Create an Incident
Creating an incident records the initial event and establishes Hospital Incident Command. It does not automatically start Operational Period 01.
Before you begin
- For a facility incident, you must hold the active Incident Commander (IC) HICS Role for that facility.
- For a health-system incident, you must be assigned to the health system and hold its active system-scoped Incident Commander (IC) HICS Role.
- If a Command Center applies, an administrator must configure and activate it for the facility. Not Applicable remains available when no Command Center location applies to the incident.
- If an Incident Response Guide will be used, it must be active for that facility.
- If no IRG will be used, an administrator must configure at least one Activation Level for the facility.
- Administrative access by itself does not grant permission to create an incident.
Establish command
- Open Operational command.
- Expand Response and select Incidents.
- Select Create incident.
- Under Incident type, select Actual Incident or Exercise/Drill.
- When Organizational scope is available, select Facility incident or Health system incident. Each choice requires the matching Incident Commander HICS Role.
- For a facility incident, select the Facility. Only facilities where you hold the Incident Commander HICS Role are available.
- For a health-system incident, choose All active facilities or Selected facilities, then confirm the participating facilities. Participation does not create separate facility incidents or grant local facility command.
- Select an Incident Response Guide, or select None. The available configuration belongs to the selected facility or health system.
- Enter the Incident name.
- Enter the Brief incident description.
- If you selected None for the IRG, select the Activation Level that defines the initial HIMT depth. When an IRG is selected, Activation Level is unavailable because the IRG defines the activated HIMT roles.
- Select the active Command Center location where command is being established, or select Not Applicable.
- Enter when the incident was recognized or began.
- Select I confirm that I am assuming Incident Command.
- Select Create incident and establish command.
HICSNow records the Incident Commander, organizational scope, participating facilities, incident classification, recognized or began time, Command Center choice, selected activation source, and exact HIMT positions activated when the incident was created. Configured values and the participant list are preserved with the incident even if an administrator later changes the organization, IRG, Activation Level, Command Center, or facility roster.
The IRG and Activation Level choices are mutually exclusive. A selected IRG defines the activated HIMT roles. When None is selected for the IRG, the chosen Activation Level defines the activated HIMT depth. Activated positions may remain unfilled until the Incident Commander assigns qualified personnel.
After command is established
The incident opens in Incident Overview. Operational Period 01 remains unestablished. Open Initial Actions under Response to work through the applicable Incident Commander Job Action Sheet headings. The briefing, operational-period establishment, incident completion, and incident cancellation controls will be introduced in later incident-command releases.
Common problems
A facility is not available
Confirm that you hold the active Incident Commander HICS Role for that facility. A Tenant Administrator, Facility Administrator, or Super Administrator can review HICS Role assignments.
The health-system incident option is not available
Confirm that the organization is a Professional or Enterprise system, that you are assigned to the health system, and that you hold its active system-scoped Incident Commander HICS Role. A facility Incident Commander assignment does not grant health-system incident authority.
No Command Center is available
Select Not Applicable only when a Command Center location does not apply to the incident. Otherwise, ask an authorized administrator to configure or activate the appropriate Command Center for the facility.
No Activation Level is available
If the IRG is set to None, ask a Tenant Administrator or Facility Administrator to create an Activation Level in HICS Configuration for the facility or reactivate the appropriate inactive level. Only active Activation Levels are offered. An Activation Level is required only when no IRG is selected.
Another active incident prevents creation
Some subscriptions permit only one active incident. The current development preview does not yet expose the completion and cancellation controls needed to release that capacity. Additional incident-lifecycle controls are planned for a later release.
I do not want to use a standard response guide
Select None under Incident Response Guide. The incident can still be created when all other required information is complete.