General Orders Details

G17.1.2 All-Hazards Plan

Chapter: Chapter 17 – Critical Incident and Emergency Management
Sub-Chapter: 17.1 - Critical Incident and Emergency Planning
Effective Date: 05/31/2019
Revised Date: 07/03/2024
Rescinds: G17.1.2 – 4/7/2022

Purpose

To describe the all-hazards plan that addresses the prevention of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from critical incidents, and to identify the Indiana University Police Department’s role in the plan.

General Order

Indiana University has developed an all-hazards Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) for all Indiana University (IU) campuses.  These plans are based on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Comprehensive Planning Guide for the development of Emergency Operations Plans (CPG-101). Each plan identifies the role of the Indiana University Police Department (IUPD) and its personnel.  The plan also identifies responsibilities of all command and general staff positions in any critical incident for command, operations/intelligence, planning, logistics and finance/administration functions.

Definitions

Critical Incident – An incident that causes, or may cause, substantial property damage or personal injury and requires an emergency response to protect life or property. The event may be natural, accidental, technological, or human caused. Critical incidents are those that require supplemental resources be summoned to the scene, including but not limited to police, fire, emergency medical services, tactical, public utility, facilities, and/or media relations staff.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – The pre-designated facility or virtual platform established by an agency or jurisdiction to coordinate the overall agency or jurisdictional response and support to an emergency. The EOC coordinates information and resources to support domestic incident management activities.

Incident Action Plan (IAP) - Plan that describes the overall strategy for managing an incident. An IAP may include the identification of operational resources and assignments. It may also include attachments that provide direction and important information for management of the incident during one or more operational periods.

Incident Command System (ICS) – A standardized on-scene emergency management construct specifically designed to provide an integrated organizational structure that reflects the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents, without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during incidents. The ICS may be used for all kinds of emergencies and is applicable to small as well as large complex incidents.

Incident Management Team (IMT) – A team of individuals comprised of subject matter experts and personnel trained to specific levels of the ICS, who are charged with providing direct support to emergency management and response personnel to successfully coordinate tactical operations.

All-Hazards Plan (17.1.2)

The IUPD has developed a field guide to be utilized during critical incidents which also includes procedures for responding to bomb threats, active aggressor situations, and suspected bio-terrorism hazards.

Indiana University has developed all-hazards CEMPs for all IU campuses.  These plans have been developed to address emergencies and other critical incidents resulting from natural, human-caused, or technological hazards. These documents also outline a comprehensive, system-wide, all-hazards emergency preparedness program that enables IU to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, provide continuity during, and provide recovery from any incident, and builds resilience through all processes.

The organizational structure of the CEMP is flexible and able to adapt to any emergency or critical incident that occurs requiring a response from public safety organizations internal to Indiana University or external/community organizations. This structure is designed to expand from an initial on-scene response, to include Incident Command, and subsequent expansion and response elements, to include an Incident Management Team (IMT) and activation of a campus Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This expansion or contraction of resources takes place dependent on the incident response needs. The IMT guidance for each campus provides details on organization differences between campuses.

Initial Response

Upon receiving a report of a possible critical incident, the IUPD dispatch communication center will dispatch the appropriate first responders to the location to confirm whether the event is occurring. Upon confirmation of the critical incident, notification will be made to the chain of command and the ICS will be established. An IUPD supervisor, in consultation with other campus and university departments as appropriate, will determine if activating the IMT and/or an EOC is required.

For incidents requiring an emergency response, the first arriving officer may activate the ICS. If the incident rises to the level of a critical incident, the first arriving officer will activate the ICS as soon as reasonably practicable. When activation of incident command is required:

• The first arriving officer who activates incident command will function as the Incident Commander and will assess the situation until additional resources can be obtained.
• All responding units will announce their response to the IUPD dispatch communication center and will be assigned duties by the Incident Commander.
• The first police supervisor to respond will assume the responsibility of Incident Commander and inform the IUPD dispatch communication center. The supervisor will remain in this capacity unless relieved by a higher authority or one more suited for the circumstance.

