Door County Veterans train in the same Incident Commnad and Control System (ICS) that's required training for all US law enforcement, fire fighters, emergency government, and homeland security personnel! !

FYI: In the US the local fire chief is always considered the primary Incident Commander representing the municipality and its citizens. States in the US are all "Home Rule" States meaning the municipality in which the incident occurs is primarily responsible for all response and recovery efforts. The local Fire Chief therefore always takes command, assesses the situation and determines whether a "single" or "unified command is needed.  

The Incident Command System (ICS) dates back to the turn of the century when states flooded each year by the Colorado River joined forces and launched the Boulder/Hoover Dam project. The ICS was formally adopted by fire fighters in the 1940's to fight forest fires traveling across municipal' boundaries. Since the terrorist attack on 9-11-01, Incident Command and Control has become required teaching for all US fire fighters, law enforcement, emergency government, and homeland security personnel. A growing number of agencies now use every incident, no mater how minor, to practice the ICS and National Incident Management System (NIMS) protocols. The first words spoken by the first person at the scene are: "I Take Command!" 

FYI, Door County in Wisconsin, Pitkin County in Colorado, and Jamaica were used as geographical models to build what's now revered to as Shift #4 during any natural disaster, terrorist attack, pandemic, or community wide crisis. All represent geographies having concentrated populations with limited avenues to escape or evacuate. All have seasonal shifts in population representing high profile terrorist targets. All have professional first responders trained and equipped to safeguard smaller local populations part of the year and larger tourist populations during tourist' season.

I used veteran' organizations because veterans come with a common bond and common focused on safeguarding and service. They also come experienced in military protocol, operational exercises, and deployment practices. All come with both a military occupational specialty (MOS) and understanding of Incident Command and Control.

During any community crisis, veterans use ICS and NIMS protocols each time they deploy so each response will compliment and reinforce those made by fire fighters, emergency governments and law enforcement. For example, Click here for a debriefing on deployments during the Ellison Bay gas explosions and Click here for briefings on Operation "Bucket Brigade" during Egg Harbor's Pumpkin Patch and Sister Bay's Fall Festival 2006. 

  Rich Woldt   CEO-The Risk Management Learning Center