The Incident Command Systems (ICS) was originally developed in the 1970s by the fire services to provide a standard system for responding to emergencies. Considerable effort has been dedicated to make ICS adaptable to the needs of other disciplines. ICS provides a common organizational framework within which agencies can work collectively at the scene of an emergency. ICS has several other features which contribute to its being an effective emergency management system for either single or multiple agency use. This paper discusses the ICS, presents the functions of ICS (command, operations, planning/intelligence, logistics, finance/administration), describes the benefits of this system, and identifies the procedures for activating ICS. Details about expanding the ICS (staging areas, unified command, and incident action plans) are offered. The author concludes with a description of the relationship between Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and/or Department Operations Centers (DOCs).