ICP Template Sample - Do You Know Your Levels of Emergency?

Emergency Incident Level is determined by what has already happened, what is currently happening, and what could happen. Typically, an incident in its early stages is easier to control and has less adverse impacts than prolonged, uncontrolled incidents.

Level I - A Level I emergency incident is the least serious and most easily handled emergency. It usually requires an initial isolation and evacuation of the immediate and surrounding area (typically the building floor on which the incident occurs) as a precautionary measure. The Emergency Coordinator and responding ERT members should quickly determine if they can safely and effectively mitigate the incident. If they determine that the incident is a "non-emergency," the incident will be recharacterized and the response will utilize proper safety procedures to manage the situation.
During Level I emergency incidents, the Emergency Coordinator or the (your locality name here) Fire Chief assumes the responsibility of Incident Commander and follows all standard operating procedures for an emergency response (described in Chapter 8). All required environmental notifications and requests for outside emergency response assistance will be made by the Emergency Coordinator. All notifications are documented for facility records.
Level II - A Level II emergency incident may pose some threat to life, the environment, or property. Response to a Level II incident requires a response effort by the ERT. The response will generally be from (YOUR ENTITY NAME HERE) and possibly outside emergency response agencies (e.g., outside clean-up contractors, (your locality name here) Fire Department. During Level II incidents the entire building in which the incident occurs may be evacuated. There may also be a need for specific expertise and equipment. Environmental sampling may be necessary. The Emergency Coordinator or the (your locality name here) Fire Chief assumes the responsibility of Incident Commander and follows all standard operating procedures for an emergency response. All required environmental notifications and requests for outside emergency response assistance will be made by the Emergency Coordinator, and will be documented for facility records.
Level III - A Level III emergency incident is any incident that:
1. Requires widespread evacuation of the facility and/or the community,
2. Involves multiple casualties and/or exposure, or
3. Potentially poses a serious threat to human health, the environment and/or property.

Level III emergency incidents generally require assistance from outside emergency responders, additional response resources, and large numbers of emergency responders. As with Level I and II emergencies, standard operating procedures will be followed according to this plan. All required environmental notifications and requests for outside emergency response assistance will be made by the Emergency Coordinator and will be documented for facility records.