Editing Incident Command System (section)

==Overview==
ICS consists of a standard management hierarchy and procedures for managing temporary incident(s) of any size. ICS procedures should be pre-established and sanctioned by participating authorities, and personnel should be well-trained prior to an incident.<ref>{{cite book|title=Prehospital Emergency Care, 10e.|last1=Werman|first1=Howard A.|last2=Karren|first2=K|last3=Mistovich|first3=Joseph|chapter=National Incident Management System:Incident Command System|publisher=[[Pearson Education]], Inc.|editor1=Werman A. Howard|editor2= Mistovich J|editor3=Karren K|page=1217|year=2014}}</ref>

ICS includes procedures to select and form temporary management hierarchies to control funds, personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications. Personnel are assigned according to established standards and procedures previously sanctioned by participating authorities. ICS is a system designed to be used or applied from the time an incident occurs until the requirement for management and operations no longer exist.<ref name="fema eoc doc">{{cite web |title=National Incident Management System Emergency Operations Center How-to Quick Reference Guide |url=https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_eoc-quick-reference-guide.pdf |website=DHS FEMA |access-date=4 May 2024 |archive-date=7 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707022141/https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_eoc-quick-reference-guide.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

ICS is interdisciplinary and organizationally flexible to meet the following management challenges:<ref name="fema eoc doc"></ref>
* Meets the needs of a jurisdiction to cope with incidents of any kind or complexity (i.e. it expands or contracts as needed).
* Allows personnel from a wide variety of agencies to meld rapidly into a common management structure with common terminology.
* Give logistical and administrative support to operational staff.
* Be cost-effective by avoiding duplication of efforts, and continuing overheads.
* Provide a unified, centrally authorized emergency organization.