Federal help to improve FDNY command system
NEW YORK (AP) - The Fire Department of New York will deploy
federally trained teams of planning and coordination specialists to
better handle potential terror attacks and other major emergencies.
Starting next month, the U.S. Forest Service will train two
25-member teams to coordinate operations, planning and logistics at
complex or long-lasting emergencies, the forest service and fire
department announced Wednesday.
Emergency agencies in the West long have used so-called incident
management teams to handle earthquakes, large forest fires and
other such emergencies.
The fire department already has one incident management team in
place, spokesman Mike Loughran said.
Management consultant McKinsey & Co. found in city-commissioned
reports last year that poor coordination between fire and police
officials kept firefighters from getting vital information about
the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack.
The consultant recommended stronger command and control
procedures, and the fire department has moved to improve them,
assigning logistics and planning duties to specific chiefs, for
example.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)