The North Haven Fire Department utilizes a formal incident command system (ICS) for the management of each fire and EMS response and adheres to NFPA/OSHA recommendations. In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-313(e), the Fire Chief or senior fire officer will be designated as the “Officer in Charge” and in command of the incident. When situations involve multi-jurisdictions and multiple agencies, a unified command structure will be implemented; CGS 7-313(e) will be invoked. Furthermore, all Department personnel have been trained in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Finally, following the recommendations established by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, the standard for communicating during emergency incident operations is through the use of plain-language – radio codes will not be used.