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We are all in this together! This Risk Management Workbook allow us to share our RM reasearch and "Cross-train" the RM methods we find most effective! OUR Motto? "The benefits of our combined RM efforts is greater than the benefits of our efforts working alone! That's our CUNA Mutual/Credit Union RM Advantage!

You're in Chapter V of...   

Risk Management Learning Center

Click here to return to page 1 of this workbook!Credit Union ICS Basic Training 

This year's workbook has six chapters. In Chapter I, we survey CUNA Mutual and Credit Union Risk Managers to "benchmark" our 2006 RM programs and projects. In Chapter II, we retrain and introduce alternative RM research and development (R&D) strategies for 2007. In Chapter III, we update RMA data sheets and review written reports to ensure we're supporting CM underwriting and claims personnel and our recommendations are being implemented at the credit union level. Chapter IV, we refresh our RM workshops and presentations and plan for a series of 2007 RM discussions and fireside chats with our Credit Union Risk Managers. In Chapter V, we take advanced training in CUNA Mutual's Unified Incident Command and Control System. This system adopts the "Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) required teaching for law enforcement, fire fighters, and emergency governments to the credit union movement. 
Katrina initially inflicted massive property and casualty losses, but it was the subsequent breakdown in social order and poorly orchestrated response protocols that spiraled P&C losses out of control. In 2007, CUNA Mutual will continue to field test a "Unified" Incident Command and Control system similar to that used by law enforcement, fire fighters, and emergency governments. Our goal is to make sure credit unions in the UK are mission ready and ready to roll during any crisis to include natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or pandemics. The command and control system we advocate takes advantage of the global partnership CUNA Mutual has had for over 70 years with the world credit union movement.

Katrina taught us much, but her most important lesson was to more quickly determine her scope and better manage her "scope creep." Credit unions are well positioned to do both. First, by having a plan at the credit union level and than at the chapter level and finally at the country and international levels. She taught us that too many responding too soon can clog escape routes and too much information can overwhelm more than console the victims.  Again, UK credit unions are well positioned to reduce route clogging and the hysteria we witnessed during Katrina. Again this year, I've asked Rich Woldt to join our RM team in the UK as we refine our incident command and control systems.                    Steve Finnigan

After the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks at the WTC in New York City, CUNA Mutual' launched a four phase RM project to first make sure credit unions were adequately equipped to protect and defend themselves, than properly trained to respond during any crisis, and mission ready to react quickly when in harms way. In 2007, we'll continue to integrate security systems (physical, alarm, surveillance, and access controls) while we begin an RM process called "convergence," Convergence brings security systems, computer technologies, and personnel in the public together with those in the private sector. The ultimate RM goal is to foster response and recovery partnerships at all levels of the credit union movement and between the public and private sectors in every community and country. .

The internationally recognized Incident Command and Control System (ICS) which is now required training for all US fire fighters, law enforcement, and emergency governments has been adopted to the international credit union movement forming The Credit Union Incident Command and Control System (CU-ICS). NIMS (The National Incident Management System) terminology has been adopted to enhance communications between industries, and between the public and private sectors. CERT (The Credit Union Incident Response Team) was formed as a model on which we'll base a "unified" commands at each level of the credit union movement (credit union, chapter, league, national association, WOCCU, etc.).

 

 
Interactive Table of Contents (Hold ctrl and click)

An Introduction to CUNA Mutual's CU-ICS...

Important CU-ICS Principles...

CU-ICS Rules...

Ordering Unified Commands...

An example of the CU-ICS used during Hurricane Ivan...

CUNA Mutual/CU- ICS Tutorial 12-15-06

CU-ICS Tutorial with sample handouts...

A Review of RM Principles...

A review of RM principles:

A "risk" is an uncertainty that a loss will occur at some point in the future. There are two types of risk, "pure" and "speculative." When pure risks such as burglaries, robberies, embezzlements, natural disasters, and terrorist' attacks occur, we only suffer a loss. When we manage speculative risks such as when we build new buildings or launch new member services, we hope to profit but we can suffer a loss. "Risk Management" is the method of management we use to identify, measure, and control all the risks in our future. To control the risks we've identified, we either avoid, reduce, spread, assume, or transfer them either to someone else or into an insurance or bonding pool.

When a risk occurs, we have an "incident," and the sooner we "take command and control" of the incident the less we'll lose and quicker we'll recover. Hurricane Katrina reminded us that until we can accurately measure the "scope" of the incident and monitor "scope creep" losses will continue to escalate.

