1. Introduction to AIIMS
Session 2: The Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS)
This session provides participants with an overview of the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS).
References for this session in alphabetical order include the following.
AIIMS Manual 2017.
Country Fire Authority Act, 1958.
CFA Fire and Emergency Management Field Guidelines.
Chief Officers’ Standard Operating Procedures and Joint SOPs.
Chief Officers’ Standing Orders.
EMV Policies and SOPs.
Fundamentals of Emergency Management – Emergency Management Victoria Edition 1
Memoranda of Understandings (MoU), established with other agencies, including the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB).
Operations Updates.
SOP J3.03 Incident Action Planning.
Victorian Emergency Operations Handbook Edition 1 – October 2017

2. This session will cover the following topics
History of AIIMS. Benefits of using AIIMS to manage an incident. AIIMS outcomes. Scope of AIIMS. Principles that AIIMS is based on. The six underpinning concepts of AIIMS.
Topics covered will include:
AIIMS History
Benefits
Outcomes
Scope
Five key principles
Six Underpinning concepts

3. The use of AIIMS in Victoria
AIIMS was introduced in Australia in the early 1990’s.
It derived from:
National Inter-service Incident Management System (US)
large fire organisation
reviewed and amended since 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission
continuous review.
AIIMS is now used by:
most fire and emergency service agencies
some government agencies
some police forces.
The Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System – AIIMS, is an incident management system first introduced into Australia in the early 1990s by rural fire and land management agencies.
Originally referred to as AIIMS-ICS (Incident Control System), AIIMS has been developed from other incident management systems, including:
The US based National Interagency Incident Management System’s Incident Command System (NIIMS). NIIMS in was developed in the US in the 1970s from military based systems used to manage fires and incidents in the US forest industry.
Large Fire Organisation – an incident management system used in Australia in the 1980s by Western Australia’s Conservation and Land Management Department (CALM) and Victoria’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (now Department of Environment & Primary Industry, DEPI)
Since its inception AIIMS has undergone progressive refinement by the fire agencies that have used the system to manage incidents.
The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council’s (AFAC) 2004 review of AIIMS was the first full review of the system since the release of the AIIMS ICS Manual 2nd Edition in The Third Edition 2011 Revision, is superseded now the most up-to-date version AIIMS 2017.
The review of AIIMS doctrine and production of the 2017 update has been overseen by the AFAC AIIMS Steering Committee, the custodian of AIIMS (Foreword P iii)
Reference:
AIIMS Manual 2017, Foreword
Note. Emphasise continual review of AIIMS.

4. What are the benefits of using AIIMS?
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What are the benefits of using AIIMS?
CFA Chief Officer’s Standing Order Standardisation. Safety, health and welfare. Adaptable and scalable approach. Universal. Economy. Roles not just for emergency service personnel.
AIIMS provides a common and effective incident management framework.
The CFA Chief Officer’s Standing Order 9.00 clearly states ‘All fires and incidents shall be managed in accordance with the principles of the Incident Control System AIIMS’
By defining functions, roles and responsibilities within a defined incident management structure, AIIMS provides for a competency-based approach to filling positions within the structure. The system uses common terminology, which everyone familiar with the system understands, and is adaptable for any situation. It can be scaled up or down to meet the demands of any incident.
AIIMS incorporates effective resource management with clearly defined communication flows and comprehensive planning processes, and incorporates risk management principles into the management of emergencies.
Benefits of AIIMS include:
Standardisation: improves understanding and communication through use of common terminology, a single incident management structure with defined functions, and uniform and agreed procedures
Safety, health and welfare: designates responsibility for safety, health and welfare, while span of control and incident action planning provide for a safer and more efficient working environment at the incident
Adaptable and scalable approach: accommodates a variety of incident types, complexity, size and environment. Functions and units are activated only as required
Economy: provides economic benefits for agencies through sharing of resources, enhanced communication, and working and training together on a local, regional, state or national basis
Universal: can be used by any agency and can incorporate all supporting agencies
Roles for all: allows for non-emergency personnel to be incorporated into the incident management structure where they have the required non-operational competencies
References: AIIMS Manual 2017 3

