Though the actions of any other single person rarely determines the outcome of an emergency incident, the actions of the incident commander have greatest potential to affect that outcome. A tremendous amount is riding on every decision that the incident commander makes, including the very survival of both customers and responders.

A successful strategic outcome depends heavily on the IC’s ability to stay focused on the end goal. There is a direct correlation between the number of distractions to the IC and the overall effectiveness of the plan. These distractions come from where the commander operates, whom they communicate with and how, and the types of priorities that the IC sets. Even the placement of the command post affects command function and can be a major distraction from the incident action plan.

One of the important aspects of incident management is the ability of the command system to expand as an incident escalates. One of the signs of incident escalation is the expanding zone of hazards around the “mechanism of incident,” or the factors that caused the incident to occur. Too often, initial incident commanders either establish the command post to close to the hazard zone or they place it without a plan for relocation, should conditions change. There is rarely, if ever, a good argument to place the command post inside the hazard zone. The command post should be outside the present and potential hazard zone, in or near a vehicle, capable of relocation if the hazard zone expands, and secluded from aspects of the incident that negatively influence the completion of strategic priorities.

Another distraction for an IC is communication with units that the he or she does not supervise directly. This can cause the IC to unintentionally micromanage the event by focusing on tactical or task-level decisions rather than strategic decisions. Command is always a strategic function, which at times involves tactical or task-level implementation. But it’s important to remember the “unity of command” concept. Communication in violation of the unity of command concept often can occur rather innocently, such as a unit arriving on-scene without a base or staging area established, heading to the command post looking for an assignment. This brief encounter can cause the IC to loose sight of the incident strategically and put the IC in a position to make decision that should be made by a tactical level supervisor.

Finally, a variety of factors can create an “urgency over importance” distraction for an IC. Often this malady is a symptom of ineffective planning on the part of the IC. If the IC does not think, plan and act ahead of the event, isolated events will begin to drive his or her decision-making process. An example is an engine company placing firefighters at risk by making an interior attack on a fire in an occupancy confirmed as unoccupied. In this case, the “urgency” of getting water of the fire (incident stabilization), is being prioritized over the strategic goal of life safety, by exposing firefighters to risk with minimal benefit to be gained

A quick tool that can be used to help the IC can be the use of flagging tape to segregate the IC from the distractions. Very simply the safety officer, staff aide or other available unit can accomplish this by stretching tape in a clear space around the command post. Though not a permanent barrier, most people will at least pause when they see barrier tape, which can allow the IC an opportunity to keep distractions at bay for the time necessary to minimize their impact on the strategic goals of the incident. As the incident expands, the logistics section chief, facilities unit leader or facilities technical specialist under plans will be able to assume responsibility for securing the command post from unwanted or unneeded distractions.

The incident commander must stay focused on the strategic goals necessary to affect the incident itself. This means placing the command post in a potential where distractions are limited, communicating with resources through a clear organizational structure and staying focused on strategy as the first consideration for incident decision-making. Minimizing distractions to the IC can be an important catalyst towards the overall success of the incident and a critical factor in the safety of those involved in the response effort.

I. David Daniels is fire chief of the Fulton County (Ga.) Fire Department, a metro department surrounding the city of Atlanta. He holds a master's degree in human resources management. He is a member of the NFPA’s Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health and the Professional Qualifications for Incident Management Functional Positions committees.