The State Government and many of the Borough Governments are using the Incident Command System. The ICS has been recognized as the model tool for the command, control, and coordination of resources and personnel at the scene of an emergency. The ICS is a management tool designed to assist anyone who has the responsibility for the successful outcome of an incident. An incident is any planned or unplanned occurrence or event, regardless of the cause, which requires action by emergency service personnel to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or natural resources.
The ICS structure begins with the Incident Commander (IC). The person designated IC is responsible for the management of the incident and starts the process by setting incident objectives. This person may do all functions without aid but will usually delegate responsibilities to others in the organization. The IC still has overall responsibility for the incident, regardless of duties delegated.
It is common to have an incident cross a jurisdictional boundary. Unified Command is the ICS process that allows the multiple jurisdictions to develop unified objectives and strategies for the incident. This is accomplished without any loss of authority, responsibility, or accountability.
The Command function consists of those actions that involve directing, ordering, and/or controlling resources by virtue of explicit legal, agency, or delegated authority. The head of the command function is the Incident Commander. Incident Commanders are selected on the basis of who has the Primary Authority for the overall control of the emergency event.