Ch 1. Review of the Incident Management System

Question 1

___-___ percent of fires we respond to are minor, if there’s any fire at all. ___-___ percent of the fires to which we respond are all-hands or working fires. ___ percent of these working fires turn into major incidents.

Answer 1

90-95
5-10
0.25
pg 3

Question 2

The express purpose of incident management is ___

Answer 2

to standardize the way of operating at every incident to which a fire department responds.
pg 3

Question 3

The [incident management] system outlines the ___ and ___ of every unit that answers the alarm.

Answer 3

roles and responsibilities

pg 3

Question 4

One of [IMS]’s prime advantages is that it ___

Answer 4

readily adapts to any type of incident, large or small.

pg 3

Question 5

Incident management fits ___ at an emergency scene

Answer 5

anywhere you use it

pg 3

Question 6

To remain ready for [the next headline-maker], it is vital that we practice incident management , ___.

Answer 6

not only at the large incidents, but for the everyday calls as well.
pg 4

Question 7

Incident-specific operations

Answer 7

different assignments at every incident

pg 4

Question 8

pre-incident assignments

Answer 8

proceduralized assignments

pg 4

Question 9

The beauty of standardization is that, under incident management, ___ and ___.

Answer 9

everyone on the scene understands who is in charge, and everyone should have a keen understanding as to what his specific role is at a given incident.
pg 5

Question 10

No matter their function, everyone has a ___ and ___.

Answer 10

role and subsequent responsibility

pg 5

Question 11

___ provides checks and balances at every incident

Answer 11

Incident management

pg 5

Question 12

The system of checks and balances is set in motion by ___ as he makes assignments, tracks the status of assigned crews, and evaluates the stream of information that he receives. (5-6)

Answer 12

the incident commander

Question 13

In delegating responsibility, a typical commander uses ___ and ___ to maintain a reasonable span of control, manage assignments, and pinpoint areas of weakness in the overall scene.

Answer 13

command boards and flow charts

pg 6

Question 14

One of the most common complaints about incident management is that ___.

Answer 14

departments don’t always have enough people to fill all the boxes.
pg 6

Question 15

A ___ is used to track crews at a working structure fire

Answer 15

command board

pg 6

Question 16

The Beauty of IMS:

Answer 16

It’s expandable and unconstrained by time

pg 7

Question 17

The [incident command] system can adapted to ___

Answer 17

meet the needs of each particular emergency.

pg 7

Question 18

For incident management to work, ___

Answer 18

it must be based on a written plan

pg 7

Question 19

___ states that command shall be established by the first arriving officer

Answer 19

NFPA 1561

pg 7

Question 20

SOPs relevant to IMS should dictate several key items, including ___

Answer 20

when the role of incident commander is to be established.

pg 7

Question 21

your department needs ___ that states when command will be established at incidents.

Answer 21

an SOP

pg 8

Question 22

Your SOP needs to stipulate ___.

Answer 22

at what incidents your department will use IMS

pg 8

Question 23

Federal law (___) mandates that such a system [IMS] will be used at all ___ incidents.

Answer 23

SARA III
haz-mat
pg 8

Question 24

___ has set criteria for the use of IMS at structure fires.

Answer 24

The NFPA

pg 8

Question 25

Transferring command merely for the sake of rank or ego is a mistake in that ___ and ___.

Answer 25

it often results in a missed opportunity for training and usually in a waste of time and effort.
pg 8

Question 26

SOPs need to address important issues, such as ___ and ___

Answer 26

staging and the method of dividing up an incident into manageable units, or sectorization.
pg 8

Question 27

As the incident builds, so should the ___ at the command post.

Answer 27

“think tank”

pg 9

Question 28

The key to an effective organizational structure is ___

Answer 28

in the flow of information to the command post.

pg 9

Question 29

An incident commander ___ if critical facts about a given circumstance are withheld from him

Answer 29

cannot make reasonable decisions

pg 9

Question 30

It’s a given that ___ shall be held responsible for the outcome of the incident.

Answer 30

the incident commander

pg 9

Question 31

The IC is responsible for all that he does not ___.

Answer 31

delegate

pg 9

Question 32

The flow of information available to [the IC] should not be impeded, but he also shouldn’t have to talk to anyone ___

Answer 32

who isn’t in his chain of command.

pg 9

Question 33

If reports are coming in from the Operations sector, the ___ officer should handle them.

Answer 33

operations

pg 9

Question 34

[ICS] works best if the IC is on ___ tactical channel altogether. This helps to remove the temptation of ___, or ___

Answer 34

a separate;
micromanaging;
getting involved at the tactical level of an incident
pg 9

Question 35

The incident commander should remain ___

Answer 35

at the command post

pg 9

Question 36

As the hub of information and control, ___ is the most logical place for the IC to be, and it’s the most logical place for ___

Answer 36

the command post;
an incoming officer to find whoever’s in charge
pg 9

Question 37

Under incident command, assignments need to be ___, ___, and ___, whether made ___or ___.

