What is the GRIP structure?

What exactly does ‘GRIP’ mean?

GRIP is a scaling-up model. Scaling up means involving more people and organisations as an incident becomes larger or more complex. The acronym stands for Coordinated Regional Incident Management Procedure. The model ensures that everyone knows who is responsible for what. This prevents different services from working at cross-purposes. Each GRIP level determines which team is in charge and at what level of cooperation: local, regional or national.

Source area and impact area

To understand ‘GRIP’, two concepts are helpful: the source area and the impact area. The source area is the place where the incident itself occurs, for example, the factory where a fire is raging. The impact area is the surrounding area where people feel the effects, for example where the smoke drifts. In the case of minor incidents, the source and impact areas are virtually the same. As soon as the effects spread over a larger area, the organisation scales up to a higher GRIP level.

The GRIP levels from 1 to 5 inclusive

Below is a brief explanation of the levels: what is involved, who is in charge and the scope of the collaboration.

• GRIP 1: A straightforward incident in the source area. The emergency services on the scene must coordinate their efforts. An Incident Command Centre (CoPI) directs operations at the scene itself.
• GRIP 2: the incident affects a wider area, for example a cloud of smoke over a neighbourhood. In addition to the CoPI, a Regional Operational Team (ROT) convenes to jointly manage the source and the impact.
• GRIP 3: The incident poses a threat to the welfare of many residents of a single municipality. The mayor takes administrative decisions and is assisted by a Municipal Policy Team (GBT).
• GRIP 4: the incident extends beyond municipal boundaries and affects several municipalities. The chair of the safety region takes charge, supported by a Regional Policy Team (RBT).
• GRIP 5: The incident is taking place across several security regions simultaneously. The regions coordinate their response; a single chairperson coordinates on behalf of all the regions involved.

What ‘GRIP’ means for crisis communication

Each GRIP level changes who communicates and how widely the message needs to reach. At GRIP 1, communication is often still limited and operational. From GRIP 2 onwards, communication with the wider community becomes more important, as the area of impact grows and more people need to be informed or take action. From GRIP 3 onwards, administrative communication comes into play. The mayor or regional chair becomes the public face of the organisation, and communications are tightly coordinated. At GRIP 4 and 5, several local authorities or regions coordinate their messages so that residents everywhere receive the same, consistent information. The higher the level, the more important it is to have a single, joint core message.

Veelgestelde vragen

What is the difference between a source area and an impact area?

The source area is the location where the incident takes place, for example a factory on fire. The impact area is the surrounding area where people notice the effects, such as smoke or a foul odour. The larger the impact area, the higher the GRIP level usually is.

Who decides which GRIP level to scale up to?

Initially, the most senior officer on the scene may escalate the response; for example, the head of the Incident Command Centre. At higher levels, the decision is taken by the mayor or the chair of the safety region. Escalation is always possible, even if it later transpires that the situation is less serious.

What does a higher GRIP level mean for residents?

A higher level means that an incident has more serious consequences and affects more local authorities or regions. For residents, it is particularly important that communication is coordinated more closely, so that they receive the same, clear message and guidance on what to do, wherever they are.