The full 2024 RNC speech by East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway
Mayor Trent Conaway of East Palestine, where a serious train derailment occurred, spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The integration of tools such as drones, artificial intelligence and real-time data analytics is set to revolutionize the work of first responders. However, a tried-and-tested concept from the 1970s is still in use – the Incident Command System (ICS).
By adopting the principles and structure of the ICS, emergency responders can coordinate their efforts, optimize communications, and allocate resources more strategically, ultimately leading to better outcomes in crisis situations. The Wayne County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) recently hosted a three-day ICS course at the Wooster Safety Center.
“The ICS concept ensures that everyone is on the same page,” said Barb Pittard, director of the Emergency Management Agency. “This is not something that is decided at the time of an emergency; it is how first responders handle any crisis, whether it is a local fire or something as large as 9/11.”
Flexible framework for managing incidents of any size
The ICS is a standardized approach to on-site all-hazard management used by emergency responders around the world.
Developed in response to the devastating California wildfires, ICS provides a flexible framework for managing incidents of any size and complexity, from small local emergencies to large-scale disasters.
At its core, ICS is designed to improve coordination between different agencies and organizations. ICS eliminates confusion and improves operational efficiency by establishing a clear chain of command and defining specific roles and responsibilities. The structured approach ensures that all responders – whether firefighters, police officers, medical personnel or volunteers – are on the same page, enabling rapid decision-making and effective resource allocation.
During an emergency, agencies such as police, fire and EMS may be on scene, and depending on the location of the incident, they may be from different jurisdictions. For example, during a major incident in Mount Eaton, emergency responders from Stark, Holmes and Wayne counties could respond.
Chain of command created, resources managed, priorities developed
From the first responders’ perspective, there is never any doubt about their role. Once the incident commander has established a chain of command, resources are managed and priorities developed.
“You don’t want all your resources to be used for an emergency,” Pittard said. “ICS helps with that kind of logistics. Some resources need to be left free to respond to normal day-to-day events and emergencies.”
Another property of the ICS model is its scalability. Pittard used the scenario of the train derailment in eastern Palestine as an example of how a local incident can evolve into a state or federal incident.
“I’ve heard so many conversations about the incident (in East Palestine),” she said. “When there is an incident this big, state and federal agencies step in. We are a self-governing state, so everything starts locally. But when an incident exceeds our ability to respond locally, the larger agencies get involved.”
Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.
