planned events and evolving threats.

HICS is designed to be a flexbile system that can adapt and scale according to any hospital’s unique needs, resources and threats. Hospitals that adopt HICS gain the benefits of using a proven system that’s nationally recognized and designed to integrate with local authorities and community organizations. HICS is used at hospitals throughout the U.S. and internationally.

HICS depends on several fundamental elements, including accountability, communication and a predictable chain of command. Additionally, it relies on the principle of Management by Objectives, which follows a defined series of steps: evaluating the problem, making a response plan and assigning resources to implement the plan.

ICS is the model tool for command, control, and coordination of a response and provides a means to coordinate the efforts of individual agencies as they work toward the common goal of stabilizing the incident and protecting life, property, and the environment. ICS uses principles that have been proven to improve efficiency and effectiveness in a business setting and applies the principles to emergency response. Why do you need to know about ICS? We live in a complex world in which responding to emergencies, from single-car accidents to large-scale disasters, often requires cooperation among several agencies. In an emergency, you and other personnel from your agency may be called upon to help with the response. Given the current movement toward using an ICS structure for emergency response, it is likely, therefore, that you will function in an ICS environment. In an emergency, you may not be working for your day-to-day supervisor, or you may be working in a different location. Thus, emergency response operations are not “business as usual.”

What is the primary goal of the Incident Command System?

ICS is the model tool for command, control, and coordination of response and provides a means to coordinate the efforts of individual agencies as they work toward the common goal of stabilizing the incident and protecting life, property, and the environment.

Legal Basis of ICS in the Philippines.

In line with the objectives of RA 10121, the Government of the Philippines through the NDRRMC, hereby adopts and integrates the Incident Command System (ICS) as an on-scene incident management mechanism within the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System (PDRRMS).