NIMS Activity 24: An integrated Multi-Agency Coordination System

All schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) coordinate and support emergency incident and event management through the development and use of an integrated multi-agency coordination system (MACS).

COMMAND AND MANAGEMENT

Activity 24: Coordinate and support the development and use of an integrated Multi-agency Coordination System (MACS).

All schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) coordinate and support emergency incident and event management through the development and use of an integrated multi-agency coordination system (MACS).

Association to NIMS

MACS is a coordination process that supports the ICS when a multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional incident response structure is activated and when an incident requires a comprehensive response from agencies across more than one jurisdiction. The role of MACS is critical for seamless multiagency coordination activities and essential to the success and safety of the response whenever more than one jurisdictional agency responds. Moreover, the use of MACS is one of the fundamental components of Command and Management within NIMS, as it promotes scalability and flexibility necessary for a coordinated response. For example, MACS is often employed in response to wide spread seasonal wildfires when firefighters from around the nation provide assistance.

The cooperating agencies may develop a MACS to better define how each will work together. Fundamentally, MACS provide high-level support, coordination, and assistance with policy-level decisions to support the ICS structure managing an incident. In some instances, MACS is informal and based on oral agreements between jurisdictions, but usually it is more formalized and supported by written agreements, operational procedures, and protocols. The formal process, where potential issues are identified and addressed before an incident occurs, is the preferred and recommended approach, as it streamlines the coordination function. While ad hoc arrangements between jurisdictions may result in effective multiagency coordination on relatively minor incidents, coordination on larger, more complex incidents is most successful when it takes place within a planned and well-established system. Some districts, schools, and particularly some IHEs may be involved in MACS with their local emergency management agencies.

MACS Primary Functions:

Policy-level decision-making to:

• Coordinate interagency and intergovernmental issues regarding emergency management policies, priorities, and strategies;
• Support emergency management policies and priorities;
• Facilitate logistics support and resource tracking; and
• Provide information regarding resource allocation decisions to incident response personnel in concert with incident management priorities.

Possible MACS Cooperating Entities:

• Local and/or state emergency management agencies;
• Local law enforcement offices and fire departments;
• Local public and mental health departments;
• Emergency medical services (EMS) (both private and public);
• Local 911 centers;
• Hazardous materials response teams;
• Local hospitals, ambulatory and urgent care centers, community health centers, and private physicians' offices; and
• K-12 districts, schools and IHEs.

Implementation Guidance

The MACS coordination system is used by representatives from multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional entities cooperating to support incident response and the ICS. It is a decision-making body that makes policy decisions (e.g., priorities, strategies) to support the ICS when an incident requires a comprehensive response from agencies across more than one jurisdiction. The role of MACS is critical for seamless multiagency coordination activities and essential to the success and safety of the response whenever more than one jurisdictional agency responds.

In some cases, formally and informally, including ad-hoc circumstances, a district, school, or IHE may become involved in a MAC. School and IHE participation in the local MACS will help reinforce the NIMS standardized framework used by partners and will serve to strengthen school emergency management capacity. When schools and IHEs adopt standardized methods with community partners, they will be better prepared to participate in a MACS if needed and appropriate.

School and campus emergency management officials should work closely with local government and community partners to identify the appropriate avenues for coordinating and supporting the local or regional MACS. Building from pre-established relationships with community partners, schools and IHEs can take steps to ensure that they could be both represented and integrated into a MACS coordination system. Additionally, education officials should work to ensure that school and campus procedures and equipment complement those of community responders, and support the functions of a MACS.

Once MACS relationships have been explored and established, education officials and community response officials participate in ongoing, collaborative planning sessions, including training and emergency exercises. Although the exercises are designed to test the MACS' capacities; identify gaps and weaknesses; and test and validate facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and integrated communications, they offer additional opportunities for practice and nurturing relationships with partners for individual schools and campuses.

Activities demonstrating that schools/IHEs support MACS coordination include: