Is it safe to say that the Incident Managemet System (IMS) is used the same way in your department.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by brandon earley on February 9, 2009 at 6:53pm

it is done in the same structure but different people have different tatics

Permalink Reply by Skip Coleman on February 10, 2009 at 7:55am

Brandon,
So there is little to no confusion in your operations if you work "off-shift"? That's great. Would you say it is even used on EMS incidents? Some departments are now making standard IMS assignments on a heart attack runs (such are "you are compressions, your are airway, you are IV etc.)

Permalink Reply by Jeff Schwering on February 10, 2009 at 11:16am

Skip,
Three shifts, three different Fire Dept's at times. We do try to keep things the same. While it's getting better, we're not there yet. With the economy and manpower cuts facing us, one can only think we may go in reverse

Permalink Reply by Skip Coleman on February 10, 2009 at 4:45pm

Jeff,
Thanks for all you do with Round Table. As far as IMS and consistancy, If the young guys get it, it will come around. Sometime things take time. If the young "up-comers" like yourself see the value, when it's their turn (and it will be their turn soon), it will come around. Just keep everone safe in the interum.

Permalink Reply by brandon earley on February 10, 2009 at 9:23pm

at the volunteer department i am at, we do call on scene and in command. the full time department i am at, we do not say any one is in command. i think that is interesting that other departments do that. i guess you could say we do have assignments, but they change with the complexity of the call and as more man power arrives to assist us.

Permalink Reply by Skip Coleman on February 11, 2009 at 7:46am

Brandon,
How do you know who is in charge? As far as assignments, can you expound on "I guess you could say we do have assignments". How does the person in charge know who is doing what, when and more important, when that task is finished so something else can be done? This is interesting.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Schwering on February 11, 2009 at 11:29am

Skip

I can speak for my dept, the bosses seem to get IMS. Several problems exist on an out of town fire in another city. We use the Clemens system for accountability in St. Louis County, well some do, some IC'S tell you to hold on to your tags. That does a world of good. On a semi-recent multiple alarm condo fire, both of our engines assisted, one on the second, mine on the third alarm. When we arrived, our other company was in staging, primary searches had not been completed. I walked up to the IC, let him know our companies were available, both companies went to work. We are facing an uphill battle when some bosses aren't on the same sheet of music. Like you said Keep my guy/gals safe in the meantime.

Jeff

Permalink Reply by Brandon Krause on February 17, 2009 at 9:27pm

In our area most of the departments are on the same page, EMS is where the kink is thrown in. Our EMS (3rd city service) feels that they must have a unified command of some type on minor incidents such as collisions. They have a real problem integrating into our system, mostly due to a wanting to be in charge. The chiefs are doing a good job of trying to make them more accountable and forcing a better NIMS compliance into the system.

Permalink Reply by Skip Coleman on February 18, 2009 at 3:10pm

Brandon Krause said:

In our area most of the departments are on the same page, EMS is where the kink is thrown in. Our EMS (3rd city service) feels that they must have a unified command of some type on minor incidents such as collisions. They have a real problem integrating into our system, mostly due to a wanting to be in charge. The chiefs are doing a good job of trying to make them more accountable and forcing a better NIMS compliance into the system.

Permalink Reply by Skip Coleman on February 18, 2009 at 3:22pm

Good to hear that the Chiefs are handling it. Unified Command is too cumbersome for a minor vehicular accident.
FD is in charge to extricate (by that I mean cut the victims our, lift/carry or assist to feet – what ever it takes). Once boarded, if you are EMT’s, then your treatment and still in charge. Once they are in the back of the bus, then the private can be in charge of the victim.
If there is no fire threat, then you can put the Cops in charge and head back.

Permalink Reply by Shareef Abdu Nur on September 28, 2009 at 8:57am

IMS is a very good system. It has been proven to save lives and increase efficiency when it is implemented and followed. I recently went to a mutual aid fire in 2.5 story bungalow about 1500 sq ft. On scene there were 3 Eng Co's with 4 members each, 1 Tower Co with 4 members, 1 Rescue Co with 3 members, 3 Chiefs, 3 Assistant Chiefs, and 3 Investigators. I was never clear on which Chief was Command, but we got orders from every white helmet there. It was complete chaos. No Chief ever announced that he was Command. Thank God no one was hurt or missing. So, IMS is very good when it is implemented and followed.

Permalink Reply by Skip Coleman on September 28, 2009 at 7:21pm

Hopefully, you are young enough and can wait the "older" chiefs out. Protect yourself and your crew and when the time is right, make the changes to make it work. It's a horrible way to do business but sometimes it's all you can do.

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