The initial Incident Commander will evaluate the need for the following items and activities:

• Assess the incident and determine geographical scope
• Evaluate potential problems
• Determine the need for a command post and location if necessary
• Determine what personnel and equipment are needed
• Issue hazard warnings if necessary
• Isolate the area (establish inner and outer perimeters and entry control points)
• Establish or assign liaisons with other agencies
• Assign traffic management functions
• Establish staging area if necessary
• Implement evacuation when necessary

The Incident Commander will coordinate with the EOC, when activated, to support the needs of the incident response. The Incident Commander may activate various incident command functions outside the EOC. It should be noted that by activating these incident command functions, there may be duplication of efforts between the incident command functions and the EOC. Coordination of activities must occur to ensure duplication of efforts is prevented.

Responsibilities for Command and General Staff Positions

The CEMP utilizes individuals and groups of individuals with designated areas of responsibilities. The organizational structure is provided in each campus CEMP. The ICS will be implemented as appropriate when responding to emergencies and other critical incidents. The ICS structure will be utilized for on-scene command as well as within the emergency operations structure. For on-scene implementation of ICS, positions may primarily be activated from the Command Staff (Incident/Unified Command, Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, Liaison Officer, and personnel within the Operations Section). The following denotes the responsibilities for each position:

• Incident Commander– is responsible for activating and staffing an Incident Command Post with the necessary personnel to complete specific operational functions.
• EOC Manager – is responsible for ensuring the campus EOC has the necessary personnel to complete specific operational functions; is also responsible for ensuring information and resources required for incident operations are appropriately collected and shared.
• Public Information Officer (PIO) – is responsible for developing and releasing information about emergency and crisis situations to the media, incident personnel, and to other appropriate agencies and organizations; is also responsible for working with other PIO or media relations personnel during large-scale incidents and may be called upon to organize and activate a Joint Information Center (JIC) to manage and coordinate incident information from a wide range of sources.
• Safety Officer – is responsible for developing and recommending measures for assuring the safety of personnel who may respond to an incident on the campus; is also responsible for monitoring and communicating any and all hazardous and unsafe situations, which may impact overall response and recovery operations.
• Liaison Officer – is responsible for communicating and coordinating with both internal and external agencies and departments that may support emergency operations on the IU campus but are not part of the overall established command structure.
• Operations Section Chief – is responsible for the tactical incident operations and the management of activities and assigned personnel as defined by an IAP or instruction from an Incident Commander. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
  • Establishing a perimeter, if not previously established
  • Conducting evacuations
  • Maintaining command post and scene security
  • Provide for detainee transport, processing and confinement
  • Directing and controlling traffic
  • Conducting the post-incident investigation

The operations section chief may expand the section as necessary to deal with the situation. The operations section chief may add supervisory levels to help manage the span of control. Divisions may be used to divide an incident geographically. Groups may be used to describe functional areas of operation. Branches may be used when the number of division or groups exceeds the span of control and can be either geographical or functional. The operations section chief may supervise the following positions:

