21st Century FEMA Course Manuals - Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS) for Healthcare and Hospitals, IS-100, Basic Knowledge of the ICS, Student Manual (Ringbound)

This vital Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training course manual is one of the series of influential FEMA documents providing crucial material on disasters and emergency response. This course provides training on and resources for healthcare and hospital personnel who require a basic understanding of the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS 100, Introduction to the Incident Command System for Healthcare/Hospitals, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The target audience includes healthcare and hospital personnel involved with emergency planning, and response or recovery efforts. The course objective is to enable participants to demonstrate basic knowledge of the Incident Command System (ICS). The training is comprised of the following lessons: Unit 1: Course Overview; Unit 2: ICS Overview; Unit 3: ICS Features & Principles; Unit 4: Management, Command & Responsibilities; Unit 5: ICS Organization: Part 1; Unit 6: ICS Organization: Part 2; Unit 7: Course Summary. ICS is widely used in the emergency services community by such agencies as fire, police, and emergency medical services. In view of recent events and the potential threats to our infrastructure, it is important for healthcare organizations to participate in the planning and response to crisis situations. The formal adoption of ICS by healthcare organizations will result in many benefits, including: Greater Efficiency - Since ICS is designed for use by trained personnel to direct and coordinate efforts in a crisis situation, healthcare organizations will be able to more efficiently manage both internal and external crises. Better Coordination - Healthcare organizations will be able to better coordinate with outside agencies and organizations during a crisis if ICS is implemented. More Effective Communication - Healthcare organizations will be able to more effectively communicate with outside agencies and organizations when they use common terminology. Using common titles for command and general staff positions facilitates communications with external, local responders. An incident is an occurrence, either caused by humans or natural phenomena, that requires response actions to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or the environment. Examples of incidents include: Fire, both structural and wildland. Natural disasters, such as tornadoes, floods, ice storms or earthquakes. Human and animal disease outbreaks. Search and rescue missions. Hazardous materials incidents. Criminal acts and crime scene investigations. Terrorist incidents, including the use of weapons of mass destruction. National Special Security Events, such as Presidential visits or the Super Bowl. Other planned events, such as parades or demonstrations. Given the magnitude of these types of events, it's not always possible for any one agency or organization alone to handle the management and resource needs. Partnerships are often required among local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies. These partners must work together in a smooth, coordinated effort under the same management system. The Incident Command System, or ICS, is a standardized, all-hazard incident management concept. ICS allows its users to adopt an integrated organizational structure to match the complexities and demands of single or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. ICS has considerable internal flexibility. It can grow or shrink to meet different needs. This flexibility makes it a very cost effective and efficient management approach for both small and large situations.