September 18, 2001
For Immediate Release
Contact: Holly Brooker
(845) 255-1450 xt.1301 When a school-related emergency occurs, many organizations respond. Police, firefighters, EMTs, and school personnel all have specific jobs to do in order to facilitate the quickest end to the problem. However, how do you keep track of who’s doing what in order to ensure that no time is lost in a duplicated effort or a “turf issue,” and that the problem is resolved in the most efficient way possible?

Ulster BOCES recently hosted a workshop to explore the topic, entitled “Incident Command System (ICS) Training”, at the Conference Center in New Paltz.

With the introduction of the New York State Project SAVE (Safe Schools Against Violence in Education) legislation and an overall state-mandated emphasis on school safety and proactive safety plans, the conference was both timely and informative.

John J. Hayes, who is with North American Safety & Training Institute, addressed the overflowing crowd of school principals and superintendents. Hayes has worked with Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, NYS Police Troop F (headquartered in Middletown), and many others to help them deal with disaster preparedness. He also worked with schools to put together their safety plans in accordance with the Project SAVE legislation.

The main thrust of the ICS is to determine ahead of time each person’s role and responsibilities during a crisis. The training urges organizations to complete five major management activities in the areas of command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration.

“The ICS is a management system,” describes Hayes. “When there is an emergency, there is a lot of equipment and people, but too often no one to manage it. The ICS is about making things run smoother and faster.”