16.3 Definitions

  1. "Emergency incident": Any situation to which the emergency services organization responds to deliver emergency services, including rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical care, special operations, law enforcement, and other forms of hazard control and mitigation.
  2. "Emergency responders": A group of individuals who are properly trained and equipped to handle the emergency for which they are called. Emergency responders provide, on a 24-hour basis, immediate response in order to bring the emergency situation under control. Emergency responders are identified as, but not limited to:
    1. University of Iowa Police Department
    2. Coralville Police Department 
    3. Coralville Fire Department
    4. Iowa City Police Department 
    5. Iowa City Fire Department 
    6. Johnson County Ambulance 
    7. Johnson County Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Team 
    8. Johnson County Sheriff's Department
  3. "Resource unit": A unit which provides assistance to emergency units in the form of information, expertise, and/or procurement of materials and services. The unit may or may not respond immediately to an emergency site. Examples of resource units are:
    1. Business Services 
    2. Facilities Management 
    3. Environmental Health and Safety Office
    4. Information Technology Services 
    5. Office of Strategic Communication 
    6. Johnson County Emergency Management Agency
    7. Iowa Department of Public Safety 
    8. Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management
  4. "State of emergency": This situation exists when a critical incident has resulted in substantial disruption of University functions and is likely to be long term, and it becomes necessary, for continuity of normal operations and/or the well-being of the University community, to modify/alter normal functions, established procedures, and/or policies without submitting to a formal process.
  5. "Incident Command Center (ICC)": The Incident Command Center will be a location where the Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) members or their designees will develop response(s) and manage the recovery process related to the incident or crisis situation. Campus  Safety's training room, 880 University Capitol Centre,  will serve as the University's ICC. The CIMT will determine the hours of operation of the ICC and how it will be staffed.
  6. "Incident commander": The individual in overall command of an emergency incident. Different individuals will take on the role of incident commander depending on the type of crisis and level of severity.
  7. "National Incident Management System (NIMS)": The President of the United States, under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, directed the Department of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide approach for federal, state, and local governments; the private sector; and nongovernmental organizations to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of the cause, size, or complexity. To provide for interoperability and compatibility among federal, state, and local capabilities, NIMS includes a core set of concepts, principles, and terminology. The Critical Incident Management Plan (CIMP) incorporates NIMS components, principles, and policies, including: planning, training, response, exercises, equipment, evaluation, and corrective actions into the plan where applicable.

    A component of NIMS is the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS is a standardized on-scene emergency management construct specifically designed to provide for the adoption of an integrated organization structure that reflects the complexity and demands of a 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. It is used for all emergencies and is applicable to small as well as large and complex incidents. ICS is used by various jurisdictions and functional agencies, both public and private, to organize field-level incident management operations.

    Members of the Critical Incident Management Team as well as appropriate members of the University of Iowa's Campus Safety Organization shall be trained and/or familiar with concepts of NIMS and ICS.