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Brief Incoming Personnel Resources – “Leaders thought it was effective to route all incoming resources in a way that ensured they got a quality briefing; understood intent, objectives, and risk guidance; and had the capability to establish lookouts, communications, escape routes, and safety zones.”
Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
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Cache Vital Documents Off Site – “The destruction of the World Trade Center wiped out or prevented access to crisis plans, documents, and drawings necessary for response and reconstruction. To ensure continuity of business and rapid recovery, copies of vital documents should be cached at several locations and should also be available online at secure, password-protected Web sites.”
Saving City Lifelines: Lessons Learned in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
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Carry Out the Delegation of Authority and the Evacuation Order – “The lack of preplanning sometimes made for unclear responsibilities when an evacuation took place. The lesson learned here was to be firm about their role in carrying out the Delegation of Authority, then help the local agency try to find other resources to carry out the evacuation order.”
San Bernardino County Fire Chiefs’ Association: Lessons Learned Report: Fire Storm 2003: “Old Fire”
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Delegate Decision Making Down – “It was most effective for commanders to determine the top three or four priority objectives, communicating their intent, objectives, and risk criteria to all resources. They delegated tactical decision-making down to functional group level and gave the authority to adapt as the situation developed.”
Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
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Develop a Victim Notification System – “Victim family notification is a key function that needs enhancement. Transit agencies should develop their own National Incident Management System (NIMS)-based plan to respond to transit-based events.”
Saving City Lifelines: Lessons Learned in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
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Maintain Close Ties with Law Enforcement Entities – “Even with current improvements in the intelligence-sharing function, transportation operators cannot depend on timely warning of attacks. Operators can improve their situation somewhat by maintaining close liaison with police and federal authorities through NIMS planning/intelligence activities.”
Saving City Lifelines: Lessons Learned in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
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Monitor Assigned Resources – “As Incident Management Teams started getting established, some incident commanders sent wranglers out to tie in with subordinate leaders and verify documentation to make sure everyone was accounted for and the Incident Management Team had situation awareness on assigned resources.”
Southern California Firestorm 2003: Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
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Realize During the Initial Response to the Incident, a Strong, Centralized Command and Control System May Not Be Possible—“Incidents overwhelmed established systems during the initial response, forcing incident managers into a reactionary mode and resources to have to be committed directly to the fire ground. Strong, centralized command and control was not possible.”
Southern California Firestorm 2003—Report for the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
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Realize Recovery May Be Compressed into Days – “Recovery planning may have to be compressed into days, sometimes hours. This, in turn, requires the flattening of hierarchies. This is a lesson of both the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the 9/11 attacks.”
Saving City Lifelines: Lessons Learned in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
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Realize There May Be Traffic Restrictions – “Security considerations and traffic control may necessitate restrictions on private automobile use for months after a terrorist attack. Increased use of public transportation should be anticipated.”
Saving City Lifelines: Lessons Learned in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
