Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System (AIIMS) Technologies & Tools - Main Players Analysis - 2022 Report

Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System (AIIMS) has been adopted by DFES and other agencies to manage incidents and provides an adaptable and scalable structure that enables functional delegation to ensure that all vital management and information functions are addressed during an emergency.

AIIMS is an integral part of the emergency management doctrine for the fire and emergency services industry in Australia. The system enables Australian agencies to come together to resolve incidents through an integrated and effective response. Though used primarily by fire, land management, and other emergency agencies, the system provides all organizations a common framework to manage any and all incidents (natural, industrial, or civil), be they emergencies or important non-emergency activities, like major sporting events, large cultural exhibitions, and big business conferences.

AIIMS is founded on five fundamental principles:

1. Flexibility

AIIMS is able to be applied across all hazards, regardless of the scale or complexity of the incident. AIIMS is not a rigid system. Flexibility as a fundamental principle defines that AIIMS should be adapted to the situation and as required to support response activities.

2. Management by Objectives

The basic concept of management by objective is that an incident has a single set of objectives, set by the IC and communicated to everyone involved in the incident. Objectives are reviewed against the common operating picture to ensure they remain specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time framed (SMART). At any one time, an incident can only have one set of objectives and one incident action plan, these must reflect the Incident Controller’s intent.

3. Functional Management

A function within AIIMS is defined as “an activity or grouping of activities addressing core responsibilities of the IC”. AIIMS identifies eight functions; Control, Intelligence, Planning, Public Information, Operations, Investigation, Logistics and Finance.

4. Unity of Command

Unity of Command essentially defines that each individual only reports to one supervisor. In AIIMS this concept extends to the role of the IC in that there is only one IC for an incident. This IC is responsible for coordinating, controlling and unifying responses to an incident under the IC’s direction and intent.

5. Span of Control

Within AIIMS, the span of control describes that one supervisor can only effectively supervise between three (3) and seven (7) resources, depending on the complexity of an incident. The recommended span of control within DFES is 1:5.

6. IMT Role Descriptions

AIIMS provides a set of Incident Management Team (IMT) role and position descriptions and aide memoires. These aide memoires are accessible on the DFES IM Toolbox under the appropriate AIIMS Function buttons. DFES personnel are to be familiar with and able to access the AIIMS Aide Memoire relevant to the positions they are qualified and capable of performing.

The State Emergency Management Plan details the State’s Emergency Incident Levels, these differ from the AIIMS Levels but utilize this concept in defining the complexity of an incident. DFES IMTs align to the Incident Levels defined within the State Emergency Management Plan yet are structured according to AIIMS and based upon the IC’s requirements.

The report includes a detailed analysis of the main players in the market.