THE NEW ZEALAND COORDINATED INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CIMS)2nd edition

Safer communities through integrated emergency management

The New Zealand Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS)

2nd edition

April 2014

ISBN 978-0-478-43500-9

Published by Officials Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, PO Box 55, Wellington, New Zealand.

This edition replaces the first edition published in 1998 by the New Zealand Fire Service Commission.

New Zealand Government

New Zealand Government

Foreword New Zealands Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) establishes a framework of consistent principles, structures, functions, processes and terminology that agencies can apply in an emergency response. First introduced in 1998, CIMS has significantly enhanced the coordinated response capability in New Zealand, particularly at the incident level.

This second edition of CIMS builds on the first by incorporating experience gained since 1998. In particular, it reflects the lessons identified from the responses to a number of large scale and complex emergencies that occurred in New Zealand from 2010-2012. These emergencies emphasised the importance of CIMS, but also subjected the system to new levels of examination, and identified areas where it needs strengthening. Accordingly, this edition of CIMS also gives effect to recommendations from formal reviews and inquiries into those emergency responses, including:

The Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy; The Independent Review of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Response

to the 22 February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake; The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission; The Independent Review of Maritime New Zealands Response to the MV Rena

Incident on 5 October 2011; and The CTV Building Coronial Inquest (22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake).

This revised CIMS establishes a modular and scalable framework for consistent response at any level from a small, single agency response to a larger, multi-agency response that may require coordination at the community or incident level or higher. CIMS enables agencies to plan for, train and conduct responses in a consistent manner, without being prescriptive. With this approach CIMS is an essential tool in New Zealands preparedness to effectively respond to emergencies.

However, CIMS will not guarantee effective response management by itself. Successful and effective response rests in the understanding and application of the CIMS concepts by agencies. The responsibility is therefore upon agencies to note and apply CIMS appropriately.

I commend the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies in revising CIMS. Together we can make communities safer through integrated incident management.

Andrew Kibblewhite

Chair, ODESC

New Zealand Government Page i

Endorsements This version of CIMS is the result of a collaborative effort by New Zealand emergency management agencies and is endorsed by the Officials Committee for Domestic and External Security (ODESC).

Acknowledgements The development of this version of CIMS was overseen by the CIMS Steering Group, chaired by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management. Agencies represented on the CIMS Steering Group at the time of publication were:

Ambulance New Zealand (St John; Wellington Free Ambulance)

Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups (16), collectively represented

Department of Conservation

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Maritime New Zealand

Ministry for Primary Industries

Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management

Ministry of Health

Ministry of Social Development

National Rural Fire Authority

New Zealand Customs Service

New Zealand Defence Force

New Zealand Fire Service

New Zealand Police

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment participated in 2013 for the purpose of developing an Underground Mines Emergency Protocol

Page ii New Zealand Government

Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Purpose a common yet modular framework ......................................................... 1

1.2 Audience ................................................................................................................. 1

1.3 When to use CIMS .................................................................................................. 2

2 CIMS Foundations ........................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Emergency management ........................................................................................ 3

2.2 Legislation ............................................................................................................... 4

2.3 CIMS principles ....................................................................................................... 4

2.4 Doctrine, Training and Operations ........................................................................... 7

2.5 Coordination, Command and Control ...................................................................... 8

2.6 Lead Agency, Support Agency and Unified Control ................................................. 9

3 Response management .............................................................................................. 10 3.1 The CIMS functions ............................................................................................... 10

3.2 Incident Management Team .................................................................................. 11

3.3 Response levels .................................................................................................... 12

3.3.1 Community level response........................................................................... 13

3.3.2 Incident level response ................................................................................ 13

3.3.3 Local level response .................................................................................... 14

3.3.4 Regional level response .............................................................................. 14

3.3.5 National level response ............................................................................... 15

3.3.6 Response level viewpoint ............................................................................ 16

3.4 Scaling responses ................................................................................................. 17

3.4.1 Incident level: single agency, small incident ................................................. 17

3.4.2 Incident level: multi-agency .......................................................................... 18

3.4.3 Incident level: major incident ........................................................................ 19

3.4.4 Local, regional, and national level ................................................................ 19

3.5 Integrated response coordination .......................................................................... 20

3.6 Supporting protocols ............................................................................................. 21

3.6.1 Facilities ...................................................................................................... 21

3.6.2 Assigning personnel .................................................................................... 22

3.6.3 Managing changeovers ............................................................................... 23

3.6.4 Movement control ........................................................................................ 23

3.6.5 Risk management ........................................................................................ 25

3.6.6 Personnel identification ................................................................................ 25

4 Response management functions ............................................................................. 26 4.1 CIMS structure ...................................................................................................... 26

New Zealand Government Page iii

4.1.1 Governance ................................................................................................ 27

4.2 CIMS functions ..................................................................................................... 28

4.2.1 Control (function)......................................................................................... 28

4.2.2 Intelligence .................................................................................................. 31

4.2.3 Planning ...................................................................................................... 34

4.2.4 Operations .................................................................................................. 36

4.2.5 Logistics ...................................................................................................... 38

4.2.6 Public Information Management (PIM) ........................................................ 40

4.2.7 Welfare ....................................................................................................... 42

Appendix A Action Plan process .....................