Emergency Operations Plan
6.0 National Incident Management System
The National Incident Management System prescribes a national template for responding to major emergencies and disasters. One of the core elements within NIMS is the directive to utilize the Incident Command System (ICS). For incidents that are site specific or limited in scope, the Incident Command System will be utilized with little or no Emergency Operations Center involvement. The University Police Department will most likely fulfill the ICS structure, although other departments may be involved from time to time.
The decision to operate within the on-scene ICS model, or, to integrate operations into the Emergency Operations Center should be determined by:
- Incident Size: If the incident is expanding beyond a limited geographic area the EOC model should be used to manage the incident.
- Incident Complexity: As more departments and resources are committed to the incident, the University may utilize the Emergency Operations Center to improve communication and coordination.
Although the ICS model will be incorporated into the response throughout the incident, the system may also be incorporated into the Emergency Operations Center structure, and operate by emergency function. The EOC will increase coordination capabilities and align within any ICS structure.
The use of the Emergency Operations Center to coordinate an incident does not preclude the use of the Incident Command System, but provides the University with improved capabilities to most effectively respond and recover.
