Baguio, partners complete Incident Command System Level II training

More than 40 personnel from the city government of Baguio and national line agencies completed the five-day training and workshop on Incident Command System Level II Course.

The training sponsored by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Cordillera and the Baguio City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) conducted the ICS training to equip disaster responders on the standards of incident management.

The ICS is one of the flagship programs of the OCD in implementing Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010 to manage disaster consequences and reduce disaster risk by institutionalizing various mechanisms. 

Participants need to complete a four-course module as part of understanding the interoperability of Emergency Operations Center (EOC) among government agencies and the private sector during disaster response.

Disaster responders consider the ICS implantation will maintain unity of command during disaster response to avoid chaos and foremost, ensure the safety of responders.

Unified command is already being practiced in the city during disasters and now uses the 911 emergency hotline at the Smart City Command Center based at the Baguio Convention Center where emergency calls will be received prior to dispatch of responders depending on the nature of incident and the resources needed.

The Philippine ICS was based on the United States Forest Service standard, an on-scene and all-hazard incident management tool that coordinates the actions of all response groups and promotes responder’s safety. – JMPS