The incident command system is a staple in emergency operations.  If you are in emergency services or emergency management, you know ICS because it plays such a role in your operation.  It is the way in which we organize ourselves to manage the complexity and craziness with emergencies and disasters.  

In recent years, there has been some focused research discussing the relative merits and downsides of the system.  In fact, much of our ICS best practices have been based around our intuitive understanding of the system.  But more research is still needed to understand the many nuanced strengths and weaknesses of the system.