Incident Command System: Fill & Download for Free

Typically? Not anymore.Nuclear components are transported EXCLUSIVELY by the Office of Secure Transportation, within the U.S. Department of Energy. That office operates a fleet of 42 tractor-trailers, staffed by highly armed couriers, many of them veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Collectively, the convoys travel around 3 million miles per year hauling nuclear weapons and their parts.The high-security trailers that carry the weapons present potential intruders with formidable obstacles, including shock-delivering systems, thick walls that ooze immobilizing foam, and axles designed to explode to prevent a trailer from being towed away.Incoming agents train for 21 months at Ft. Chaffee in Arkansas, focusing on how to counter a roadside attack by terrorists set on stealing a weapon. The couriers must pass yearly psychological and medical assessments.Office of Secure Transportation“ The Office of Secure Transportation (OST) is responsible for the safe and secure transport of government-owned special nuclear materials in the contiguous United States. These classified shipments can contain nuclear weapons or components, enriched uranium, or plutonium. Cargo is transported in highly modified secure tractor-trailers and escorted by armed Federal agents in other vehicles who provide security and national incident command system response in the event of emergencies.”That being said, the Department of Defense also has regulations regarding the movement of nuclear devices utilizing DoD personnel. However, the DOE conducts the majority of ground transportation of nuclear weapons in CONUS for DoD. The Office of Secure Transportation, DOE Albuquerque Field Office, is responsible for movements to and from military first destinations (MFDs) and from operational bases to storage and/or dismantlement locations on retirement. DOE may conduct movements from MFDs to operational bases or between operational bases for DoD on a reimbursable basis.See “DoD Instruction NUMBER 4540.05 “DoD Transportation of U.S. Nuclear Weapons” https://fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/i4540_05.pdf

Most departments have used the “code 1000” system for many years.Usually, we have some indication of problems before any trouble arises. Notifications of a protest, social-media chatter, etc. A certain number of officers will be assigned to the area, usually made up of officers from various “special response” units who have standard crowd-control gear at least available.If the protest starts to turn ugly or an actual riot breaks out, then the “code 1000” call goes out and units are taken from surrounding patrol areas and respond to a designated command center where officers are logged in and assigned units and supervisors. This is part of contemporary “unified command theory”.We need to know who’s there, and where they are.If the situation is serious, surrounding departments will be called up on to respond, bearing in mind that someone has to “mind the store”…. You have to have a certain number of officers remaining in their patrol areas. Off-duty officers may be called in.If the “incident” becomes large or goes on for some time, then further aspects of the incident command system come into play. Logistics start to become important. Officers at the scene must be fed, paid, allowed sufficient rest, provided medical service if needed, etc. The incident command system designates command-level officers to take care of all these elements.In a really large, city-wide disturbance, the governor may decide to activate the National Guard, and to institute Martial Law.

In our department a chief officer is dispatched to the call center, once the emergency calls reach a certain level. It is their responsibility to make educated decisions as to respones, move ups, mutual and automatic aid requests. The dispatcher makes the actual requests.In major emergencies the regional Emergency Operations Center would likely be activated and run under the umbrella of the Incident Command System (ICS).Every professional first responder in the USA is required to have a degree of training in the Incident Command System. Some have a much higher level of training than others. Dispatchers are included in this framework.