3. Local Emergency Plan

3.5. Coordination of the local emergency plan

The response mechanisms will have specific characteristics depending on the size of each community and the particular risks that threaten it. The coordinators in hospitals, rescue services, and emergency medical services, as well as the participants processing the incoming information, should report to an incident commander who will direct the local emergency plan (Figure I). For incidences involving multiple jurisdictions and agencies, a unified command system may be established in which individuals designated by their jurisdictions work jointly to determine priorities, resource allocation, and strategies needed to execute the emergency plan. A coordinated emergency response between various levels of local, state, and federal government may be needed, in addition to non-governmental agencies providing humanitarian aid.

National Incident Command System (NIMS), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Dec  2008