5. There are expected outcomes when using the AIIMS system
Minimised impact on the community and environment. Effective and efficient control of incident. Providing a safer working environment for all responders.
In an all hazards – all agencies approach, emergency services agencies routinely work together in responding to and resolving incidents.
These days, it is unlikely that an agency would work alone in preparedness, response and recovery.
Integration of operational protocols and procedures of different agencies into a common management system is crucial to the smooth, effective and safe resolution. By applying AIIMS in incident preparedness, response and recovery this integration is more likely to be achieved
AIIMS provides organisations with a management system that assists in controlling a particular incident or a number of incidents while achieving the following outcomes:
Minimised the impact on the community and the environment in providing effective and efficient control and by providing timely public warnings and advice
Effective and efficient control the incident by defining a desired outcome for the incident and providing a functional management structure that identifies roles, tasks and outcomes for people working in this structure
Providing a safer working environment for all responder by establishing a span of control and identifying risk management principles as a foundation of the system
Reference:
AIIMS Manual

6. In its scope AIIMS operates at the local level
National Level
State Level
Regional Level
Local or
Incident Level
Management of actions
on the incident ground
and resolution of
the incident
The scope of AIIMS refers to the fact that the system has been specifically developed to address the challenges of exercising command and control at the Local or incident level.
The National Level maintains overview of states’ commitments and potential external resource requirements.
The State Level maintains statewide overview of various agencies’ commitments and potential external resourcing if required.
The Regional Level maintains overview of activity, resources and implications of incidents occurring in a defined region.
Emergency management is accepted as a ‘whole of government’ responsibility and it is understood that because an emergency incident has the potential to impact on all levels of government, they all have roles to play and decisions to make during and following an emergency event.
Reference:
AIIMS Manual 2017

7. AIIMS has five principles
Flexibility.
Management by objectives.
Functional management.
Unity of Command.
Span of control.
AIIMS is based on five key principles.
Flexibility – In an ‘all hazards- all agencies’ approach the AIIMS system must be able to be applied across the full spectrum of incidents, where the nature of the hazard, the scale of the incident, the complexities presented, number of agencies involved and the duration can all vary.
Management by Objectives – i.e. the process whereby the Incident Controller determines the desired outcome for the incident which is then communicated to everyone at the incident so everybody knows and understands the direction being taken and their role at the incident. Strategies and tactics to achieve the objective are outlined in the Incident Action Plan to further communicate how the objective is to be achieved.
Where any of the functions of planning, operations or logistics have been delegated the objective is developed using a consultative management process involving input from all functional managers.
Functional Management – i.e. the utilisation of specific functions with defined responsibilities to manage an incident.
There are eight management functions recognised in AIIMS:
Control Public Information
Planning Intelligence
Operations Investigation
Logistics Finance
Unity of Command – this refers to a principle of management stating that each individual should report to only one supervisor.
Span of Control – i.e. a concept that relates to the number of groups or individuals that can be successfully supervised by one person. AIIMS identifies a span of control at an incident of up to 1:5 as desirable in order to maintain the ability of a person to task, monitor and evaluate the performance of individuals or groups they are supervising.
While these principles remain consistent, their application will vary from agency to agency in accordance with the procedures used by the agency to apply the principles.
CFA procedures for applying AIIMS at incidents are outlined in:
Chief Officers’ Standing Orders
Chief Officers’ Standard Operating Procedures
Operational Updates
CFA-DSE Cooperative Arrangement, 2012
MoUs established with other agencies, including the MFB
CFA Operations Checklists
References:
AIIMS Manual 2017
Chief Officers’ Standard Operating Procedures and Joint SOPs
Fire & Emergency Management Field Guide
Operations Updates
Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) established with other agencies, including the MESB
EMV, Policies SOPs and Joint SOPs

