301.140 - Incident Command System

Minnesota Department of Corrections

Policy: 301.140 Title: Incident Command System

Issue Date: 5/3/11

Effective Date: 6/7/11

PURPOSE: To establish standard operating procedures to be used during all emergencies and non-routine incidents.

APPLICABILITY: All Minnesota correctional facilities (MCF's) and central office

POLICY: Incident command system (ICS) is a component of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). This system is used by Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) staff along with mutual aid agreements (see Division Directive 300.036, "Emergency Assistance Non-State Systems,") in the management of incidents that occur outside normal operations.

DEFINITIONS:

Emergency response teams (ERT) – an approved team to be activated under an expanded ICS. This team is a combination of department trained members from the following disciplines: crisis negotiations team, marksman observers, special operations group, canine, and special operation response team.

PROCEDURES:

A. The assistant commissioner of facility services must appoint a department ICS coordinator to oversee the department incident command system and maintain the department Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) - Incident Command System (attached).

B. Each facility warden is responsible to ensure that the ICS is maintained at his/her MCF in accordance with this policy.

C. The department ICS coordinator must assist each MCF with development and consistency to ensure that ICS is applied and practiced by all staff.

D. Each MCF must maintain a command post that is equipped with tactical equipment/documents, manuals, EOP and department policy and procedures pertaining to emergency response.

E. All incidents that arise to the level of command post activation must be reported to central office. The MCF warden/designee must notify the assistant commissioner of facility services and update during the course of the incident.

1. Upon notification of an incident at a MCF, central office personnel must collect all essential facts and determine if assistance is required or requested. Notification of central office staff must be based upon the nature of the incident. Central office staff may respond to the MCF with guidance, advice, or to provide support services.

2. If the department operation center at central office is activated, central office staff must maintain communications to the MCF command post.

F. All central office staff who are or could be assigned to the department operations center must receive ICS training as appropriate.

G. All requests for inter-department assistance from ERT, marksman observer team (MO), crisis negotiation team (CNT), canine (K-9) team, special operations group (SOG) or another MCF's special operations response team (SORT), must be made directly to the assistant commissioner of facility services.

H. Assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), National Guard or other state agencies must be requested through the assistant commissioner of facility services.

I. All MCF's must maintain a list of local support agencies, the primary contact person, and contact numbers. Central office maintains all mutual aid agreements. (See Division Directive 300.036, "Emergency Assistance Non-State Systems.")

1. Law enforcement;

2. Fire department;

3. Emergency medical services;

4. Emergency management center (local);

5. Bomb disposal unit;

6. Hazmat response unit; and

7. Other local support agencies.

J. All MCF's must maintain a list of local stakeholders who may need notification during an incident at the facility:

1. Schools;

2. Neighbors;

3. Hospitals;

4. Local businesses; and/or

5. Utility companies.

K. All MCF's must maintain a trained public information officer (PIO) for incidents and to be available for the MCF's command post. During regular business hours the MCF PIO must notify and consult with the department PIO during the incident. During non-business hours, the MCF command staff must notify the department PIO. The assistant commissioner of facility services/designee must approve all information released.

L. Each MCF must establish media assembly locations - see Policy 101.310, "Media Contacts."

M. Use of force in response to an incident - see Policy 301.080, "Use of Force and Restraints," and/or Division Directive 301.081, "Use of Force and Restraints - Adult Facilities."

N. Each MCF's ICS coordinator must submit a quarterly report to the department ICS coordinator. This report must include the MCF's quarterly statistics on all ICS responses and exercises. The report must also include significant achievements, primary concerns, points of interest, past quarter objectives, next quarter objectives and a summary involving the ICS. The department ICS coordinator must then submit a department quarterly ICS report to the assistant commissioner of facility services. (See also Policy 102.010, "Quarterly Reports.")

O. Debriefing:

1. After a serious incident, the MCF chief security officer/designee must convene and facilitate a tactical debriefing to review and analyze the response of facility staff and correct deficiencies/improve response to similar situations in the future. Incidents that may require a tactical debrief include:

a) Staff assault;

b) Serious offender injury;

c) Escape/attempted escape;

d) Riot/disturbance (multiple offender incidents); and/or

e) Any time a facility deems tactical debriefing to be of value.

2. The person facilitating the debriefing must document:

a) Date/time;

b) Who attended the debriefing; and

c) A brief summary of the recommendations made during the debriefing for changes in how the response was conducted.

3. The tactical debriefing includes:

a) Policy and procedure - was policy and procedure adequate? Was it clear, effective and available to staff? Was ICS used effectively?

b) Staffing - were adequate staff available? Was responding staff in the appropriate classifications?

c) Training - was appropriate supervision available? Was supervision effective?

d) Equipment - did staff have the necessary equipment with which to respond?

4. Critical incident debriefings - see also Policy 103.090, "Critical Incident Stress Management."

P. Training: successful integration of ICS into daily operations must be reinforced by training exercises.

1. An exercise is a staged incident in which staff respond in terms of planning, directing and communicating, as if the incident were actually occurring. The purpose of ICS exercises is to provide training and positive reinforcement of ICS principles and practices.

2. Each MCF must conduct exercises on each shift throughout the month. B-team responses must be conducted quarterly and a large-scale exercise must be conducted at each MCF at least annually.

3. Exercise guidelines:

a) Generally, notification of adjacent units, facilities and communications centers should be made prior to the exercise so that only the areas being assessed respond.

b) Exercises should be conducted under a variety of conditions so that the scheduling and handling does not become predictable.

c) Exercises should be spontaneous and unexpected in order to increase their effectiveness. However, the person conducting the exercise should announce "this is an exercise" at the start.

d) Debriefings can be conducted after an exercise in order to give participants an opportunity to learn and to ask questions. These debriefings also serve to alert administrators to operational concerns identified during the exercise.

REVIEW: Annually

REFERENCES: ACA Standards 4-4217, 4-4220, 4-4224, 3-JTS-3B-07, 3-JTS-3B-12, 3-JTS-3B-14, 1-ABC-3B-08, 1-ABC-3B-12, 2-CO-3B-02.

Division Directive 300.036, "Emergency Assistance Non-State Systems"

Division Directive 301.082, "Marksman/Observer Team"

Division Directive 301.146, "Special Operations Group (SOG)"

Division Directive 301.145, "Special Operations Response Team (SORT)"

Policy 101.310, "Media Contacts"

Policy 301.080, "Use of Force and Restraints"

Division Directive 301.081, "Use of Force and Restraints - Adult Facilities"

Policy 102.010, "Quarterly Reports"

Policy 103.090, "Critical Incident Stress Management"

Division Directive 500.012, "Health Services Disaster Incident Command System Plan"