Risk Managers in both the public and private sectors recognize the need for performance standards and common response protocols in each industry. The order has gone out in the public sector to form partnerships with the private sector. In 2007, the international credit union movement will be promoting the same ICS now taught to emergency government, homeland security, law enforcement, and fire fighting personnel around the world. In 2007, the international credit union movement will promote the Incident Command System as the platform of choice, and NIMS as the standard protocol to which we'll march! 

An Introduction to CUNA Mutual's CU-ICS:

CUNA Mutual's Incident Command and Control System forms a partnership between CUNA Mutual and all levels of the international credit union movement. During it's design and field testing, it's been identified as the CUNA Mutual ICS (CM-ICS), the Credit Union ICS (CU-ICS) and the Virtual ICS (V-ICS). Don't let that confuse you. It's the same Incident Command and Control System (ICS) used by fire fighters, law enforcement and emergency governments since the 1940s. For the purpose of this tutorial we'll refer to it as the Credit Union Incident Command and Control System (CU-ICS). Click here for a link to the design template for our V-ICS. I've copy-written some of this material but if it will benefit CUNA Mutual International, you have my permission to use it.  Rich Woldt

Important CU-ICS' Principles:  

The CU-ICS expands and contracts (the concertina affect) so it can be used as a "single" command during a minor incident such as a burglary or localized fire, or in a "unified" command involving a credit union chapter, region, country, or the entire  international credit union movement; such as we did during hurricane's Ivan, Katrina, Rita, etc.

No matter how large the incident, the basic CU-ICS structure for 2007 will attempt to limit direct reports to seven (7). The Incident Commander (IC) will immediately take command and designate a Safety Officer to ensure all CM responders are properly equipped, trained, and mission ready. An Information Officer will deal with the media and make sure CM employees are kept informed, while the Liaison Officer will coordinate a CM response with representatives at all levels of the credit union movement. When and if a "unified" command is ordered, CUNA Mutual's Incident Commander (IC) will designate a "Command Staff" to include a Chief of Operations, Chief of Planning, Chief of Logistics, and Chief of Finance. .

 

 

 

If you're in law enforcement, a fire fighter, an emergency government or homeland security professional, you'll recognize the ICS tutorials I've adopted to the credit union movement. Click here to review ICS tutorials adopted to the world credit union movement.
Before we discuss CUNA Mutual's Incident Command and Control System (ICS), I think it's important for us to review the RM principles on which our partnership with the credit union movement is built. Use the interactive table of contents to navigate this chapter: 
Green may mean to go, but it's also the designated color for the Incident Command Center. Watch for green lights, green signs, and green arm bands.
Each organization has only one Incident Commander (IC) per incident. Depending on the scope of the incident, the IC will designate a "Safety Officer" to make sure all responding personnel are properly equipped, trained, and mission ready to deploy into the hot zone. At some point, an "Information Officer" might be designated to keep credit union employees, members, and the media properly informed. The "Liaison Officer" will coordinate responding agencies and their personnel.
 Ordering a Unified Command: When the scope of the incident exceeds a predetermined level, the IC should order a "unified" command and designate a "Command Staff." The command staff is made up of four "chiefs." The Chief of Operations assembles responding assets for either a "strike" or "mission" deployment. Chief of Planning helps determine who should be involved and prepares written plans for the duration of the incident. The Chief of Logistics designates one or more "Staging" areas, Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs), and handles all logistics. At some point, someone will have reimburse agencies for lost assets, pay responding personnel and indemnify victims. The Chief of Finance keeps records and identifies financial resources to include insurance and bonding companies, government agencies, and volunteers
 
Steve Finnigan - CUNA Mutual Risk Manager
 
Rich Woldt - CUNA Mutual       RM Special Operations
 
Elements of the Incident Command System (ICS) date back to the early 1900's, when states along the Colorado River joined forces to build the Hoover Dam, stopping the annual flooding of farmland and communities.

Fire fighters of the 40's are credited with making the ICS a nationally recognized crises management system.

Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, there was no signs of ICS being used by local authorities during Katrina.               

                           Rich Woldt

The "Credit Union Incident Command System puts you in the drivers seat!"

Maslow said that victims have a hierarchy of needs and they need to be met in order or the victim will not move forward. First you must meet their "Physiological" need for food, water, shelter, economic stability, etc. than their need to belong (to a church, association, club, etc.) and than their "self esteem" or "self Actualization" needs such as being the best carpenter or plumber, or school teacher, or risk manager in town. Note Maslow's pyramid below:
The incident command and control structure attempts to limit the number of direct reports anyone has to seven (7) primary positions.