8. Flexibility is a key principle
With an ‘all hazards – all agencies’ approach, a flexible application of AIIMS should be used across a full spectrum of incidents with inevitable variations in the:
type
scale
complexity
number of agencies involved
duration.
The principle of Flexibility refers to the capacity of AIIMS to be applied to a whole range of emergency management incidents.
With a trend towards an ‘all hazards – all agencies’ approach, the system must accommodate variations in the:
nature of the hazard
scale of the incident
complexities present
number of agencies involved, and
duration of the event
A rigid application of the AIIMS structures and processes could compromise the effectiveness of any response

9. The second AIIMS principle is Management by Objectives
An objective is a goal statement of what we want to achieve, when and why
Objectives should be SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-framed.
Management by Objectives is a principle that is supported by the underpinning concepts of Uniform Terminology and Common Operating Picture.
Management by Objectives is the process whereby the Incident Controller, consulting as appropriate with the Incident Management Team and supporting agencies, determines the desired outcome for the incident.
A good objective will include:
An intent (WHAT)
A time parameter (WHEN)
A space parameter (WHERE)
Once determined, this outcome can then be communicated to everyone at the incident so that everybody knows and understands the direction being taken and their role at the incident.
Good objectives should also be SMART objectives, in that they are:
Specific: The objective must make it clear what is expected, with no ambiguity.
Measurable: the progress towards achieving the objective must be able to be measured so that the Incident Controller and the Incident management Team can determine whether further action or remedial action is required.
Achievable: an objective must be realistically achievable. I may stretch the responders, but here is no point if it defeats them.
Relevant: the objective must be relevant to what is happening. It must seek to achieve something that is consistent with the mission of the agency and community
Time-framed: having clear time lines enables the development of appropriate strategies and tactics along with resource arrangements. It provides a focus for all involved.
Once the objective is identified, strategies and tactics can be determined and outlined in the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
At the end of each shift the IC and IMT should review their progress towards the objectives, so that the IAP can be updated
Reference:
AIIMS Manual 2017

10. The AIIMS principle of Functional Management defines task specific groups
AIIMS identifies eight functional groupings:
Control
Planning
Intelligence
Public Information
Operations
Investigation
Logistics
Finance.
For the purposes of AIIMS, a function is defined as ‘an activity or grouping of activities addressing core responsibilities of the Incident Controller.’
AIIMS identifies eight specific functional groupings. They are Control, Planning, Intelligence, Public Information, Operations, Investigation, Logistics and Finance.
Each function has defined responsibilities:
Control – The management of all activities necessary for the resolution of an incident
Planning – The development of objectives, strategies and plans for the resolution of an incident based on the outcomes of collection and analysis of information
Intelligence – The task of collecting and analysing information or data, which are recorded and disseminated as intelligence to support decision making and planning.
Public Information – Provision of warnings, information and advice to the public and liaison with the media and affected communities.
Operations – The tasking and application of resources to achieve resolution of the incident.
Investigation – The task of conducting investigations to determine the cause of an incident and/or to determine factors that contributed to impact of the incident or specific events.
Logistics – The acquisition and provision of human and physical resources, facilities, services and materials to support achievement of incident objectives.
Finance – The task of managing:
Accounts for purchases of supplies and hire of equipment
Insurance and compensation for personnel, property and vehicles, and
The collection of cost data and provision of cost-effective analyses and providing cost estimates for the incident

11. 04/07/2019
The AIIMS principle of Functional Management defines task specific groups
Control White
Operations Red
Planning Yellow
Logistics Blue
Public Information Brown
Intelligence Orange
Investigation Black
References:
AIIMS 2017

12. The Unity of Command principle specifies who is in control
One:
Incident Controller
Set of objectives
Incident Action Plan.
Unity of Command refers to a principle that requires each person to report to only one supervisor.
In AIIMS it extends to the idea that there is only one Incident Controller, one set of objectives and one Incident Action Plan.
Reference:
AIIMS Manual 2017