Answer 37

specific; clearly stated; known to all responders;
prior to the response or after the arrival of the first unit.
pg 10

Question 38

A ___ must always be in force

Answer 38

doctrine of accountability

pg 10

Question 39

With the IC ___, company officers can always locate the person in charge.

Answer 39

in a permanent location

pg 10

Question 40

The task of a commander at any incident is ___

Answer 40

to focus on the needs of that incident

pg 10

Question 41

focus is best gained in the command post, where ___.

Answer 41

the IC can form a complete picture of the entire operation.

pg 10

Question 42

Proper focus requires ___ and ___ so as to anticipate the needs of the incident and translate those needs into the actions of ___.

Answer 42

concentration; a direct thought process;
sector officers
pg 10

Question 43

At large incidents, the IC needs to surround himself with ___.

Answer 43

a team, consisting of individuals whom he can trust and with whom he can work.
pg 11

Question 44

Chief officers of ___ must develop trust and a good working atmosphere if incident management is going to work for them.

Answer 44

rural departments

pg 11

Question 45

___ is a matter of viewing a situation objectively from the outside, not from within (11)

Answer 45

Focus

Question 46

Who should be the incident commander?

Answer 46

title should be established when the first officer arrives. For all incidents.
pg 11

Question 47

If you trust your people, have confidence in their abilities, and put them where the belong, then there’s really no reason to ___. (12)

Answer 47

siphon off their authority

Question 48

As far as the [IC] selection process is concerned, keep in mind what type of incident it is and ___. (13)

Answer 48

what chief officers are available.

Question 49

At most large incidents, you have two key positions to fill:

Answer 49

1. incident commander
2. operations officer (or sometimes planning officer)
   pg 13

Question 50

If an incident commander wants to know what’s going on at the rear of an involved structure, he should ___. If you really must look yourself, ___.

Answer 50

get a report from an officer assigned there; transfer command to another chief and take your walk, but leave the source of power in the command post.
pg 13

Question 51

A formal command post tends to be ___

Answer 51

immobile

pg 13

Question 52

___ or ___ may necessitate moving the command post. Otherwise you should pick a location ___.

Answer 52

Lack of planning; a change in the wind;
suited to the weather and the scope of the operation.
pg 13

Question 53

big incident=

little incident=

Answer 53

big command post
little command post
pg 13

Question 54

A formal command post is a place to ___, ___, and ___

Answer 54

think; write; talk

pg 13

Question 55

Within incident management, the accepted span of control is considered to be ___.

Answer 55

5 subordinates

pg 13

Question 56

the ___ is the number of individuals with whom one person can effectively communicate at one time. (14)

Answer 56

span of communications

Question 57

One fo the key factors in [span of communications] is a matter of ___.

Answer 57

atmosphere, or where the discussion is taking place.

pg 14

Question 58

There is ___ relationship between the amount of distracting noise that your brain must filter out and the amount of information that it can process.

Answer 58

an inverse

pg 14

Question 59

When it comes to critical issues, be highly selective of ___.

Answer 59

your sources of information.

pg 14

Question 60

we must carefully choose our words so that ___.

Answer 60

those with less experience can get the gist of what we’re trying to say.
pg 14-15

Question 61

The mode of communication you choose must be ___.

Answer 61

appropriate to the message.

pg 15

Question 62

Within the command hierarchy, ___ must be the conductor who leads discussions, determining the pitch and cadence of the dialogue.

Answer 62

the IC

pg 15

Question 63

If things don’t seem to be going smoothly at the command post, ___.

Answer 63

step back and look at who’s talking and what they’re trying to say.
pg 15

Question 64

for the IC, the effective span of communications is about ___. For the operations officer its ___. For the sector officer in charge of a search in a high-rise, ___.

Answer 64

3-5; about the same (3-5); it may only be one or two searchers
pg 15

Question 65

The IC’s general staff consists of four entities:

Answer 65

Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Administration sectors.

pg 15

Question 66

At large incidents, especially fires, ___ is the role suggested to be assigned first.

Answer 66

Operations

pg 15

Question 67

the operations officer is responsible for ___.

Answer 67

the core of the incident

pg 15

Question 68

Normally, the ___ has the greatest number of crews and individuals reporting to him at an incident.

Answer 68

operations officer

pg 16

Question 69

The IC and the operations officer must continually asses ___.

Answer 69

whether the span of control is being stretched too much.

pg 16

Question 70

the span of control of the operations officer shouldn’t exceed ___.

Answer 70

around 5 subordinates.

pg 16

Question 71

The operations officer works ___ with the IC.

Answer 71

at the command post

pg 17

Question 72

It must be agreed by all that it is of absolute importance that the IC and operations officer ___.

Answer 72

converse

pg 17

Question 73

Entities assigned to the Operations sector, including ___, should communicate only with ___ or ___.

