Insert Clinic Logo
Emergency Operations Plan
Preparedness
Subject: Incident Command System
Policy No.: 3.01
POLICY:
The CLINICwill establish an Incident Command system to support effective response to a manmade or natural disasters.
PROCEDURES:
- In accordance with national standards, the Clinic will establish and maintain an Incident Command System that will generally include:
- Incident Commander, responsible for:
- Developing and implementing strategic decisions and approving the ordering and releasing of resources.
- Obtaining situation briefing from prior shift Incident Manager (if running more than one shift.)
- Assessing situation regularly—using threat action checklists for basic actions to take.
- Conducting initial briefing for all staff.
- Activating elements of ICS as needed.
- Briefing management staff and section chiefs.
- Ensuring planning meetings are conducted.
- Approving and authorizing implementation of recovery Action Plan.
- Determining information needs and informing management personnel of needs.
- Coordinating staff activity.
- Managing overall operations.
- Approving requests for additional resources and requests for release of resources.
- Authorizing release of information to news media.
- Approving plan for demobilization.
- Public Information Officer, who reports to the Incident Commander and is responsible for:
- The formulation and release of information about the response and recovery to the news media and other appropriate agencies and organizations
- Obtaining briefing from the Incident Manager.
- Contacting other involved agencies to coordinate public information activities.
- Establishing single recovery information point of contact whenever possible.
- Arranging for necessary workspace, materials, telephones, and staffing for PIO staff.
- Preparing initial information summary as soon as possible after arrival.
- Observing constraints on the release of information imposed by the Incident Manager.
- Obtaining approval for release from the Incident Manager.
- Releasing information to news media and post information in EOC and other appropriate locations.
- Attending meetings to update information releases.
- Arranging for meetings between media and Clinic Executive Director.
- Providing escort service to the media and VIP's.
- Responding to special requests for information.
- Liaison Officer, who reports to the Incident Commander and is responsible for:
- Obtaining initial briefing from the Incident Manager or EOC Incident Manager.
- Providing point of contact for assisting/cooperating agency representatives.
- Identifying agency representatives from each agency including communications links and locations.
- Responding to requests from Clinic staff for inter-organizational contacts.
- Monitoring recovery operations to identify current or potential inter-organizational problems.
- Assisting the Incident Manager to craft strategies for coordinating with other organizations.
- Safety Officer, who reports to the Incident Commander and is responsible for:
- Obtaining initial briefing from the Incident Manager or EOC Incident Manager.
- Identifying hazardous situations associated with the response/recovery to ensure personnel avoid them or are prepared to manage operations in that environment without harm.
- Participating in all planning meetings.
- Developing the medical plan. (NOTE: Medical plan refers to treatment of injuries at the EOC or related to response and recovery actions).
- Reviewing Action Plans.
- Identifying potentially unsafe situations.
- For all reportable injuries, conducting an initial investigation and writing a report and submitting it to appropriate officials within required timeframes.
- Exercising emergency authority to stop and prevent unsafe acts.
- Investigating accidents that have occurred within the response / recovery operations area, including arranging for investigation of accidents in field operations involving Clinic personnel.
- Establishing and maintaining a controlled entry area, including the use of a formal entry log.
- Verifying identification and entrance needs for all wishing to enter the EOC area.
- Ensuring staff wear ID badges. Providing badges for visitors and staff, as necessary.
- Denying entrance when there is reason to suspect the need for admittance is not warranted.
- Coordinating with building security and/or law enforcement, if present.
- Requesting external law enforcement assistance as needed.
- Recording staff entering for response/recovery activities in the entry log. This includes entrance and exit times.
- Providing a copy of the log to the Logistics Section Chief before the end of each operational period in order to track staffing.
- Providing a copy of the log to the Finance and Administration and Administration Section Chief so they can track time for possible reimbursement.
- Medical/Technical Specialist-Medical, responsible for:
- Documenting all key activities, actions, and decisions in an Operational Log (HICS Form 214) on a continual basis.
- Requesting staffing assistance to assist with rapid research as needed to determine hazard and safety information critical to treatment concerns for the victims and personnel.
- Verifying from the number and condition of patients affected.
- Collaborating with the Public Health Department in developing a case definition. Ensuring that the case definition is communicated to the Incident Commander, SafetyOfficer and all patient care areas.
- Communicating with Operations Section Chief and Safety Officer regarding disease information and staff protection.
