Chapter 1 Organizing, Coordinating, and Commanding Emergency Incidents Flashcards
What does NIMS enable the IC to do?
Safely and effectively manage incident resources
What are the 3 operational priorities that need to be addressed at the fire scene?
Life Safety, Extinguishment, Property Conservation.
One of the most cited deficiencies at emergencies is
Lack of good communication.
Recognition Primed Decision Making (RPD) is
Deciding on a proper course of action with limited info in .a relatively short period of time
Rational Decision Making (RDM) is
when input is obtained from diverse sources and all options are carefully considered.
Time constraints of the fireground require which type of decision making? RPD or RDM?
RPD
What is NFPA 1561?
Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management System and Command Safety
What NFPA Standard is Standard for Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program?
NFPA 1500
An incident management system is required by which NFPA standard?
NFPA 1500
The ICS evolved from ___
FIRESCOPE. California 1970 brush fires
The use of ____ provides common terminology and operational assignments for all agencies at an incident scene.
NIMS
What are the three command options for the first arriving company officer?
Investigation, Fast Attack, Command
Investigation Mode
Generally nothing showing, no need to take immediate action to save lives or protect property (command post not established).
Fast attack
Obvious signs of fire or some other dangerous condition that requires the immediate action where the company officer’s direct involvement will be beneficial to the outcome. Command post not established.
Command
A situation of such a magnitude or complexity that the company officer must assume a command position and not become directly involved in the operation so they can coordinate the actions of personnel and incoming units. (Command Post established)
If using the fast attack method, it is preferred that the company officer be where?
Part of the interior attack crew
Some common items included in the Brief Initial report are ___
Confirmation of command, confirmation of address, announcement of command mode (investigation, fast attack, command), brief description of building or specific name of well known structures, occupancy type, conditions, actions being taken, resources needed.
Whenever feasable, the company officer should attempt to view ___ sides of a building involved
all sides
When viewing all sides of the building would cause a significant delay, it may be best to _____
begin operations immediately and assign later arriving personnel to check the rear.
When transferring command to a chief officer, it is important to provide a ___
status report
NFPA 1561.5.8.8.1
When conflicting orders are received, the individual receiving the conflicting order shall inform the individual giving the order that a conflict exists.
NFPA 1561.A.5.8.8.1
The guideline for clarifying conflicting orders shall not apply to imminent hazard situations where immediate action is needed to avoid a dangerous situation.
NFPA 1561.5.8.8.2
If the conflicting order is to be carried out, the individual giving the order shall so inform the individual who provided the initial order.
When transferring command to another officer, it should be formalized at a ____
Stationary command post.
An officer who finds an unsafe operation in progress upon their arrival must immediately ______
take command.
Freelancing
the act of performing tasks outside the incidents organizational structure.
Overall strategy at an incident is developed by who?
IC
________ develop tactics within the overall strategy by assigning and coordinating tasks for units that are working under their supervision
Division/group supervisors and branch directors.
A good command post will
be established in an identified location that is easily found, be outside the hot zone where ppe is not required, provide a view of the 2 most important sides of the building, never hinder apparatus movement.
Upon arrival at a scene,outside agencies should report to
liaison officer
Generally, the larger and more complex the incident, the command post should be ________
farther away
Span of Control
The number of people reporting to a supervisor. should range from 3 to no more than 7. 5 being the rule of thumb.safety and management planning dictate this.
Mutual Aid agreements should be written in advance and contain what type of information?
Type of aid available, staffing, financial obligations, liability related to injuries and loss of equipment, and who is in charge.
As long as companies remain on scene, there should be an adequate amount of _____ companies and a company assigned to ___
reserve, RIT
____ Areas should be established to locate resources that are immediately available for an assigned task
staging
property size, access issues, and weather conditions may affect where companies _____
stage at an incident
The staging manager is responsible for
managing all incoming resources and dispatching resources at the request of the IC or operations section chief.
