Empowering Incident Command: The Growing Significance of the Environmental Unit Leader

Greetings ICS Practitioners!

Here is your one stop shop for Environmental Unit Leader information qualification and performance task book. Enjoy!

As you know, one of the key principles when utilizing the Incident Command System (ICS) is to build and sustain a modular response organization.  This ensures that your Incident Management Team (IMT) is streamlined and that only the necessary roles are activated.  Regardless of incident size, type, and complexity, when natural resources are at risk and protecting the environment is critical, it is important to consider activating the role of Environmental Unit Leader (ENVL).  Although the ENVL position is not a “standard IMT position” for all-hazard incidents, it has gained significance in recent years, particularly in the oil and gas industry and various state-level jurisdictions in the US, where environmental expertise is essential to a successful response.

It’s important to note that when adding the ENVL position, your span of control may exceed the preferred ratio of 1 to 5 in the Planning Section.  There are several ways to address this, but a commonly effective approach is to subordinate all technical specialists under the ENVL or to have unit leaders report to Operations Section leaders or Deputy Planning Section Chiefs, depending on the complexity of the incident and staffing needs.

What exactly does an Environmental Unit Leader do?

Typically, this role is established as part of the staff within the Planning Section of the ICS response organization.  As the title indicates, this is a leadership position responsible for managing skilled technicians, scientists, field personnel, natural resource stakeholders, and contractors.  This eclectic group emphasizes the importance of personnel selection, communication, and effective management processes within the unit.   Below are some specific responsibilities and duties of the ENVL, along with an overview of the ICS forms typically used in this role:

  • Provide scientific technical expertise and advice to the Command and General Staff when needed.
  • Offer scientific and technical explanations of environmental data to the IMT.
  • Integrate expertise from governmental agencies, universities, community representatives, and industry to assist the IMT in identifying, evaluating, and mitigating hazards, potential effects caused by an actual incident or threat.
  • Clarify roles and responsibilities between the ENVL, Situation Unit Leader, Operations Section and the Safety Officer to determine which team will lead activities such as weather and hydrology data, fate and behavior modeling, Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Technique (SCAT), remote sensing, sampling, waste management, wildlife response, and air quality modeling and monitoring.
  • When assigned specific tactical objectives, ENVLs should consider using an Operational Planning Worksheet (ICS-215) to lay out strategies, tactics, and work assignments for field teams they lead.
  • Clarify roles and responsibilities between ENVL and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC), if applicable, to complement and support each other.
  • Establish an “operating agreement” with IMT personnel on lead and support roles for these activities, particularly if ENVL plans to direct personnel into the field or incident area.
  • Provide environmental technical expertise during the development of the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and other support plans.
  • Summarize environmental risk analysis of proposed tactics for the next operational period using the Environmental Risk Worksheet (ICS-215e) and prepare to present findings at the Tactics and Planning meetings during the IAP planning process.
  • Coordinate contamination assessments and mapping.
  • Predict the movement and dispersion of a chemical, physical, biological or radiological agents through trajectory modeling and mapping (e.g., groundwater flow, surface, sub-surface, currents, tides, winds, wave action).
  • Identify environmental resources at risk, including flora, fauna, habitat, and cultural/historical Resources at Risk (ICS-232).
  • Provide expertise on living resources and their habitats, as well as information on associated cleanup and mitigation models.
  • Develop strategies to minimize the environmental impacts of incidents based on consensus among environmental scientists and stakeholders.
  • Evaluate opportunities and trade-offs in utilizing various response technologies. Ensure that those decisions are documented.
  • Work with the Operations and Planning Section Chiefs (OSC & PSC) to prioritize response strategies and tactics aimed at protecting environmentally sensitive sites and their associated Resources at Risk (ICS-232). Hint: you might need a special purpose meeting to resolve this with PSC, OSC, ENVL, and possibly the NOAA SSC.
  • Support the Planning Section Chief (PSC) with strategic planning related to environmental challenges, including providing recommendations for prioritizing the response effort.
  • Coordinate the initiation, documentation, and implementation of environmental permitting (emergency and standard) required during response (e.g., Endangered Species Act consultations).

This list is not exhaustive but further highlights the priority of assessing staffing needs early in the response to establish key subordinate roles, delegate tasks, and begin collaboration throughout the IMT.  Additionally, the ENVL is integral to the IAP planning process, proactively participating much like the Operations Section Chief, developing work assignments for field personnel, contributing at requisite meetings, and briefing teams on the approved plan.

Should I have incident experience before becoming an ENVL?

In general, the ENVL should possess a solid understanding of the fundamentals of ICS and have experience in Environmental Sciences related to emergency response.  Based on the responsibilities outlined above, the following qualities and experiences will be helpful for any ENVL:

  • Leadership skills to work effectively with a diverse group of scientific and governmental officials
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Experience in scientific and operational planning
  • Knowledge of hazard recognition, evaluation, and control or mitigation methodologies
  • Familiarity with operational risk management
  • In-depth understanding of the technical challenges that may arise during incidents
  • Sound scientific analytical skills
  • Experience in leading field teams in coordination with an Operations Section

Ideally, an ENVL should have participated in at least one incident as a subordinate within the Environmental Unit before assuming a leadership role.  To prepare future ENVLs for effective job performance, EMSI recently developed a Position Task Book (PTB) for this role. This PTB can be used by any individual (trainee) interested in becoming certified under the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It is intended to be used to document experiences that demonstrate the successful completion of tasks specific to the ICS position. The performance requirements align with core ICS competencies, behaviors and tasks as recommended by EMSI’s panel of highly experienced expert ENVLs.

Is there a training course to become qualified as an Environmental Unit Leader?

Environmental Unit Leader Job AidEMSI offers a three-day ENVL course, typically taught twice per year upon client request to meet their IMT needs.  The instructor-led course provides a realistic, hands-on approach to mastering the skills required of an ENVL role through discussions, lectures, and active participation in multiple exercises. Students will receive student manuals that include all slides and notes, a printed copy of the PTB, and an EMSI Job Aid for the ENVL Position, which contains valuable tips and details on how to perform the ENVL role.

For more information, please see ICS-349 Environmental Unit Leader for the course description.

Qualification as an ENVL is mostly up to the discretion of your organization’s “authority having jurisdiction.” There is no standardized process that all ICS practitioners must follow to achieve this qualification.  The PTB outlines the minimum suggested tasks, knowledge, and skills required for the role.  After completing the PTB, follow your organization’s qualification process, which could include completing the ENVL position course and any other prerequisite training.