For individuals working in public safety, incident command is standardized on-scene incident management concept designed to allow responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure regardless of the magnitude of an incident. It's a part of daily operations when managing everything from a car wreck to a multi-alarm fire. A good ICS system also includes how to work with reporters and photographers on a scene and media educators can lean how to work within the ICS system. In addition, editors and educators can integrate the concepts of incident commend when managing coverage of spot news events.

1. A panel for the
Midwinter Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Secondary Education Division,
St. Petersburg, Florida
January 5-7, 2015
“Integrating Incident Command into Media Education”

2. Integrating Incident Command
into Media Education
A Panel Moderated by Bradley Wilson, Ph.D.
Midwestern State University

9. http://www.fhsu.edu/crisis/preparedness/ https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/what_is_ics.html
http://www.9-1-1magazine.com/Archives-Dispatch-ICS-0405

10. Incident Command
A standardized on-scene incident management concept
designed specifically to allow responders to adopt an
integrated organizational structure equal to the
complexity and demands of any single incident or
multiple incidents without being hindered by
jurisdictional boundaries.

11. Incident Command
In the early 1970s, ICS was developed to manage rapidly
moving wildfires and to address the following problems:
•Too many people reporting to one supervisor;
•Different emergency response organizational structures;
•Lack of reliable incident information;
•Inadequate and incompatible communications;
•Lack of structure for coordinated planning among agencies;
•Unclear lines of authority;
•Terminology differences among agencies; and Unclear or
unspecified incident objectives.

12. Incident Command
In the early 1970s, ICS was developed to manage rapidly
moving wildfires and to address the following problems:
•Too many people reporting to one supervisor;
•Different emergency response organizational structures;
•Lack of reliable incident information;
•Inadequate and incompatible communications;
•Lack of structure for coordinated planning among agencies;
•Unclear lines of authority;
•Terminology differences among agencies; and
•Unclear or unspecified incident objectives.

13. Incident Commander
The Incident Commander (IC) or the Unified Command
(UC) is responsible for all aspects of the response,
including developing incident objectives and managing all
incident operations.
Establish immediate priorities especially the safety of
responders, other emergency workers, bystanders, and
people involved in the incident.

14. Information Officer
The Information Officer's role is to develop and release
information about the incident to the news media,
incident personnel, and other appropriate agencies and
organizations.

15. • What can we teach our students about
how to use the incident command
system when covering spot news?
• How can we use the concepts of incident
command within our newsrooms when
spot news happens?
The Questions

16. Brad Dykens, public education officer, City of Seminole Fire Rescue
A firefighter/paramedic, Dykens worked for 26 years with the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue, ultimately supervising 12
firefighter/paramedics and 27 EMT/firefighters as well as the readiness of 11 frontline and reserve Advanced Life Support
response vehicles as a lieutenant with the department. Now he is the public education / public information officer at City of
Seminole Fire Rescue where he has been working for more than two years.
Kyle Parks, principal, B2 Communications
Now a principal with B2 Communications, Parks is a former senior editor and reporter in the business news department of the
St. Petersburg Times and director of corporate communications for Walter Industries. He handled crisis communications at
various major events and managed public relations for various firms including Jim Walter Homes and Plum Creek, the nation’s
largest private landowner.
Brian Eells, director of communications, Sunstar Paramedics
As the leader of Sunstar’s Communications Center, that has earned the title of being an Accredited Center of Excellence by the
International Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch, Ellis, a paramedic and medical dispatcher, is responsible for
maintaining emergency service standards.
Richard Schomp, director of operations, Sunstar Paramedics
For 25 years Schomp has worked in various roles within the company beginning in 1987 when he began his career as a part-
time emergency medical technician. Schomp, a paramedic and firefighter, then went on to complete paramedic’s school at St.
Petersburg College and eventually became the company’s tactical paramedic supervisor.
Our Panel

17. By Bradley Wilson, PhD
Midwestern State University
bradley.wilson@mwsu.edu
bradleywilson08@gmail.com
Twitter: @bradleywilson09
A panel for the
Midwinter Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Secondary Education Division,
St. Petersburg, Florida
January 5-7, 2015
“Integrating Incident Command into Media Education”