BLINN COLLEGE DISTRICT ICS USE AND STRUCTURE
- Incident Command System (ICS) Use and Purpose
The District and all associated campuses and facilities have committed to utilizing the ICS as part of NIMS compliance for the response to all emergencies and critical incidents impacting District operations, which would include impacts to the safety and security of all students, faculty and staff as well as District-owned critical infrastructure. The purpose of the ICS is to:
- Provide an organizational construct than can expand or contract rapidly in response to the requirements of an incident necessitating activation of the ERP.
- Provide management with the control necessary to direct and coordinate all operations, emergency response services and organizations, and District Emergency Teams responding to incidents.
- Assign District employees with reasonable expertise and training to perform critical functions expediently.
- Allow for activation of only those positions needed to effectively manage a particular incident.
- Promote proper span of control and unity of command.
- Normal Operations vs. ICS Structures
The organizational structure of the ICS generally does not resemble that of the day-to-day organization of the Blinn College District and associated hierarchies. Assignment to roles within the ICS may necessitate reporting relationships outside of the normal operational hierarchy based upon expertise, skills, and experience in managing critical incidents and emergencies. Furthermore, as the severity of an incident increases, assignments may change in the ICS structure at the direction of the District Chancellor, EMC or IC. The BCD organizational chart for “normal” operations is available in the annex section of this ERP.
- Use of ICS for Blinn College District Planned Events
The Blinn College District utilizes the ICS structures for all mass- gathering, sensitive, or large “pre-planned” events in the form of Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) developed by the Blinn College District Police Department through the direction of the Chief of Police/EMC. Use of EAPs for non-emergency events assists in efficient operation and provide District employees familiarity with the ICS through regular use during non-emergency operations.
- Blinn College District ICS Roles and Responsibilities
The Blinn College District Chancellor has the final authority for all emergency operations in the District. In that role, the Chancellor:
- Is responsible for ensuring that the Blinn College District EMC promotes the overall development of the ICS and NIMS throughout the District.
- Is responsible for District-wide emergency declarations in collaboration with the Blinn College District Board of Trustees.
- Serves as the Area Commander during multiple or concurrent incidents impacting several District campuses or, at their discretion, may designate that responsibility to the EMC.
- May act as the Blinn College District representative in a Washington County Unified Command.
- Manage the operations of the Blinn College District Executive Policy Group (EPG) which may include, but is not limited to:
- Chancellor
- Executive Vice Chancellor
- General Legal Counsel
- Vice Chancellor of Human Resources
- Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance
- Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
- Vice Chancellor of Student Services
- Assistant Vice Chancellor of Facilities, Planning and Construction
- Campus Executive Deans
- Director of Communications, Media Relations and Marketing (may also staff, or assign staff to ERT and/or ICP)
- The Executive Policy Group, when established as a component of ERP activation, will:
- Ensure that emergencies and critical incidents are properly managed.
- Work with the EMC in assessing the emergency and/or critical incident and provide policy oversight and support for the District’s specific response.
- Ensure that ERP management objectives are met and do not conflict with each other or with District Board policies.
- Allocate critical resources and District assets according to established priorities.
- The following charts represent the Incident Command System (ICS) General Roles Summary and the Specific Incident Command (ICS) Organizational Chart. By design, the charts do not include specific individuals by name as dynamic situations require flexibility of position assignments based upon availability, training, experience, and directives from the Emergency Management Coordinator and Chancellor of the Blinn College District. However, various response Annexes detail specific personnel positions by title that may serve within defined ICS roles and the direction of the EMC.