| This research effort examined incident action planning within the Incident Command System (ICS) for complex and extended emergencies, focusing on intermediate and long-range incident action planning. The purpose of this research was to understand current processes used for intermediate and long-range incident action planning, and to develop, through empirical research, a next generation model. A formalized and documented ICS model does not currently exist for intermediate and long-range incident action planning, portraying both what incident action planning activities need to be accomplished and how to conduct planning that supports the highest level of situation awareness for time intervals beyond the next operational period. This research produced an intermediate and long-range planning process model (ILPPM), derived from current incident management principles, project management, business process modeling, and military operational planning methodologies, followed by a proof of concept assessment for the ILPPM's validity.;This research used a combination of methods including case study analysis to examine gaps within current incident action planning, expert cohort interviews using the convergent interview method to examine the prototype ILPPM, and structured interviews to assess the model's effectiveness using simulation with a four-arm research design. This research demonstrated that a formal and documented process model could be developed from existing, validated planning methods, as well as expert cohort input, to demonstrate more accurate and detailed incident projections in the form of intermediate and long range incident action planning. |
