Basic Tenets of Emergency Response Some basic concepts an emergency manager might find helpful: Maintain focus. Incident manag ers should not dwell on what has already happened. Dwelling on the fact that there was an explosion or failure of a container, person nel have been injured or killed, or wondering how something could have happened serve only to dis tract from the mission of success fully mitigating an incident. Focus on what can be changed, not on what cannot. Complacency kills. The investiga tion of most emergency responder injuries and fatalities often point to complacency as a causal factor. Since risk is always present during an emergency incident and the situation is very dynamic, emer gency responders must always be situationally aware and at the top of their game, depending on their training, equipment and proce- dures to protect them. Never let your guard down. Forget the words never and always. A good way to get in trouble quick ly is by managing an emergency by saying it never or always behaves in a certain manner. All incidents are different and must be evaluated for what they are. In the same vein, do not outwardly disregard or dismiss any information outright until it has been completely and thorough ly evaluated. The If: is responsible for managing or delegating command and staff func- tions. Many things need to be done at an emergency. The IC is responsi ble for doing everything, or delegat ing that responsibility to another competent person (s). However, the IC is ultimately responsible for en suring that all tasks, whether kept or delegated, are completed properly. The It: cannot be an island. In today's world, an IC cannot realistically expect to know everything about all types of potential emergencies. Although the IC may have exper tise in one or more areas, in some incidents input from subjectmatter experts will be needed. For example, for a HazMat release at a xed chemical facility, it would make sense to consult with facil ity experts. Experience has shown that ICs who think they have all the answers for every possible situation often have the biggest problems. Don't be afraid to say, \"I don't know the answer,\" and find someone who does. The safety of responders requires that degree of honesty. If in command, take command. If as signed the responsibility of incident command, take charge and lead the effort to mitigate the emergency immediately. The IC must exude a command presence, and let there be no doubt that youand you aloneare in command. ICs who tend to be more reserved often find that things don't go according to their plan as others assume a lead ership role and start giving orders. This can lead to disaster as there are now several plans being imple- mented that may be in conict with each other. When the management of incidents degrades to this state, problems are likely. Remember, the only thing worse than a bad deci sion is no decision. The It: cannot get involved at the task level. The IC is like the conductor of the orchestra. One is not likely to see the conductor put down the ba ton, climb down into the orchestra pit and start playing the clarinet. If so, the overall tune would likely be sour as there is no overall direction for the rest of the orchestra. The IC's job is to maintain focus on the big picture, ensuring the safety and health of responders, coordinating resources, keeping a strategic focus and managing the incident. If the IC starts getting his/her hands dirty, overall control of the incident is lost, things don't get done and the situation generally deteriorates. Control the situation or it will control you. Emergency incidents are dan gerous and dynamic. Few incidents end at the same point at which they began. By their nature, emergencies tend to grow larger and expand ex ponentially if response is not well executed. ICs who do not act in a proactive and aggressive manner are often playing catch up in trying to mitigate the incident. Instead of the IC dictating the conditions, responders are now in a reactive mode as the incident has its way. You can never have enough manpow- er. One common pitfall for an IC is not ensuring that adequate man power is available for immediate de ployment if needed. Often, the rst wave of responders is committed to the mitigation efforts, and no provie sion has been made for a second wave of responders. The bottom line is that most emergencies typically require at least twice the number of responders to mitigate the incident than was initially determined. Con sideration should be given to calling for additional resources as soon as possible. Remember the lag time between ordering resources and the time they actually arrive on scene can be significant. Know the limitations of your people and equipment. Most emergency responders think they can do anything. However, despite their best intentions, responders cannot operate at high levels of stress and exertion, wearing PPE in poor envi ronmental conditions for extended For complicated incidents, it is a good practice to have several plans available in case the initial one is not successful. periods of time. An 1C who expects responders to operate at that level for hours is asking for trouble. Most responders require a con siderable rehabilitation period after working as little as 15 minutes. Likewise, the IC must know what their equipment can do. If a re ow of 6,000 gpm is needed, and the fire pump can only supply 1,500 gpm, the expected results will not be realized. Know what the people and equipment can do, and ensure that adequate resources are avail able to meet tactical needs. Every incident needs: Plan A (in use): Plan B (in your pocket): and Plan C (under development). The key to success in an emergency is proper planning. Incident action plans must be developed quickly, and com municated to responders before starting an operation. Seldom is an incident completely and successfully mitigated using the original plan. Therefore, it is recommended that a second plan be immediately avail able once the rst plan is initiated, as conditions can and will change rapidly. At the same time, a third plan should be under development taking into consideration what has already happened through the em ployment of Plan A. Know when to say no. Sometimes, the best option is to do nothing. The risk is too great, and there is an insufcient amount of resources, training or personnel to accom plish something positive. There is no sense in adding to the casualty count by taking the approach that something must be done. Instead, wait for more favorable odds. Despite the best plans, had things will happen. It has been established that emergencies are dynamic, and the risk posed to responders cannot be completely eliminated. Although planning and training may have been great, and the best equipment is available, bad things are sure to happen considering the adverse environment in which responders work. The IC's job is to reduce the adverse consequences as best as possible, yet be prepared for bad things to happen