- Ensuring that appropriate standard of isolation precautions are being used in all patient care areas. Arranging for just-in-time training regarding isolation precautions as required.
- Meeting regularly with the Command staff, Operations Section Chief to plan and project patient care needs.
- Participating in briefings and meetings and contribute to the Incident Action Plan, as requested.
- Recommending input for PIO press releases as requested.
- Contacting the local Public Health Department, in collaboration with the Liaison Officer, as required, for notification, support, and investigation resources.
- Medical/Technical Specialist-Mental Health, responsible for:
- Obtaining initial briefing from Incident Manager.
- Informing Logistics Section of support needs.
- Gathering information and conducting assessment.
- Indentifying most affect patients, staff.
- Providing Psychological First Aid to staff and patients, as appropriate.
- Controlling rumors/combating with information.
- Identifying and addressing post-response mental health needs.
- Operations Section Chief, responsible for:
- Obtaining briefing from the Incident Manager.
- Developing operations portion of the Action Plans.
- Briefing and assigning operations personnel in accordance with the Action Plan.
- Supervising Operations Section staff and activities to move the recovery forward.
- Determining response/recovery action needs and requesting additional support resources.
- Reviewing the suggested list of resources to be used in response and recovery and initiate recommendations for when the resources will be used and for what purpose.
- Assembling and disassembling teams assigned to Operations Section.
- Reporting information about special activities, events, and occurrences to the EOC Incident Manager.
- Planning Section Chief, responsible for:
- Obtaining initial briefing from Incident Manager.
- Activating Planning Section.
- Establishing information requirements and reporting schedules for all organizational elements for use in preparing the Action Plans.
- Posting the names of the activated staff in the EOC, including names and locations of assigned personnel. The names should be available from the Logistics Section.
- Establishing a weather data collection system, and other threat assessment techniques, as necessary. This could include traffic, fire, hazmat, and flood reports.
- Supervising preparation of Action Plans as facilitator for the action-planning meeting.
- Assembling information on alternative strategies for response and recovery.
- Identifying need for use of specialized resource(s) for Logistics.
- Providing periodic predictions on recovery schedule status—evaluating milestones and % completion of objectives.
- Compiling and displaying on status boards the response or recovery status summary information.
- Advising general staff of any significant changes in response or recovery status.
- Providing a traffic plan, including safe routes for evacuation to another site, or return to Headquarters, or the field station.
- Preparing and distributing the Action Plan and other written orders from the Director.
- Ensuring that normal agency information/ reporting requirements are being met.
- Preparing recommendations for release of resources for the Director.
- Logistics Section Chief, who is responsible for:
- Obtaining a briefing from the Incident Manager.
- Planning the organization of the Logistics Section.
- Providing work locations for all ERT personnel, whether in or out of the EOC.
- Recording and tracking the activated ERT members, including names and locations of assigned personnel.
- Participating in preparation of Action Plans for support and service elements.
- Identifying service and supporting requirements for planned and expected operations.
- Providing input to and reviewing communications plan, medical plan, and security plan.
- Coordinating and processing requests for additional resources with other sections.
- Estimating all Section’s needs for next operational period.
- Ensuring Communications Plan is prepared.
- Assisting Planning Section to develop an EOC Demobilization Plan.
- Recommending release of resources in conformity with the Demobilization Plan.
- Ensuring general welfare and safety of all EOC personnel in coordination with the Safety Officer.
- Assisting the Security Officer with any needs for establishing and maintaining security of the EOC and ERT staff, which could include escorts to and from personal vehicles.
- Finance and Administration Section Chief, responsible for:
- Obtaining initial briefing from Incident Manager.
- Developing an operating plan for Finance and Administration Section for response and recovery.
- Ensuring that personnel time records are tracked and processed according to policy.
- Processing purchase orders and contracts in coordination with Logistics Section Chief.
- Purchasing/ordering needed food, lodging and transportation support for response and recovery.
- Processing Workers Compensation claims related to Clinic emergency response and recovery activities.
- Handling travel and expense claims.
- Attending planning meetings to gather information and to provide input on financial and cost analysis matters.
- Briefing Section Chiefs on all response or recovery-related business management issues needing attention, and follow-up prior to closure of recovery.
- Ensuring that all obligation documents initiated during response and recovery are properly prepared and completed.
- Participating in all demobilization planning.