Question

Both the Waugh & Streib and the Bird articles criticize the command-and-control style of emergency management. Answer the following questions

• What is the command-and-control style of emergency management?
• What do the authors of these articles recommend instead of command-and-control?
• Why do they recommend what they do?

Answer 1

Ans1) The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of emergency response providing a common hierarchy within which responders from multiple agencies can be effective.

ICS was initially developed to address problems of inter-agency responses to wildfires in California and Arizona but is now a component of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) in the US, where it has evolved into use in All-Hazards situations, ranging from active shootings to HazMat scenes.in addition, ICS has acted as a pattern for similar approaches internationally.

Command and control is by far the most common change leadership style. Most of today’s leaders were mentored themselves by command and control managers, and the culture of most organizations is still based on command and control norms. It is hard to escape this leadership style’s historic influence and dominance. But as a change leader, you must. Here’s why.

Command and control as a change leadership style destroys virtually any chance of success in nine out of ten transformational change efforts. For starters, command and control:

• Limits the engagement and commitment you must develop in your employees, and often actually promotes resistance
• Lessens your chances of creating a change process that will lead to success
• Keeps you from being able to make the real-time course corrections during implementation that are necessary for optimal results
• Minimizes attention to necessary people issues like consistent communications and emotional reactions to change