13. The AIIMS principle of Span of Control allows for a realistic ratio of supervision
Enables effective:
command and coordination
communications
supervision and improved safety.
Span of control is a principle that primarily relates to the ratio of supervision being provided.
While it has application in any management system it is a critical principle of AIIMS and its use in emergency management.
The emergency environment is often a high risk and dynamic environment where inappropriate levels of supervision can lead to the incident continually expanding, often very rapidly, resulting in increased risk to response workers and the affected community.
A span of control of up to 1:5 is identified as the desirable span of control in AIIMS.
Note: The span of control may exceed 1:5 when complexity is lower or more in very complex situations. The Logistics Section can have seven Units in a complex incident.
Maintaining this span of control will help achieve the incident objective by providing for:
more effective command at the incident;
more effective communication and coordination;
more effective supervision of, and evaluation of the effectiveness of tasks; and
more effective supervision of and increased safety of personnel.
The span of control which is used should always reflect the demands of the incident and should be subject to continual assessment and review by all supervisors and Incident Management Team Members.
There may be times when a higher level of supervision is required. This may include times when:
an incident is hostile and/or continually escalating;
crews are unfamiliar with the tasks or terrain in which they are working;
communications difficulties are being experienced;
crews are working over a large geographic area;
crews are involved in high-risk activity; and
crews are working in high-risk environment.
Maintaining an appropriate Span of Control can be challenging. Resources can build up very quickly and are often deployed without thought as to how they will be supervised, or to who is available to supervise them.
Reference:
AIIMS Manual 2017

14. The five AIIMS principles have six Underpinning Concepts
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The five AIIMS principles have six Underpinning Concepts
Adaptability and scalability.
Uniform terminology.
A defined management structure.
The Common Operating Picture.
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Clearly defined information flows.
There are a number of critical underpinning concepts that support the 5 principles of AIIMS.
An understanding of these concepts is essential to the effective application of the system:
Adaptability and scalability
Uniform terminology
A defined management structure
The Common Operating Picture
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
Clearly defined information flows
Reference:AIIMS Manual 2017 13

15. Adaptability and scalability form an important underpinning AIIMS concept
Size and structure of the Incident Management Team (IMT) should reflect the size and complexity of the incident and the stage of the response and recovery. The sophistication of the management arrangements for an incident should reflect the scale and complexity of that incident.
The concept of Adaptability and Scalability supports the AIIMS principles of FLEXIBILITY, SPAN of CONTROL. FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT and FLEXIBILITY.
AIIMS must be adaptable to an all-hazards agency environment. It must be able to respond to changes that occur in the evolution of an incident, both during escalation and resolution, and from a focus on response to a focus on community and agency recovery.
Adaptability and Scalability means that:
The size and structure of the Incident Management Team should reflect the size and complexity of the incident and the stage of the response and recovery
The sophistication of the planning for an incident should reflect the scale and complexity of that incident
Reference: AIIMS Manual 2017

16. In AIIMS uniform terminology supports multi agency participation
An All Hazards – All Agencies approach highlights the need for uniform terminology. AIIMS provides the uniform terminology for emergency management. Effective communication relies on common meanings and understandings.
The concept of Uniform Terminology supports the AIIMS principles of FLEXIBILITY and MANAGEMENT by OBJECTIVES.
If all agencies are to apply the AIIMS system then there needs to be agreed terminology and definitions, to enable effective communication between agencies and between members of Incident Management Teams
‘Many of the words and phrases used in emergency management have evolved specific meanings that vary from common usage. The concept of uniform terminology is central to AIIMS and other incident management systems in use in Australia and reflects the fundamental principles of an ‘all hazards – all agencies’ approach to emergency and incident management. Consequently the definitions of terms and phrases as they apply to incident management become critical’
The concepts of Command, Control and Coordination are good examples of the importance of the use uniform terminology in AIIMS.
The terms Strategies and Tactics defined in the next two slides are another example of the importance of common understandings and uniform terminology
Reference:
AIIMS Manual 2017

