National Incident Command Systems (HICS/NHICS)
Standardized Incident Management for Healthcare Organizations.
Learn about the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) and Nursing Home Incident Command System (NHICS), nationally recognized frameworks that help healthcare organizations manage emergencies through clear leadership, coordinated communication, and organized response operations.
A Common Framework for Emergency Response
Emergencies often require organizations to make critical decisions under rapidly changing conditions. The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) and Nursing Home Incident Command System (NHICS) provide standardized management structures that help healthcare organizations coordinate personnel, allocate resources, establish priorities, and communicate effectively during incidents of any size.
By using a common incident management framework, healthcare facilities can improve internal coordination while working more effectively with emergency management, public safety, public health, EMS, and other response partners throughout the region.
National Incident Command Resources
The resources below provide guidance, training materials, forms, job action sheets, implementation tools, and educational materials that support the successful adoption and use of HICS and NHICS within healthcare organizations.
FEMA Incident Command Resources
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a management system designed to enable effective and efficient domestic incident management by integrating a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure.
Hospital Incident Command (HICS) Resources
In the United States, the hospital incident command system (HICS) is an incident command system (ICS) designed for hospitals and intended for use in both emergency and non-emergency situations. It provides hospitals of all sizes with tools needed to advance their emergency preparedness and response capability—both individually and as members of the broader response community.
Nursing Home Incident Command (NHICS) Resources
The Incident Command System is part of the emergency management system in many levels (federal, state, and local). Every significant incident or event, whether large or small, and whether it is even defined as an emergency, requires certain management functions to be performed. Building on the work of the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA), the California Association of Health Facilities has developed the Nursing Home Incident Command System (NHICS) Manual and Train-the-Trainer Program as a method of organizing and coordinating emergency efforts in the Long-Term Care community.
KEY COMPONENTS OF INCIDENT COMMAND
Prepare Your Organization for Coordinated Response
HICS and NHICS provide practical tools and organizational structures that support effective emergency management across healthcare facilities.
Incident Leadership
Establish clear leadership roles and responsibilities that support timely decision making and coordinated incident management.
Organizational Structure
Implement a scalable command structure that can expand or contract based on the size and complexity of an incident.
Communication & Coordination
Improve information sharing and coordination among departments, partner organizations, emergency management, and public safety agencies.
Resource Management
Coordinate personnel, equipment, supplies, and other critical resources to support safe and effective emergency operations.
Operational Planning
Develop incident objectives, action plans, and operational priorities that guide response activities throughout an event.
Documentation & Recovery
Support incident documentation, financial tracking, after action reporting, and the transition from response to recovery.
Training Supports Stronger Response
Preparedness is not a one time event. Ongoing education, collaboration, and practice help healthcare organizations respond faster, recover more effectively, and better protect their communities during emergencies.
WHO SHOULD USE HICS & NHICS
Designed for the Healthcare Community
Incident command principles can benefit organizations of every size and level of preparedness. HICS and NHICS are widely used by hospitals, long term care facilities, healthcare systems, emergency preparedness professionals, emergency management agencies, public health partners, and other organizations responsible for coordinating healthcare operations during emergencies.
Whether responding to a hurricane, infectious disease outbreak, cyber incident, mass casualty event, or facility emergency, a standardized command structure helps improve efficiency, accountability, and collaboration.
BUILDING INCIDENT COMMAND CAPABILITIES
Training Supports Operational Readiness
Successfully implementing HICS or NHICS requires more than having an organizational chart. Regular training, exercises, and practice help staff understand their responsibilities, improve coordination, and build confidence before an emergency occurs. Organizations are encouraged to integrate incident command principles into emergency planning, exercises, and daily preparedness activities to strengthen response capabilities over time.