2009 NASAR CONFERENCE May 29 2009 Little Rock

2009 NASAR CONFERENCE May 29, 2009 Little Rock, Arkansas “Regardless of What You’ve Heard, NIMS is Not a Four Letter Word” or “The 5 Minute ICS Class” By: Fred Mullen Franklin County OEM SAR Produced by: Melissa Francis

Objectives 2 Explore distinction between/among Political, Agency, Incident Command Structures Discuss difficulties in teaching and learning Examine Barriers to Implementation Review Important Local Cases Demonstrate the 5 minute ICS Class Demonstrate the 1 minute Advanced ICS Class

Who’s In Charge? Political Structure Day to day operations Declared Emergency Agency Structure 3 Chiefs, Directors, Captains, etc. Incident Structure

Who’s In Charge? Incident Command Structure Made up of Agency Personnel Mission driven Most qualified person for function Assignments not dependent on agency or rank IC answers to AHJ Not known by name or rank but by a “skills bundle” 4

Political Structure Elected Officials Primary Concern—get re-elected 1. A. B. C. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5 Missions to go well Look good while going well Avoid looking bad if things go badly Bureaucracy— cut through or use Back Channels Influences Everything Personality Driven

Agency Structure Appointed Officials 1. Primary Concern—get boss re-elected A. B. C. Secondary Concern—Budget Impact 2. A. B. 6 3. Missions to go well Give boss and subordinates credit when going well Take blame and explain inadequacies when going badly Success usually breeds bigger budget and more influence Smart ones will use failures to breed bigger budgets Image Driven

Incident Structure Overhead to Crew Member Primary Concern—get re-tasked 1. A. B. C. 2. 7 Missions to go well Give boss and subordinates credit when going well Take blame and explain inadequacies Mission Driven

Sometimes it’s simple… Example: Sheriff makes a car stop Political—Sheriff is out working. Agency—Sheriff made a car stop, I better make one… Incident—Single Resource 8 Results: 1. No Ticket Issued—ball scores and cattle prices discussed. or 2. Felony arrest made

Sometimes it’s not too confusing… Example: 2 Fire Engines at a dumpster fire 9 Chief and Fire Fighter on 1 st Engine 2 Fire Fighters on 2 nd Engine Agency—Chief on scene Incident—Chief probably IC Political—mayor probably not coming down for a photo op.

Sometimes it’s complicated… Example: 9 -1 -1 Call: “My 6 year old daughter has been missing on the Ozark Highlands Trail for 45 minutes” 10 List of who will not be there is shorter than the list of who will be there. No single agency or discipline can handle this incident.

Traditional Command Choosing Process 11

Something Burning No Y e s Fire Department Call Emergency Management LEO 12 Y E S Something Bleeding Y Anything Else O N Something Shooting at Me EMS O N Upon Arrival Unit Finds

Works Most of the Time… Major shortcoming is that folks from one discipline has not learned to supervise or be supervised by ones from another discipline 13

Better Way When we all know there’s a better way hint, hint: ICS …why don’t we use it? 14

Barriers to Implementation 1. Cultural—Political and Agency 2. ICS training process and materials 15

Barriers to Implementation “What we do has always worked” Interpretation: Circle the appropriate choice A. Nobody B. Only 1 person C. Only a few people have been killed by our team so far. KEY—Examine near misses in light of how ICS might have helped 16 v. Quail Ridge Road and Valley Creek Story

Barriers to Implementation “If its guys from one agency or discipline we know how to work together on anything—like magic” (If this were only true) Interpretation: Magic… stand by for tragic KEY—When does it not work like magic? 17 v. LEO Fatality Story

Barriers to Implementation “I don’t want to use ICS terms on the radio” Interpretation: Embarrassment—people will think I’m trying to be a big shot or know it all if I use those terms on the radio. KEY—A little discomfort now while you transition or continual embarrassment as missions go poorly. 18 v. Quail Ridge Road and Valley Creek Road Story

Barriers to Implementation “You put too big a load on 1 person, we’re just volunteers. ” Interpretation: Remove the ambiguity so I cannot use the fog of battle as an excuse. KEY—Ask had you rather be in charge with everybody having an assignment and knowing their superior or letting people freelance? 19 v. VFD Fatality Story

Barriers to Implementation “My agency has jurisdiction, no need to get briefing from these volunteers. ” Interpretation: These slobs have been here 2 hours and haven’t done a darn thing—I’ll show them how to git-r-done! KEY—Two hours—This is more complicated than it seems 20 v. LEO Hazmat Story

Barriers to Implementation Lack of Reinforced Training “Sure, I know ICS—I took the I-100 and I-200 online…” Interpretation: I am here to mess your day up KEY—That’s going to help, but did you learn CPR, belaying, shoring, or tracking online? Must Practice: Table tops, drills, events, monthly training session 21