• • Emergency Services Branch Director – is responsible for managing and directing assigned divisions and groups that are focused on emergency response and coordination. These divisions and groups may include but are not limited to the following: Fire Protection; Mass Care/Housing; Health and Medical Services; Search and Rescue; Hazardous Materials; and Law Enforcement/Safety and Security.
  • Infrastructure Branch Director – is responsible for managing and directing assigned divisions and groups that are focused on the movement of resources, the assessment of damages, and the restoration of utilities and other essential services. These divisions and groups may include but are not limited to the following: Transportation; Public Works, Engineering; Damage Assessment and Building Systems/Infrastructure.
  • Continuity Branch Director – is responsible for managing and directing assigned divisions and groups that are focused primarily on continuity and recovery of academics, staffing, research, and student services on the campus as a result of an emergency or crisis situation. These divisions and groups may include but are not limited to the following: Research Continuity; Business Continuity; Academic Continuity; Student Continuity; Staff Continuity; and Crisis Management and Psychological Care.
• Planning Section Chief – is responsible for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of operational information related to the incident, and for the preparation and documentation of the IAP. The planning section chief may supervise the following positions:
  • Situation Unit Leader – is responsible for the collection, processing, and organizing of all incident information. May also prepare future projections of incident growth, maps, and provide intelligence information.
  • Documentation Unit Leader – is responsible for the maintenance of accurate, up-to-date incident files. May also provide duplication and copying services for all other sections as well as storing files for legal, analytical, and historical purposes.
  • EOC Administrative Support Unit Leader – is responsible for the tracking and signing in of personnel who have been called to serve in the EOC during an activation. May be tasked with answering phones, directing messages and information to the appropriate personnel in the EOC, or other tasks as assigned by the Planning Section Chief or the EOC Manager.
  • EOC Technical Support Unit Leader – is responsible for ensuring that the specific technologies employed in the EOC are fully functional during EOC activations. May be tasked with setting up teleconferences, troubleshooting EOC computer issues, and ensuring all the technology needs are met.
• Logistics Section Chief – is responsible for providing facilities, services, and material support for incident operations, including essential service and support functions needed for the IMT to coordinate and support a campus emergency response. May supervise the following positions:
  • Communications Unit Leader – is responsible for developing plans for the effective use of incident communications equipment and facilities; testing and maintenance of communications equipment; and coordination among/between other jurisdictional communications capability to ensure interoperability.
  • Facilities Unit Leader – is primarily responsible for managing the operations of facilities used during an emergency or crisis on campus. May also be tasked with determining additional facility needs for the campus IMT and/or locating alternate facilities for use in an emergency, should they be needed.
  • Donations/Volunteer Unit Leader – is responsible for managing and coordinating solicited and unsolicited volunteers as well as the tracking and disposition of monetary and material donations during an emergency or disaster situation occurring on campus.
• Administrative and Finance Section Chief – is responsible for all financial, administrative, and cost analysis aspects of an incident and for supervising all personnel assigned to the Administration and Finance Section. May supervise the following positions:
  • Claims/Recovery Unit Leader – is responsible for tracking and managing all costs associated with damages and/or injuries that have occurred during an emergency or crisis on campus. May also be tasked with processing claims made during responses and corroborating information received from multiple sources.
  • Purchasing Unit Leader – is responsible for making critical or emergency purchases in support of the campus IMT during disaster operations. May be asked to expedite or follow alternate purchasing procedures and track associated costs.
  • Grants/Contracting Unit Leader – ensures that current grants and contracts or those received or entered because of an emergency are followed and managed according to University policy and guidelines. May be asked to expedite or enter emergency contracts to support the campus IMT during disaster operations.

Demobilization

Demobilization is the orderly, safe, and efficient release of resources from an incident and requires appropriate planning. The Incident Commander, with the assistance of other ICS positions as activated by the situation, will ensure demobilization occurs in an orderly manner by addressing the following:

• Ensures the scene is secure for preservation of evidence
• Accounts for IUPD equipment and ensures it is serviced and returned to its proper place
• Returns any borrowed equipment and identifies any damage or serviceability issues
• Supervises the cleanup of areas used by personnel
• Releases personnel from the scene only after verifying they are no longer needed
• Ensures necessary reports are submitted by personnel, including initial and supplement reports
• Arranges for Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, if required
• Critiques operation and completes a “Hot Wash” immediately after an event and an After Action Report as soon as practicable after the incident.

Termination of Command

As resources are demobilized and the incident is brought to completion, the Incident Commander will terminate command. The Incident Commander will notify the IUPD dispatch communication center via radio of the termination of command and will return to their pre-incident assignment.