Why Unify Command?
More than 90% of emergencies that occur daily in the United States are readily managed by local agencies using only their own resources. On a small percent-age of emergencies, the responsible agency may exhaust its own resources and call on neighboring jurisdictions for assistance. Many agencies are experienced with these “automatic aid” responses and assist each other on a routine and problem-free basis. These incidents do not call for Unified Command and are best handled under a single command structure. However, about 5% of all emergencies become serious enough to require the response of several agencies, each with its own legal obligation to perform some type of action, not just assist their neighbor. It is in these critical, multiple–involvement emergencies that Unified Command is called for. Some examples: • Incidents that affect more than one geographical jurisdiction. The classic example is of a wildland fire starting in one Jurisdiction and burning into one or more others. Fl
