Incident Command System (ICS)

ICS is a standardized on-scene emergency management system specifically designed to allow its user(s) to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents, without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries.

This approach:

• integrates the party responsible for the spill, the state, and the Coast Guard in a unified command structure that expands according to need, and

• establishes a pre-determined decision-making process and a common language that significantly reduces confusion and misunderstandings among personnel from different organizations.

This structure has been adapted by industry and government agencies to define and coordinate their roles and responsibilities in the event of a spill. The Incident Command System (ICS) has been tested and practiced extensively in drills. 

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is the response management system (mandated by the federal government for all emergency responses) used by most plan holders and approved by the Northwest Area Committee.