Major Incident Planning

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Command Structure

The command structure for an incident has been adopted by all agencies that would respond. The command structure consists of three layers to deal with the incident at either an operational, tactical or strategic level. These layers are known as:

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Gold Command

The Gold commander is in overall charge of their respective organisation, and is responsible for formulating the organisation's strategy for the response. The Gold commander has to be of sufficient seniority to be able to make key policy decisions, have access to resources and the authority to make key decisions. Gold Control is established with a dedicated control room facility within the Police communications centre. Senior command functions, logistic support and centralised co-ordination are effected from this room.

From a Police perspective a Logistic officer, Communications officer and Operations officer are tasked. The logistics officer is responsible for all logistical and resource issues arising from the incident such as manpower, catering, supplies and equipment. The assistance of the Finance centre is sought at an early stage with the creation of a 'finance cell' to ensure accounting of resources is accurate. A Logistics centre is established within Police HQ with close links to the Local Authority. The communications officer is responsible for all communication requirements at or away from the scene. This includes radio, mobile telephone, fax, e-mail and may involve liaison with external telecom providers. The operations officer is responsible for assessing the manpower requirements and recording personnel deployments of officers engaged in the incident.

When Gold control is established all the Gold Commanders from the various agencies convene at a location away from the scene as part of a group called the Strategic Co-ordinating Group. This brings together the same parties as in the MICG but in the command role as appose to the planning. This group is chaired by the Police at Chief Officer level. In Wiltshire the Strategic Co-ordinating Group will normally be convened at Police Headquarters, Devizes. A secondary location has been identified at Westlea Police Station, Swindon.

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Silver Command

The Silver commanders will be located either at the scene or nearby at a suitable location. They are responsible for taking the overall strategy from Gold command and from that formulating the tactics to be employed on the ground. The Silver commanders will not become involved with the activities on the ground but remain detached, which is why it is often beneficial to locate them away from the scene.

The Silver group is known as the Tactical Co-ordinating group . This is normally chaired by the Police unless it is a fire situation, where a Fire Brigade commander would then take charge.

The scene of a major incident will often be treated, in the first instance, as a scene of crime. Whether or not a crime has been committed there is often a need for an investigation of the circumstances and the Police are often best placed to carry out this investigation. Some investigations will be carried out in conjunction with other investigators such as the Health and safety Executive. When the Senior Investigation Officer (S.I.O.) arrives, he/she is known as 'Silver two' and are responsible for the tactics behind the investigation of the site as a crime scene and instigating a major crime investigation.

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Bronze Command

The Bronze commanders will control and deploy the resources of their service within a geographical sector or specific role determined by the tactics provided from Silver command.

As the incident progresses and a greater number of resources are allocated to the scene, so a greater amount of supervision is required. As senior officers arrive at the scene they will be tasked functions within the Silver/Bronze structure.

The incident is initially commanded by the 'first Police Officer in attendance' who establishes the Forward Control Point. When the command structure is established the Bronze commander takes control from the first in attendance officer, that officer however remains with the Bronze commander so continuity is preserved, and acts as a staff officer to the commander. The incident commander wears a tabard identifying themselves that is passed on as command changes.

There may be a number of Bronze officers at an incident performing various supervisory tasks depending on the tactics set by Silver.

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