GhostNet 1.5, page 25

25 Basic Incident Response Immediate Concerns Step 1: Physical Security Don’t Panic. Establish personal security FIRST! All other comms and incident response actions can wait until you are secure. If security is not guaranteed, some level of tactical comms might be prioritized over personal safety, depending on the tactical situation and the nature of the emergency. Step 2: Establish Comms, Determine Players, Send 5 W’s Once personal safety is established, the originator of the incident/distress call shall make every effort to establish a communications net and transmit a brief description of the incident. The 5 W’s of Who, What, When, Where, and Why are a good format to stick to, if no other format exists. If a Troops-in-Contact report, or a SALUTE report is preferred, use that format instead. If the originator of the incident report is unable to establish an Incident Response Comms Net, other Net participants shall make every effort to coordinate a response as needed. As a prepared citizenry is often non-hierarchical, there are no Command requirements (beyond local group SOPs), so whomever is capable of maintaining the Nets and passing communications, is the primary party responsible for such action until no longer able. In the more likely scenario of a person simply hearing of a national event, and wishing to obtain more information, tuning in to the appropriate radio communications net would be a good idea. Chances are, if something substantial is going on, people will be sharing information on the GhostNet. Battle Tracking Step 3: Establish TOC, Staff Functions Begin A Tactical Operations Center, appropriate to the incident, is to be established as needed. All staff functions begin to work the issue as their skillsets and capabilities allow. Intelligence and Operations maintain the primary responsibilities of Threat Assessments and Friendly Forces, respectively. Logistics, Weather, Med- ical, Administrative, and dedicated Communications experts also contribute as able. Amongst a prepared citizenry, most of the standard TOC functions (such as Battle Tracking) will fall to a single person. Do the best you can, and realize that perfection is not possible. Realistic expectations of operational capabilities are paramount to maintaining even the smallest measure of effectiveness. Once a good Battle Rhythm is established, start working on improving effectiveness. Try to improve communications networks, and get some of the more advanced options (like Ion2G ALE or Winlink) up and running to make contact with personnel near the affected area. These more advanced actions take time, and will not be possible to create prior to the incident. Even though very basic comms are the bare minimum, highly efficient data exchange networks will need to be the eventual end goal if time, skill, and prior planning makes it possible. Follow-On Actions Step 5: Hotwash, After Action Review, Logistical Recovery As an incident comes to a close, or begins to settle in for the long haul, logistical capabilities must be considered. Personnel issues will be paramount as prepared citizens often are not capable of assisting with incident recovery 24/7. Conducting Hotwashes/AAR’s will help increase efficiency, identify deficiencies, and improve response efforts for the next incident. Step 4: Reassess Situation and Response, Schedule 2-Minute Drills, Assess Logistical/Personnel Needs As the incident progresses, people fall into the roles they have trained for. As a citizen-based response will not have a strong Command element like traditional Incident Command Structures, consideration must be given to logistical and personnel constraints that will affect operations. Ensure that clear schedules are communicated. For multi-day incidents be aware that personnel tracking incidents will be volunteers with other obligations which might dictate their retirement from the operation at a critical juncture. Create a template and a schedule for Two-Minute Drills, which allow each responding entity to convey a status update from their department quickly and efficiently. Be mindful of logistical needs, particularly energy requirements. Maintain flexibility as plans change.