ICS in the News
Crystal Silva
American Military University

The local news here in Watertown, New York has not depicted the need to utilize ICS. There has been a great deal of activity in the justice department, a ton of high school sports news, and focusing on Fort Drum budget cuts. Due to the increased use of space heaters with the cold draft coming in, there has also been a ridiculous amount of house fires in the area recently. The Ebola outbreak in Western Africa has been a continuous topic of interest in the past months nationally and globally. Two emergency incidents in the past two days which utilizes the Incident Command System (ICS) were the Dupont chemical plant hazardous exposure, and the norovirus outbreak on a cruise line. Four workers in the Dupont chemical plant in La Porte, Texas lost their lives after a valve failed on a container holding a hazardous chemical to make insecticides. Workers were able to get the situation under control after two hours. The leak also caused a strong odor in the air which could be smelled 40 miles away and concerned many, but officials said that it was safe. Air monitoring was conducted and the local emergency response agencies agreed that there was no health hazard to the community. The plant was put on lock down several times that day and workers nearby also had to stay inside. The company stated that the workers had extensive training and they are not yet sure what caused the valve fail. (Associated Press, 2014) This particular incident followed the simple Incident Command Structure (ICS) since it was a contained incident which was resolved in a timely manner. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board was notified, and the emergency management coordinator for La Porte was involved. The Occupations Safety and Health Administration requires chemical plants to develop procedures for emergency response to spills and leaks. (McCann, 1992) Although details of the initial response is unknown, what is known is that only the 5 employees who were in the building were the only ones affected by the leak and it was contained within two hours. Therefore, it can be assumed that proper procedures were followed in regards to the emergency response to the valve fail. However, the first step in spill or leak control procedures is to get away from the immediate area in order to avoid exposure. (McCann, 1992) Of the four workers dead, two of them were brothers in which one of the brothers, Gilbert, ran into the building with a gas mask after becoming aware of the leak, in an effort to save his brother, Robert. Although, it is morally the right thing to do, it was against protocols. The emergency management coordinator for La Porte, Jeff Suggs, said that the chemical release was not toxic for those living in the affected areas. The company did everything that should have been expected of them in response to the leak. They contained the leak, aided the workers exposed, ensured public safety, and notified the proper agencies. The agencies involved ensured that the air quality was not harmful and that the surrounding areas were not hazardous. The cleanup of the leak must be safely done with any personal protective equipment required, and training as to how to properly do the job. The U.S Chemical Safety Board, a federal agency that investigates chemical accidents, announced that it was sending seven-person team to investigate the incident as well as the company conducting its own review of the incident. (Associated Press, 2014) A nearly month long cruise on the Crown Princess has come to an end resulting in 172 passenger ill with a highly contagious norovirus. The symptoms of norovirus include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and body aches which usually rid after three days. The ship has yet to dock, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be awaiting its arrival in San Pedro, California.
The outbreak has enacted the cruise line to enact their “stringent disinfecting