The only NIMS position that must be established at every incident is
The IC
All command staff positions report directly to
The IC
NIMS identifies 3 command staff positions. ˇThey are:
Safety officer, liaison officer, public information officer
Key position on the fireground, important to firefighter safety particularly at large scale incidents or complex incidents. Should be an experienced officer who meets requirements outlined in NFPA 1521
Safety Officer. NFPA 1521 is the Standard for Fire Department Safety Officer
7 examples of when a Safety Officer should be present
Commercial fires, multiple alarm fires, firefighter injured or transported for treatment, haz mat, active shooter, tech rescue, IC’s request.
The point of contact for non-fire agencies that are assigned to non-operations functions is the ___
Liaison officer
The officer who disseminates information to the public, usually via the media. May provide critical information to the public regarding protective actions that need to be taken as well as information of general interest.
Public Information officer
All information and communication to the public from the PIO must be okay’ed and cleared with the ___
IC
NIMS HEIRARCHY PYRAMID
IC
Sections, finance/admin, logistics, ops, planning
branch
division, group, unit
task force or strike team
company, crew, or other resource
firefighter, medic, police officer, or other responder
How many possible layers are there in the pyramid between the IC and individual responders?
The IC is at the top with 5 possible layers between them. Rarely would it be necessary to use all levels and subordinate units at a structure fire.
Section chiefs report directly to the IC. As priorities are established, five separate sections can be assigned. They are ____
finance, logistics, operations, planning, and information/intel. Each section can have several subordinate units.
Finance and Admin Section
Unlikely to be separately staffed at the scene of a structure fire. Manages financial matters, provides admin services. Important at large scale incidents as they can document to secure reimbursement for damaged equipment, payroll for backfilling, comp for personal injuries, etc.
Logistics Section
Locates and provides the material, equipment, supplies, and facilities required to support incident operations.
Examples of units in the logistics section can include
the communications unit (spare batteries, radios, chargers. Ground support unit (fuel for the trucks)
Planning Section
Information Manager, should be most frequently implemented command section chief. Gathers info about the incident, tracks resources, assists the IC in developing the incident action plan and contingency plans.
A major part of the ____ section chief’s responsibilities is tracking and documenting incident status and on scene resources, oftentimes referred to as a “sit-stat” or “re-stat”. situation status/resource status.
Planning
the ____ unit works under the planning section chief. Tasked with preparing and implementing a plan for returning units to service as an incident is being brought under control.
demobilization
the _____ unit works under the planning section chief. Tasked with collecting incident information. most technical specialists report to this person
documentation
Information/ Intelligence section
Provides information related to the prevention of criminal activity, including terrorism, or the apprehension of perpetrators of criminal activity. Can fall under a few different sections, most often planning.
The _____ Section manages all tactical operations such as search and rescue, extinguishment, and provision of medical care to victims.
Operations
Incident Management Team
Incident Commander and appropriate command and general staff personnel assigned to and incident. Made up of command staff and section chiefs.
A ____ is in charge of units working in a geographical area
division
A ____ is in charge of units assigned to complete a task.
group
In most cases on the fireground, it is preferred that ____ rather than ______ assignments are preferred, that way companies are not operating in the same area, but reporting to different supervisors.
geographical, functional.
_____ can be used in place of divisions or groups, but is not the recommended way to initially reduce the span of control.
Branches
Branches are generally reserved for when ___ and ____
operations are beyond the span of control of a single division or group, when a contingent of units from another agency are working together.
Task force
Any combination of resources that can be temporarily assembled for a specific mission. Must have common comms and a leader. example, 2 engines, 1 truck, 1 chief
Strike team
A set number of resources of the same kind and type that have an established minimum number of personnel. Always have a leader.
To avoid confusion on the fireground, naming the ______ side of the building as “Side A” is highly encouraged
Address
During major emergencies it is recommended to have a chief officer with command experience and dispatch familiarity be assigned to manage operations and make resource allocations such as _______
reallocating companies to vacated stations, relocating and staffing extra apparatus, requesting mutual aid and outside agency assistance, recalling off duty members, converting companies, suggesting the dispatch of special equipment.
Other types of communication equipment besides radios used on scenes include
Mobile Data Terminals, face to face, messengers, telephone, PA systems
