COMMAND

An Area Command is established when the complexity of the incident and incident management span-of-control considerations so dictate. Generally, the administrator(s) of the agency having jurisdictional responsibility for the incident makes the decision to establish an Area Command.

The purpose of an Area Command is either to oversee the management of multiple incidents that are each being handled by a separate ICS organization or to oversee the management of a very large or complex incident that has multiple incident management teams engaged.

This type of command is generally used when there are a number of incidents in the same area and of the same type, such as two or more HAZMAT spills or fires. These are usually the kinds of incidents that may compete for the same resources. When incidents are of different types and/or do not have similar resource demands, they are usually handled as separate incidents or are coordinated through an EOC. If the incidents under the authority of the Area Command span multiple jurisdictions, a Unified Area Command should be established. This allows each jurisdiction involved to have appropriate representation in the Area Command.

Area Commands are particularly relevant to public health emergencies, given that these events are typically not site specific, not immediately identifiable, geographically dispersed, and evolve over time ranging from days to weeks. Such events as these, as well as acts of biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear terrorism, call for a coordinated intergovernmental, private-sector, and nongovernmental organization response, with large-scale coordination typically conducted at a higher jurisdictional level.

OPERATIONS

The Operations Section is responsible for managing tactical operations at the incident site directed toward reducing the immediate hazard, saving lives and property, establishing situation control, and restoring normal conditions. Incidents can include acts of terrorism, wildland and urban fires, floods, hazardous material spills, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, war-related disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and other incidents requiring an emergency response.

Because of its functional unit management structure, the ICS is applicable across a spectrum of incidents differing in size, scope, and complexity. The types of agencies that could be included in the Operations Section include fire, law enforcement, public health, public works, and emergency services, working together as a unit or in combinations, depending on the situation. Many incidents may involve private individuals, companies, or nongovernmental organizations, some of which may be fully trained and qualified to participate as partners in the Operations Section.

Incident operations can be organized and executed in many ways. The specific method selected will depend on the type of incident, agencies involved, and objectives and strategies of the incident management effort. The following discussion presents several different methods of organizing incident tactical operations. In some cases, a method will be selected to accommodate jurisdictional boundaries. In other cases, the approach will be strictly functional. In still others, a mix of functional and geographical approaches may be appropriate. The ICS offers extensive flexibility in determining the appropriate approach using the factors described above.

PLANNING

The Planning Section is responsible for collecting, evaluating, and disseminating tactical information pertaining to the incident. This section maintains information and intelligence on the current and forecasted situation, as well as the status of resources assigned to the incident. The Planning Section prepares and documents IAPs and incident maps and gathers and disseminates information and intelligence critical to the incident. As shown in Figure 3-A, the Planning Section has four primary units and may include a number of technical specialists to assist in evaluating the situation and forecasting requirements for additional personnel and equipment.

LOGISTICS

The Logistics Section meets all support needs for the incident, including ordering resources through appropriate procurement authorities from off-incident locations. It also provides facilities, transportation, supplies, equipment maintenance and fueling, food service, communications, and medical services for incident personnel. See Figure 4-A. The Logistics Section is led by a Section Chief, who may also have a deputy. Having a deputy is encouraged when all designated units are established at an incident site. When the incident is very large or requires a number of facilities with large numbers of equipment, the Logistics Section can be divided into two branches (Figure 4-B provides an example).

FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION

When there is a specific need for financial, reimbursement (individual and agency or department), and/or administrative services to support incident management activities, a Finance/Administration Section is established. Under the ICS, not all agencies will require such assistance. In large, complex scenarios involving significant funding originating from multiple sources, the Finance/Administrative Section is an essential part of the ICS. In addition to monitoring multiple sources of funds, the Section Chief must track and report to the IC the financial “burn rate” as the incident progresses. This allows the IC to forecast the need for additional funds before operations are affected negatively. This is particularly important if significant operational assets are under contract from the private sector. The Section Chief may also need to monitor cost expenditures to ensure that statutory rules that apply are met. Close coordination with the Planning Section and Logistics Section is also essential so that operational records can be reconciled with financial documents. Note that, in some cases, only one specific function may be required
(e.g., cost analysis), which a technical specialist in the Planning Section could provide. Figure 5-A illustrates the basic Finance/Administration Section organizational structure. The Finance/Administration Section Chief will determine, given current and anticipated future requirements, the need for establishing specific subordinate units. In some of the functional areas (e.g., procurement), an actual unit need not be established if it would consist of only one person. In such a case, a procurement technical specialist would be assigned in the Planning Section instead. Because of the specialized nature of finance functions, the Section Chief should come from the agency that has the greatest requirement for this support. The Section Chief may have a deputy.

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