This International Standard specifies minimum requirements for effective incident response and provides the basics for command and control, operational information, coordination and cooperation within an incident response organization. It includes command and control organizational structures and procedures, decision support, traceability, information management, and interoperability.

It establishes requirements for operational information for incident response which specifies processes, systems of work, data capture and management in order to produce timely, relevant and accurate information. It supports the process of command and control as well as coordination and cooperation, internally within the organization and externally with other involved parties, and specifies requirements for coordination and cooperation between organizations.

This International Standard is applicable to any organization (private, public, governmental or non-profit) involved in preparing or responding to incidents at the international, national, regional or local levels, including organizations

a) responsible for, and participating in, incident prevention and resilience preparations,

b) offering guidance and direction in incident response,

c) developing regulations and plans for command and control,

d) developing multi-agency/multi-organizational coordination and cooperation for incident response,

e) developing information and communication systems for incident response,

f) researching in the field of incident response, information and communication and data interoperability models,

g) researching in the field of human factors in incident response,

h) responsible for communication and interaction with the public.