17. The term strategies clarify how the objectives will be achieved
Outline the approach to be taken towards the achievement of an objective.
Once an objective is established, generally the Operations Officer, in conjunction with the Planning Officer determines appropriate Strategies to achieve the Objective.
Strategies outline the approach to be taken towards the achievement of an objective and are broad in scope.
For many incidents there is likely to be a range of Strategies which could be used.
To select the most appropriate Strategy a range of issues may need to be considered by the IMT, including safety; legal requirements and agency policy; social, economic, or environmental impacts; cost; weather, terrain and access; resource availability; and time and space constraints.
Strategies for different types of incident may include:
Bushfire
direct attack
indirect attack
parallel attack
combination attack
Structure Fire
internal/offensive attack
external/defensive attack
HAZMAT Incident
contain and recover
dilute and recover
washaway
controlled burn
Protection of Community
protect in place
evacuate
restrict entry
Once Strategies have been determined they can be outlined in Incident Action Plans and disseminated throughout the incident.
This will help ensure all personnel understand their role and this will assist them complete assigned tasks on time and to required standards.
References:
AIIMS Manual 2017
CFA Operations Checklists

18. The term tactics refers to the fine details of strategy
Detailed activities undertaken to implement a strategy.
Usually determined by the Operations Section who direct and supervise resources in the application of tactics in a dynamic environment.
Some tactics may need to be specified in Incident Action Plan:
critical operational issues; and
safety implications.
Tactics are the detailed activities undertaken on the fire/incident ground to implement a Strategy, and their effectiveness is fundamental in achieving the Objective determined by the Incident Management Team.
Tactics need to be applied in a dynamic environment and will often require continual adaptation and modification to deal with the changing nature of the incident.
As a result tactics are usually best determined by Operational Commanders such as Sector Commanders, or Strike Team/ Crew Leaders.
Where a Tactic may have a significant impact on operations or safety it may be necessary for the use of that Tactic to be specified in the Incident Action Plan, or for use of the Tactic to be authorised prior to its application.
For example:
back burning and burning out operations in a bushfire situation, or
the use of plant for heavy lifting in an Urban Search and Rescue operation.
References:
AIIMS Manual 2017

19. AIIMS has a defined Management Structure
The concept of Defined Management Structure underpins the AIIMS principles of FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT,
When establishing an incident management structure, it is important to remember that the incident determines the size and nature of that structure!
The structure should be adapted to the circumstances being dealt with, and reflect the complexity and scale of the incident
Incident management structures can range from Level 1 to Level 3. These levels will be covered in the next session.
When the incident does not require a fully expanded system, the Intelligence Unit is part of the Planning function, the Investigation Unit is part of the Operations function and the Finance Unit is part of the Logistics function.

20. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities is an essential under-pinning concept
In defining the management structure, there must be a set of clearly defined and agreed responsibilities for all who are appointed to a role in that structure.
The concept of Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities underpins the AIIMS principles of FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT and UNITY of COMMAND.
Later in the course we see detail for all AIIMS roles and responsibilities.

21. Clearly defined information flows under-pin effective AIIMS operation
For a functional management structure to operate effectively it must be clear what reporting relationships exist, and how the sections and units within the structure communicate to ensure the development and maintenance of the Common Operating Picture.
This concept underpins the AIIMS principles of FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT and UNITY of COMMAND
The AIIMS principles of FLEXIBILITY, MANAGEMENT by OBJECTIVES, SPAN of CONTROL and UNITY OF COMMAND are all linked to or dependent upon the accurate, timely and relevant flow of information.
All of those involved in managing an incident and supporting the response share the responsibility for maintaining information flow.
Reference:
AIIMS Manual 2017

22. In this session we looked at these elements in detail
History. Benefits. AIIMS outcomes. Scope. Five principles. Six underpinning concepts.
Suggested session review questions:
What is the background of the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System in
Australia?
What are the system outcomes of AIIMS?
Describe three benefits of AIIMS as an inter-service incident management system.
What are the three key principles of AIIMS?
What are the five management functions of AIIMS?
For what is each function primarily responsible?
What is the concept of Span of Control?
What is an Objective?
What acronym can you use to help formulate an objective?
What are Strategies?
Who normally determines Strategies at an incident?
What are Tactics?
Who should normally determine Tactics at an incident?