Incident Command System Essay
Terrorism provides a unique challenge for emergency responders. Although they share many similar qualities as regular crimes, there may be an added danger. One such danger is the use of weapons of mass destruction. Responding to terrorism falls primarily into the realm of federal law enforcement; however, major incidents will often require the use of multiple agencies from multiple jurisdictions. A disorganized response force could spell doom for the victims. This is why the Incident Command System is so important in the prevention and mitigation of disaster effects. The Incident Command System provides a unified chain of command for emergency responders. The ICS is divided into five major sections: command, operations, planning, logistics,
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Blank and Blank (Year) state that, “terrorist attacks can produce conditions that resemble disasters, such as the following: Kill or injure large numbers of people, affect a large geographic area and many jurisdiction…” (p. 108). This is why the Incident Command System can be tremendously important. When a major terrorist attack happens, it will involve multiple agencies. The September 11 attacks are an example of how interoperability can fail. The radios utilized by the NYPD and FDNY were not compatible with each other, because the individual agencies did not want to speak to each other (Newman, Year, p. 126). This led to a lapse in communications. The ICS contains pre-established chains of command that serves to mitigate inoperability between differing agencies. In incidents involving weapons of mass destructions, there is an added danger. Through the use of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) hazards; terrorists can make a dangerous situation even deadlier. The introduction of CBRN agents can make an attack more deadly and contagious. The proper identification of symptoms and their causes is not always readily apparent either. Information sharing is enormously vital in this regard. All responders must be made aware of any possible CBRN contamination in order to mitigate the effects as much as
Blank and Blank (Year) state that, “terrorist attacks can produce conditions that resemble disasters, such as the following: Kill or injure large numbers of people, affect a large geographic area and many jurisdiction…” (p. 108). This is why the Incident Command System can be tremendously important. When a major terrorist attack happens, it will involve multiple agencies. The September 11 attacks are an example of how interoperability can fail. The radios utilized by the NYPD and FDNY were not compatible with each other, because the individual agencies did not want to speak to each other (Newman, Year, p. 126). This led to a lapse in communications. The ICS contains pre-established chains of command that serves to mitigate inoperability between differing agencies. In incidents involving weapons of mass destructions, there is an added danger. Through the use of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) hazards; terrorists can make a dangerous situation even deadlier. The introduction of CBRN agents can make an attack more deadly and contagious. The proper identification of symptoms and their causes is not always readily apparent either. Information sharing is enormously vital in this regard. All responders must be made aware of any possible CBRN contamination in order to mitigate the effects as much as