ICS Online Accomplishes 3 things: 1. Paper compliancy with NIMS Standards 2. Introduction 3. False to terms perception you don’t need to learn anything else about ICS 22

Barriers to Implementation Lack of Follow Through “Well, nobody else is going to check in, lets go get in our boat and look for the fellow. ” Interpretation: We’re the only ones here that actually see the big picture KEY—Your assignment success depends on other people completing theirs 23 v. Water Rescue Story

Barriers to Implementation Training Process—I Classes A. B. C. 24 Overwhelming Overly redundant without additional clarification or evolution Online emphasized

Barriers to Implementation 25 Training Materials—Text A. No or few case examples for primary classes B. Explains what but not how

Two Shortcomings for Us No easily definable way to communicate what is expected, required, needed on every incident. Leaves Political and Agency people A. B. 26 Without understanding that they are still in control How to wield that control effectively.

STROKE OF GENIUS SOMEWHERE SMART PEOPLE SAID Let’s develop some classes to help people manage incidents Let’s teach people from different agencies and disciplines to work together Let’s teach all these people how to use a common terminology 27 …so far, so good….

Now—Just the Stroke Let’s encourage it to be taken ONLINE by: A. B. 28 A person sitting alone with no interaction with others So they can take the test over and over until they pass it without even reading the materials

Using Lessons Learned/Best Practices Develop an ICS Core 29 What are the essentials of ICS that everyone on the scene must understand utilize? Had to be short or they wouldn’t listen. Had to make sense—not confusing Had to have something for them

Result 5 Minute ICS Class 1 Minute Advanced ICS Class 30

5 Minute Basic ICS Class 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 31 Boss—Fancy Title Briefing—Expect it, Demand it Assignment—Understand it Turndown or Accept Do It—NOT SOMETHING ELSE Debrief

1 Minute Advanced ICS Class 1. You May be a Boss—Get Fancy Title 2. Repeat steps 2 through 6 from Basic Course 32

Overcoming Barriers “Mr. NIMS, tear down these walls!” 1. Keep it simple—teach the 5 Minute ICS Class at your next meeting 2. Give people a choice: A. B. 33 Don’t come if you don’t do ICS Other places to serve

Overcoming Barriers 3. Emphasize Standard of Care A. B. Always upgrade responder skills—CPR Always upgrade technology—Better equipment ICS is a Responder Skill—it is software for the brain 34

Overcoming Barriers Emphasize Legal Aspects 4. 35 Homeland Security Directives CFR 29 and 49 State Statutes Local Ordinance M. A. and M. O. U.

Overcoming Barriers 5. Proven Management/Leadership Tools Built in Check list Ø 36 Framework for Management Framework for Leadership/Followship Develops atmosphere of cooperation

Overcoming Barriers 6. 7. 8. 37 Emphasize Safety and Mission Performance Reduced Chaos and Reduced Pressure Emphasize Grant Performance

How to Put Together 3 Interests 38 Use Agency Reps Use Unified Command Keep Political and Agency in loop Find a chink in Agency armor Find a chink in Political armor Don’t oversell or undersell your capacity and ability.

Unique Challenges Federal and State have 100, 000’s of Responders to expose to this material and to develop paper compliance. Locals—where it must actually be learned AS IS EVERY RESPONDER SKILL 39

Remember Just like the development of any other RESPONDER SKILL you will make mistakes. It will take time to get used to too like any other responder skill 40 No one would say “The new CPR is too hard, let’s do it the old way. ” Must train with the other Stake Holders

Influencing Politicians 41 Invite to training, drills, mocks—Use ICS Emphasis that ICS is most likely method of having competent people performing a function. Emphasis that needed changes are most quickly and effectively made through an ICS structure. Emphasis that TRAINED MUTUAL AID PARTNERS are more likely to come help us if an effective ICS structure is in place

Summary Look for receptive ears. Determine a way to help it fit. 42 Spoon full of sugar Scare the stuffing out of them Appeal to senses, vanity, order, status, astrologers, Dali Lama, interpretative dance, anything that helps it work. Simple way to get key points across

Summary Emphasize agencies and individuals hot buttons. Emphasize “this is a RESPONDER SKILL” 43 Standard of Care for patient Safety for Responders Enhance performance Develop a likable ICS subject matter expert for your team

Questions / Comments Fred Mullen Franklin County Office of Emergency Management 300 -A Airport Rd. Ozark, AR 72949 Office: (479) 667 -4909 Cell: (479) 209 -0818 Email: fc_oem@hotmail. com www. fcoes. com