What is the primary purpose of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) in a healthcare facility?

• A. To provide a standardized national framework that replaces local emergency protocols.
• B. To create a separate, hospital-only system independent of ICS.
• C. To manage routine daily operations without disaster planning.
• D. To provide a scalable, hospital-specific incident management structure aligned with ICS to coordinate response, resource management, and communications.

Answer: (D)