Answer 73

staging officer; their immediate sector officer; the operations officer.
pg 17

Question 74

The IC needs to stay off ___ and keep focused on the bigger picture. (17)

Answer 74

the Operations channel

Question 75

Consider the ___ section to be the think tank of the incident.

Answer 75

Planning

pg 17

Question 76

The ___ is responsible for planning the needs of the operation.

Answer 76

planning officer

pg 17

Question 77

[planning the needs of the operation] begins with ___. He should then ___.

Answer 77

a review of what has already happened; assess what is currently happening and what else can happen.
pg 17-18

Question 78

operations officer basically has ___ point(s) of focus, ___.

Answer 78

one; the fire

pg 18

Question 79

planning officer has ___ area(s) of concern.

Answer 79

several

pg 18

Question 80

[the planning officer], perhaps by means of ___ must maintain an account of the resources used at the incident. This might entail establishing ___.

Answer 80

Resource Status Unit; an Accountability section

pg 18

Question 81

A ___ keeps watch over the emergency itself, monitoring where the incident is going and what options are available.

Answer 81

Situation Status Unit

pg 18

Question 82

The ___ maintains complete and accurate records of the incident for legal and historical purposes, as well as for training.

Answer 82

Documentation Unit

pg 18

Question 83

the ___ determines the method of de-escalation and dismissal as the incident draws to a close.

Answer 83

Demobilization Unit

pg 18

Question 84

any technical specialists work within the ___.

Answer 84

Planning section

pg 18

Question 85

the ___ is responsible for getting the necessary tools, equipment, and qualified operators to the scene.

Answer 85

logistics officer

pg 18

Question 86

Because there are ___ units under Logistics, this section can be divided into ___ branches.

Answer 86

6 units; 2 branches

pg 18

Question 87

Communications Unit, Food Unit, Medical Unit, including Rehabilitation are all part of what branch of logistics? (18)

Answer 87

Service branch

Question 88

Supply Unit, Facilities Unit, Ground Support Unit are all part of what logistics branch(18)

Answer 88

Support Branch

Question 89

___ is responsible for ordering non fire-service personnel, supplies and equipment.

Answer 89

Supply Unit

pg 18

Question 90

___ is charged with scouting out suitable buildings to house the command post, field hospital, morgue, rehab center, and so on.

Answer 90

Facilities Unit

pg 19

Question 91

___ handles vehicle maintenance and transportation at the scene.

Answer 91

Ground Support Unit

pg 19

Question 92

out west, where they have incredible wildland fires, departments set up ___ almost as soon as they establish command. This section is needed to hire personnel and track work hours for the hundreds of wildland firefighters who show up to fight the fire.

Answer 92

Administration section

pg 19

Question 93

the Administration section controls 4 units:

Answer 93

Time Unit
Procurement Unit
Claims Unit
Cost Unit
pg 19-20

Question 94

Which unit under administration section records the time cards for payment of personnel? (19)

Answer 94

Time Unit

Question 95

Which unit under administration section handles purchases from and contracts with outside vendors? (19)

Answer 95

Procurement Unit

Question 96

Which unit under administration section takes care of worker’s comp claims for injured personnel and may operate in conjunction with civilian insurance companies? (19-20)

Answer 96

Claims Unit

Question 97

Which unit under administration section collects cost data so that the incident commander and the planning officer may better assess whether a given mode of operation would be worth the expense? (20)

Answer 97

Cost unit

Question 98

positions NOT considered to be under the IC’s span of control, but the report directly to the IC and simply help to make the incident run more smoothly and effectively.

Answer 98

Safety
Liaison
Information Officer
pg 20

Question 99

Teh ___ is responsible for scene safety

Answer 99

IC

pg 20

Question 100

when [the IC] cannot devote enough time to the safety aspects of the incident, he should ___.

Answer 100

designate a safety officer

pg 20

Question 101

___ should roam the scene, looking for problematic areas.

Answer 101

The safety officer

pg 20

Question 102

___ is responsible for interacting with the outside agencies that report to the command post and either have a monetary interest in the incident or are called to assist.

Answer 102

liaison officer

pg 20

Question 103

The primary role of the liaison officer is ___

Answer 103

to see that representatives from outside agencies find their place in the incident.
pg 20

Question 104

By acting as a buffer and an information source, the ___ can also keep a lot of these outside reps from disrupting important conversations at the command post. (20)

Answer 104

liaison officer

Question 105

___ has the obvious task of providing the news media with updates

Answer 105

information officer

pg 20

Question 106

___ is used as a contact with relatives at the scene as well as civilians who are affected in one way or another by the incident.

Answer 106

information officer

pg 21

Question 107

___ is a contact for relief crews, briefing them on the incident and whatever progress has been made since the last operational period.

Answer 107

information officer

pg 21

Question 108

___ come in all shapes and sizes ranging in complexity from dedicated vehicles to simply a place to stand in the street.

Answer 108

command posts

pg 4