**Incident Emergency Plan (IEP)**

**“The Incident within an Incident”**

**Introduction**

This plan is designed to address an emergency situation such as an entrapment, burn-over, aircraft crash, extreme firefighter injuries, camp evacuation, vehicle accident, etc., that may result in a near miss, serious injuries or fatalities, destruction of property, and mental anguish.  The emergency situation may occur at any time, and is likely to be in an isolated location.  Due to the remote location and excessive response times for local emergency response personnel, the Incident Management Team (IMT) will manage the emergency by assigning emergency situation responsibilities to team members.

This plan is not designed to supersede standard ICS procedures but to supplement such procedures.  All routine medical incidents shall be administered under the ICS-206 Medical Plan, and shall not be administered under the procedures in this IEP.  The MEDL can request to implement this plan at any time if they determine the scope of the medical incident has exceeded the capabilities of the ICS-206.

The intent of this plan is to establish control of an emergency situation as quickly as possible by identifying responsibilities and procedures.

**Responsibilities for Managing Emergencies**

The IMT Incident Commander (IC) is responsible for the orientation of individual team members to the Incident Emergency Plan (IEP).  The Deputy IC is also responsible for the implementation of the IEP in the event of an emergency, and for the performance of team members.

**General**

When an incident is declared to be a life threatening and/or an imminent threat emergency or the status of the incident cannot be determined, the following procedures and assignments shall be implemented.  This determination shall be declared by the senior person at the scene of the incident as determined by the ICS system.

**Procedures:**

**Communications:** Radio communications shall be on the established incident command frequency.  The communications unit will declare an emergency and limit all radio traffic on the command frequency to emergency traffic only.  The Communications Unit Leader (COML) shall coordinate radio procedures for the emergency.  

The LSC will generally handle all incoming and outgoing phone traffic. The LSC is responsible for clearing the Communications Unit area of all non-essential personnel.  No information will be released to the media until approved by the IC or DPIC.

The PSC will assure that an individual is assigned to work with the COML to document all communications regarding the incident/accident.

**C&G staff Recall:** The communications unit will request for the IC/DPIC, OSC, PIO, PSC, SOF, and AOBD (or their delegated representative) to assemble outside of the communications unit to manage command of the incident.  These respective personnel will determine the need for additional C&G staff and other functional representatives.  The delegation of responsibilities will be handled at this level.

**Confirmation of Incident**: Any person can declare an emergency incident and the procedures will continue to be implemented until confirmed.  The incident shall be confirmed by the IC/DPIC or the SOF in the absence of the DPIC.  Only the IC/DPIC or SOF can terminate these procedures.

**On Scene Command:** The nearest Operations Branch Director (OPBD) or Division Group Supervisor (DIVS) assigned for that operational period shall be initially assigned to the emergency situation as the “on scene Incident Commander” to implement the IEP until relieved by the DPIC, SOF1, OSC1, or I.C.  This relief will occur as soon as practical.

**Agency Administrator Notification**:  The IC (or DPIC) will contact the Agency Administrator to brief them on the incident/accident.  The Agency Administrator in turn will notify appropriate agency personnel.

· If the accident involves a fatality, the Agency Administrator will notify the County Sheriff, Coroner, the victims home agency, and follow other identified agency procedures.

**PIO Operations:-**When a report of an event requiring emergency action is received, the Lead PIO will be immediately notified. Brief all other PIOs on how to respond to inquiries until the IEP can be implemented. The Lead PIO will meet with Command and General Staff at Communications to confirm facts related to the incident and initiate the Team’s Emergency Plan.  The Lead PIO will call the incident’s responsible agency PAO to coordinate roles of the agency and Team with respect to information release. The Lead PIO will meet with the Information Section staff and assign roles as appropriate. Identify separate organizations to perform the Information function for the Incident and the fire.

**Air Operations**:  The AOBD will set the priorities for all on-going aircraft missions, in consultation with the ATGS, to ensure that the ATGS can focus attention to the IEP without distraction from other missions.  If necessary, air operations may be suspended or curtailed significantly until the emergency situation is abated.

· The ATGS will serve as a communications link for poor communications areas, and coordinate all air support (including Medivac flights) into the accident scene area.

**Members:** Names of injured or deceased individuals, crew names or designators, or other identifying information are not to be transmitted on the radio.  The Agency Administrator having jurisdiction of the incident is the only authorized source for release of such identifying information.

**Deceased Individuals:** Deceased individuals are not to be moved, except to accomplish rescue work or to protect the health and safety of others.  Personal effects of the deceased are not to be moved or removed. Flag off area and keep media from entering the area.

Contact proper Agency/Home unit for whom the deceased works for.

**Documentation:** Each person involved with the management of the emergency will complete a thorough documentation of their respective actions.  This is extremely important and is not to be overlooked.  The ICS-214 form should be utilized for initial notations, but subsequent narratives shall be required.

**Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Teams:**  The PSC will consult with the IC, DPIC, HRS and other Team members to determine the need for a CISDT.  A CIST specialist (or team) will always be ordered in the case of entrapment or fatality.

**After Action Review (AAR):** An AAR will be held for each incident that implements these procedures.  This review will be facilitated by the DPIC or SOF and will be conducted as soon as practical after the incident.  When the DPIC, SOF and other C&G members were personally involved in the incident, or where scale of incident justifies, a “neutral” facilitator, possibly a CIST specialist, will be used.  Participants in the AAR will be determined by the DPIC or SOF1.