In the event of an emergency, The University of Alabama will activate its emergency operation plan and establish incident command. The University’s normal hierarchy will be suspended, and all emergency requests for university resources and services must go through incident command.
By authority of the University’s Emergency Operations Plan, the Incident Commander (IC) is responsible for managing the University’s emergency response and reports directly to the University’s Emergency Management Policy Group (EMPG). The EMPG is composed of the University’s senior leadership and empowered by the President to make policy decisions, provide resources, and oversee and appoint the Incident Commander. The EMPG reports directly to the University’s President.
The Incident Commander is tasked with directing the emergency response and is authorized to make the decisions necessary to fulfill this task. While the person who fills the role of Incident Commander may change depending the on the emergency, typically the IC is the highest ranking University of Alabama police officer on duty. University personnel shall comply with the Incident Commander and his/her staff for the duration of the emergency.
The normal channels for resource requests and services, as it relates to the emergency, are suspended. All requests must now go through Incident Command for approval. In so doing, the Incident Commander can make priority decisions regarding resource allocation, thereby ensuring a quicker and more efficient emergency response.
Per Homeland Security Directive and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Incident Command system is the required emergency response model for the nation. Accordingly, the University of Alabama and its counterparts at the city, county, and state all use this system to manage emergencies. The system provides a standardized management procedure that pursues an integrated, efficient, and coordinated emergency response.
More information about NIMS and incident command system (ICS) can be found on the NIMS page.
The ICS model can vary depending on the size and complexity of the incident. While every incident will have an Incident Commander (IC), the other positions are filled as needed. See below for a fully staffed incident command organization.
