Critical Incident Protocol
The Emergency Response Phase

Coordinating public and private responses to an emergency or critical incident is the culmination of risk assessment, critical incident planning, exercises, and mitigation.  The effort put into planning will pay dividends and enhance management of a critical incident when it occurs.

One fire chief said, “I want to see a familiar face when I arrive on the scene.  If not a familiar face, then someone who knows where I should go and what the situation is.”

Another fire chief said, “I do not know all the dangers inside the gate, and I want someone by my side who does.”

One security manager said their company has a crisis management team comprised of the top company executives.  This team can get the incident commander any company resource that is needed.  The resources are there for the asking.

What is a Critical Incident?

A critical incident is any event or situation that threatens people and/or their homes, businesses, or community.  While we often think of floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, or armed assailants as posing critical incidents, the true definition of a critical incident includes any situation requiring swift, decisive action involving multiple components in response to and occurring outside of the normal course of routine business activities.

For example, a company may experience loss of production due to mechanical breakdown or a retail merchant may encounter product spoilage but these are normal disruptions within their business process.  But if these businesses are faced with workplace violence or a terrorist incident, a number of outside resources will be needed.  The public sector (police or fire) routinely responds to emergency situations, but workplace violence, a terrorist act, or a community disaster will place abnormal strain on their resources and expertise.

The scope of many critical incidents such as natural disasters, workplace violence, or domestic terrorism, requires the cooperative efforts of business and public sector planners and responders.

Private Sector’s Initial Response

The initial response to an incident, in many cases, will involve some element of the private sector.  If the business has a security department, they may be the first responders.  In other cases, it may be an employee with little or no emergency response skills.  Proper response and correct actions within the first few minutes of an incident lay the foundation on which the joint emergency response will be based and the matter eventually resolved.  The smooth “trade off” or transfer of control to the public Incident Commander (IC) and continued teamwork will enhance the successful resolution of the incident.

• Response from private sector, whether it is an employee or a formally established Incident Management Team (IMT) or Emergency Response Team (ERT) will begin the emergency response process.  The manager of the IMT/ERT is in charge of the incident until relieved by the public sector incident commander.
• If the incident is a major disaster requiring additional business resources, the company Crisis Management Team (CMT) may be activated to support the IMT.  The CMT is usually located away from the incident site, and does not make operational decisions, but supports the IMT manager as required.  The CMT may be located in the company’s Crisis Management Center.  The CMT should have an alternate meeting site.
• The Crisis Management Center’s (CMC) function is to support the Emergency Response Team by directing the proper allocation and coordination of internal resources and obtaining assistance from external public and private resources.
• The local private sector and/or company Crisis Management Team (CMT) when activated will support the incident commander.  The CMT must work in concert with the public sector Emergency Operation Center.
• Upon arrival of the public sector, the private Incident Management Team (IMT) will be prepared to work in concert with the public sector.  The Incident Command System (ICS) will be implemented following a smooth transfer of authority, and where appropriate, joint decision making.

Communication: A Top Priority

Communication among all aspects of the public and private sector must be established immediately.  Prior joint emergency planning will enable responders to get to the business of handling the disaster during an actual event.  Preparation in understanding respective public and private sector needs and requirements will reduce conflict and enable immediate activation of all available resources.  The incident commander can focus all energies to the task at hand, which is management, control, and resolution of the disaster.

When an incident occurs, the main focus must be the successful resolution of the issue at hand, not why it happened.  Participants must focus on the emergency response and not the cause.  The cause can be determined after the incident is under control or resolved.  Good planning will have designated responsibility for the determination of cause.  Everyone must understand that when an event happens, it is never as planned.  Be flexible.

Top management must demonstrate overall leadership and support during the event but operational control and management must be in the hands of the first responders and incident commander.  The private sector should have persons available who know the facility and can support the incident commander.  This may be the facility manager, maintenance person, facility engineer, or security staff.  In large complexes, someone needs to be stationed at the “front gate” of the facility to lead public responders.  A “pathfinder” approach is required.  The private sector interface with public sector responders must be a person with authority to make decisions and support the incident commander.

Mass casualties resulting from hazardous materials incidents may also include injury and exposure to first responders.  These events will tax the emergency response process and will resemble events mostly likely to occur in a weapon of mass destruction attack.  Evacuation of personnel will require close coordination between the public and private sectors.  The private sector may have to “defend in place” as the situation dictates.

No one group can do it alone; all must work together.  If existing on-site resources are unable to handle the event, the Incident Commander must not only know what is available on-site, but what is available from other sources within the community.  The IC should be familiar with the private sector’s qualifications.  Combined training of public and private resources will create understanding and confidence in each other’s abilities.

Public and Private Must Develop A Level of Trust

If joint resources are to be used, both sectors must train, drill, and work together.  It is a never-ending process.  A level of trust and confidence must be established before the critical incident.  The public sector must understand the commitment required in training of first line private sector responders.  Top management must support the process.

• Initiate a unified command structure and engage public and private sector resources.  This teamwork approach will maximize the effectiveness of all available resources to resolve the critical incident.  Eliminate the perception that public responders are always the experts.
• Establish and coordinate communication between the incident commander and private sector response teams and company crisis management teams for damage assessments, prioritization and allocation of resources, and emergency operations.
• Don’t overlook contract security forces who understand their role and are trained to meet their responsibilities.  Do not underestimate the knowledge and expertise available in the ranks of contract security forces.
• Be certain the private sector understands the legal responsibilities of the public sector.  When the public sector responds, they must carry through with their responsibilities.
• Determine who is authorized to approve response expenses and establish a process of cost documentation.  Determine if there is a cost recovery ordinance and keep track of costs associated with the emergency.  Difficulty can occur when bills start coming in.
• Develop a critical incident debriefing plan.  Be candid and learn from mistakes, for lessons learned are invaluable.  Mitigation must be initiated as needed.

For Further Information
Excerpted from “Critical Incident Protocol:  A Public and Private Partnership” To obtain copies of the publication, “Critical Incident Protocol:  A Public and Private Partnership” contact Radford Jones, Project Director at (517) 355-2227 or jonesrad@pilot.msu.edu

This project was supported by a grant awarded by the Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.  Over 100 persons from the public and private sectors participated in the development of this publication.