Page 56 - Ranger Manual 2017_Neat

Chapter
7

Open Space and Mountain Parks

Incident Command and Wildland Fire

Incident Command Policy
In accordance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Boulder County uses
an Incident Command System (ICS) for critical incidents and natural disasters to ensure proper
scene organization, management, safety, and utilization of all resources, with priority given to
safety of life, incident stabilization, and property conservation. All Open Space and Mountain
Parks (OSMP) Department rangers will be trained how to utilize the ICS and are expected to be
able to operate within the system.

The central tenets of the NIMS provide a framework for interoperability and compatibility while
maintaining a balance between flexibility and standardization. The NIMS is a flexible system
that can be adjusted to manage all types of incidents and be applied to any incident regardless of
cause, size, location, or complexity. The NIMS also provides standardization through
established organizational structures (e.g., ICS, Multiagency Coordination System, Public
Information System) and consistent terminology.

The NIMS/ICS is a “tool box” from which incident management may choose all or some
applicable “tools” necessary to adapt to a full range of events. These choices allow for similar
events to be managed using different tools. Flexibility and standardization within the NIMS is
realized during an incident when organizations have previously coordinated and practiced using
these tools.

ICS Command Structure
The ICS command structure provides an orderly chain of command that is consistent across
responding organizations. The ICS system may be headed by a single person, such as the
incident commander (IC), or a multi-agency team, referred to as a “unified command.”
Regardless, all other elements of the command structure are the same.

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