Chief Ed Hartin delivered this escalating incident operations at the 2026 Washington State Firefighters Association Annual Fire School & Conference in Wenatchee, Washington. The presentation is intended for chief officers and others who may serve as IC #2 (strategic incident commander). This includes including volunteer, combination, and career fire service leaders managing incidents that grow beyond the capability of one incident commander working alone.
The presentation examines what should change when command transfers from the first-arriving company officer to the first-arriving response chief. It focuses on matching and balancing command with the size, structure, complexity, and duration of the incident. Key topics include command transfer, tactical worksheets, strategic-level accountability, critical fireground factors, risk management, incident action planning, and the eight functions of command.
A major theme is escalation of command. As incidents increase in size and complexity, IC #2 must build an effective incident organization. This presentation examines use of divisions, groups, division safety and support officers. In addition, it provides and overview of command team functions for complex incidents. The presentation also addresses how these concepts can be applied in limited-staffing contexts.
This presentation draws on Blue Card concepts, including Level 1 and Level 2 staging, On-Deck, recycle, accountability location, and division-based tactical supervision. It emphasizes that safety must be integrated at the task, tactical, and strategic levels of incident operations rather than treated as a separate function.
Download the PDF presentation to review the key concepts from Escalating Incident Operations: Beyond IC #2 Working Alone in the Fire SUV. For more fire service training and consulting resources, visit the Command Competence website. To build command skill through scenario-based practice, explore the 10-Minute Training Tactical Decision Games.