DYNAMIC CONTINGENCY PLANNING WITHIN A COMMAND AND CONTROL FRAMEWORK1

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the development of the area contingency plan, the federal on-scene coordinator (FOSC) received a vast array of response expertise from the membership of each area committee. This expertise provided a wealth of response knowledge vital in contingency planning. Additionally, each agency in the area committee could be involved in the response command structure. These agencies, each with very different policies and procedures, offer a unique challenge to the FOSC in implementing that area contingency plan. Another challenge faced by the FOSC is ensuring that the operational expertise contained in the area contingency plan is available to each member of a diverse response organization, including personnel mobilized from agencies in areas outside the FOSC area of responsibility, who may be unfamiliar with both the contingency planning process and the command and control (C & C) structure they are augmenting. The solution to both these challenges lies in arranging the area contingency plan in a format outline directly representing the C & C response structure determined by the FOSC and the area committee. This paper discusses the steps in the Savannah Area Contingency Plan and the evolution of its format; the operational and training advantages of this format; and the potential for this format to incorporate improvements.