Overview
The vision of Ontario’s IMS project is that all responders in Ontario will have a standardized system that provides functional interoperability at all levels of emergency management. IMS is a scaleable approach based on a series of principles and concepts that include:
- All incident responses can be organized using five functional areas of activity: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance & Administration.
- IMS is applicable at all incidents and by all levels of response (for example, on-site response and Emergency Operations Centre support/responses).
- The system is scalable and modular. Ontario’s IMS Doctrine can be considered a toolbox for incident response. Only the tools needed for each incident are used.
- The use of common terminology and criteria ensures mutual understanding among responders and facilitates the exchange of resources.
Project Governance
Ontario’s current IMS project began in summer 2006. A provincial IMS Steering Committee consisting of more than 30 organizations and other stakeholders was formed in winter 2007. The Steering Committee developed a draft IMS Doctrine, which benefited from a period of stakeholder review. On January 30, 2009, Ontario’s Deputy Ministry of Community Safety approved the IMS Doctrine for Ontario.
IMS Working Groups
Several IMS Working Groups are currently supporting the work of the IMS Steering Committee by developing additional resources to support IMS implementation in Ontario:
- Training Working Group
- Communications Working Group
- Resource Management Working Group
- EOC Working Group
