[KYHAM] KEN Training for March 3: Incident Command and WMD in Ky: A Review

[Ron Dodson]

This week, a quick review on how incident management works
in Ky for WMD events.

The GOAL of the Incident Command System (ICS) and the
Incident Management System (IMS) is to ensure effective
management of emergency response operations to include
action planning, accountability of personnel, operational
safety, and the effective use of resources.  Here in Ky, an
Incident Management System will be established for all
emergency response field operations. This is mandated by KRS
Statute!

The primary responsibility for the management of a terrorist
action deemed to be a threat to the national security rests
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  For all
other terrorist actions the primary state agency will be the
Kentucky State
Police (KSP).  The local law enforcement agency at the scene
of the incident will act as the local lead agency.

Any terrorist acts involving the intentional contamination
of a waterway or supply will be responded to as other
incidents except that the Natural Resources and
Environmental Protection Cabinet (NR&EPC) will have the
primary state
responsibility, in conjunction with the Cabinet for Health
Services (CHS), to insure through established testing
procedures that any water resource contaminated through
terrorist action is controlled and made safe prior to
permitting consumption to resume.  This will be done in
accordance with the provisions of Annex CC, Water Resources,
to the state EOP.  The actions of NR&EPC will be coordinated
through the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with other
responding agencies.

The efforts of all local agencies will be focused in support
of the lead local law enforcement agency.  All supporting
agencies will report to the Incident Commander and their
deployment and activities will be coordinated by the
Incident Commander. The senior Emergency Management officer
at the scene will be designated the Incident Commander.  The
Incident Commander will provide assistance and advice to the
local law enforcement on-scene commander who will be in
overall command of the scene.  State agency personnel on
scene may be observers, technical advisory personnel, or
they may be integrated into the local ICS.  Upon arrival of
KSP at the scene they may serve in a support role to the
local law enforcement officer or they may assume the role of
the lead law enforcement agency, under the provisions of the
Incident Management system as set forth in Annex  AA,
Terrorism, of the state EOP.

The Director of Kentucky Emergency Management (KyEM), at the
direction of the Governor, or successor, will coordinate the
Commonwealth's organizational response for all state managed
incidents.  The senior KyEM officer at the scene will
be designated the Incident Commander, as outlined in Annex
AA, Terrorism, to the state EOP.  The Incident Commander
will provide assistance and advice to KSP�s on- scene
commander who will be in overall command of the situation.
Local agencies will be integrated into the state managed
Incident Command System.

In instances which involve terrorist acts affecting
aircraft, the initial federal response will be by the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The investigative
duties will then pass to the National Transportation Safety
Board (NTSB) upon their notification and assumption of
control.  If  the on scene officials determine the  incident
resulted from an act of terrorism the FBI will direct all
subsequent operations as the lead federal agency.  Once the
federal government becomes officially involved with a
federal agency becoming the lead agency and the incident has
been declared an act of terrorism by the FBI, all state and
local agencies will act in support of the federal response.
This will be done in accordance with the �U.S. Policy on
Counter-terrorism, Presidential Decision Directive 39" and
the �Federal Response Plan�.

Under the federal plan, the FBI has the lead role in the
�Crisis Management� stage.  This is the initial stage when
law enforcement concerns, such as scene control and
stabilization are in play.  Dealing with the immediate
hazards and obtaining evidence that may lead to future
prosecution of the perpetrators.  As the operation shifts
more to the �Consequence Management� stage, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency or FEMA will be assuming the
lead role. This is when operations move toward dealing with
the consequences of the attack.  Things such as damage
assessment, scene clean up and restoration are all parts of
this phase of a WMD operation.

As amateur radio operators involved in ARES or RACES
efforts, our role would be to provide support communications
AS NEEDED by the local, state or federal agencies in the
course of the response and recovery efforts.  Any time we
respond to an incident, we must check in with the designated
official who is tracking all responders and their
locations.  Never leave without the proper permission to do
so and never go where you are not invited or assigned.