Hospital Incident Command System (HICSⁱ) is a standardized approach to incident management tailored specifically for hospitals and healthcare organizations. HICS assists institutions improve their emergency management planning, response, and recovery capabilities for both unplanned events, like natural disasters or health emergencies, and planned events.

The system is based on the principles of the Incident Command System (ICS), which was originally developed for managing wildland fires in California during the 1970s. HICS adapts these principles to the healthcare environment, providing a framework that allows hospitals to respond quickly and effectively to various incidents.

The key elements of HICS include:

• Developing a command structure that can be scaled to fit the needs of the incident
• Integrating personnel from different parts of the hospital and outside agencies into the command structure
• Identifying needs and establishing objectives to resolve the incident
• Developing strategies to achieve the objectives
• Providing support and direction to those responsible for carrying out the objectives (the tactical response)

HICS is commonly used in the US, particularly after the implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which incorporates ICS and is essential for hospitals to manage large-scale incidents efficiently and ensure the safety and well-being of patients, staff, and visitors during emergencies.

Learn More:

• HICS Basics Course
• HICS Incident Action Planning (IAP)
• Incident Planning Guides (IPG)
• Incident Response Guides (IRG)