Intro to ICS Lesson 2 Features and Principles Flashcards
This lesson reviews ICS features and principles. At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: Describe the basic features of ICS. Select the correct terminology for ICS facilities. Identify common tasks related to personal accountability.
ICS is based on proven management principles, which contribute to
the:
Strength and efficiency of the overall system.
ICS incorporates a wide range of management features and principles, beginning with the use of:
Common terminology and clear text.
ICS emphasizes effective planning, including management by objectives and:
Reliance on an Incident Action
Plan.
The ICS features related to command structure include?
Chain of command and unity of command.
ICS helps ensure full utilization of all incident resources by?
Maintaining a manageable span of
control,
Establishing predesignated incident locations and facilities,
Implementing resource management practices, and
Ensuring integrated communications.
ICS supports responders and decisionmakers through?
Effective information and intelligence management, it helps establish a common operating picture.
The ability to communicate within the ICS is absolutely critical, during an incident:
Communications should use common terms or clear text.
Do not use radio codes, agency-specific codes, acronyms, or jargon.
TRUE or FALSE
Qualifications to serve as an Incident Commander are not based on rank, grade, or technical expertise.
TRUE: Qualifications to serve as an Incident Commander are not based on rank, grade, or technical expertise.
The Incident Commander has the authority to:
Establish objectives
Make assignments, and
Order resources.
The Incident Commander works closely with staff and technical experts to analyze the situation and consider alternative strategies.
What is the definition of Chain of Command as defined by ICS?
Chain of command is an orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident management organization.
Chain of command allows an Incident Commander to:
Direct and control the actions of all personnel under his or her supervision.
Does Chain of command prevent personnel from directly communicating with each other to ask for or share information?
NO: Chain of command does NOT prevent personnel from directly communicating with each other to ask for or share information.
Chain of command avoids confusion by:
Requiring that orders flow from supervisors.
Under unity of command, personnel:
Report to only one ICS supervisor.
Receive work assignments only from their ICS supervisors.
TRUE or FALSE
When you are assigned to an incident, you no longer report directly to your day-to-day supervisor.
TRUE: When you are assigned to an incident, you no longer report directly to your day-to-day supervisor.
What is Transfer of Command?
The process of moving the responsibility for incident command from one Incident Commander to another.
When may Transfer of command take place?
A more qualified Incident Commander arrives and assumes command.
A jurisdiction or agency is legally required to take command.
The incident changes in complexity.
The transfer of command process always includes a transfer of command briefing, which may be:
oral, written, or a combination of both.
Management by Objectives refers to
Incident objectives used to ensure that everyone within the ICS organization has a clear understanding of what needs to be accomplished.
Incident objectives are established based on the following priorities:
- Life Safety
- Incident Stabilization
- Property Preservation
Incident Action Plans specify the following:
Incident activities,
Assign responsibilities,
Identify needed resources, and
Specify communication protocols
Every incident must have an Incident Action Plan (IAP) that:
Specifies the incident objectives.
States the activities to be completed.
Covers a specified timeframe, called an operational period.
May be oral or written—except for hazardous materials incidents,
which require a written IAP.
Incident Action Plans (IAP) may be oral or written.
TRUE or FALSE Hazardous materials incidents, Require a written IAP.
TURE: AN IAP may be oral or written—except for hazardous materials incidents,
which require a written IAP.
What is covered in an IAP?
- What do we need to do?
- Who is responsible for doing it?
- What resources are needed?
- How do we communicate?
In the ICS Organization there is no correlation between the ICS
organization and the administrative structure of any single agency or jurisdiction.
This is deliberate,
because confusion over different position titles and organizational structures has been a significant stumbling block to effective incident management in the past.
An example of this would be?
Someone who serves as a director every day may not hold that title when deployed under an
ICS structure.
What is Modular Organization?
The ICS organizational structure:
Develops in a top-down, modular fashion that is based on the size and complexity of the incident.
Is determined based on the incident objectives and resource requirements.
Only those functions or positions necessary for a particular incident are filled.
Expands and contracts in a flexible manner. When needed, separate functional elements may be established.
Requires that each element have a person in charge.
What is Manageable Span of Control?
Span of control pertains to the number of individuals or resources that one supervisor can manage effectively
during an incident.
Maintaining an effective span of control is important at incidents where:
Safety and accountability are a top priority.
According to ICS, what are some factors that may influence Span of Control considerations?
Type of incident,
Nature of the task,
Hazards and safety factors,
Distances between personnel and resources
Effective span of control may vary from 3 to _____, and a ratio of one supervisor to _____ subordinates is recommended.
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Effective span of control may vary from 3 to 7, and a ratio of one supervisor to 5 subordinates is recommended.
In ICS, “resources” refers to personnel, supplies, and equipment. During an incident, it is critical to know:
What resources are needed and available.
Where deployed resources are located.
What does Effective Resource Management ensure?
Effective Resource Management ensures that response personnel are safe and incident objectives are achieved.
In ICS, what does “resources” refers to?
- Personnel
- Supplies
- Equipment.
Resource management includes processes for:
Identifying resource requirements.
Ordering and acquiring resources.
Mobilizing and dispatching resources.
Tracking and reporting on resource status.
Recovering and demobilizing resources.
Reimbursing for resources and maintaining a resource inventory.
TRUE or FALSE
Incident activities may be accomplished from a variety of operational locations and support facilities.
TRUE: Incident activities may be accomplished from a variety of operational locations and support facilities.
The Incident Commander identifies and establishes needed facilities depending on incident needs. Standardized names are used to identify types of facilities.
What is the most common type of facility you may encounter?
The most common type of facility you may encounter is the Incident Command Post.
What is the Icident Command Post?
The Incident Command Post, or ICP, is the location from which the Incident Commander oversees all incident operations.
The Command Post may be an office or resident post. The goal is to get you away from?
Your day-to-day work setting so you will not be distracted from your incident assignments.
TRUE or FALSE
In less complex incidents you most likely will not need many of the standard ICS facilities. However, in large incidents, such as a hurricane or earthquake, it is likely that
all of these facilities will be necessary.
TRUE: In less complex incidents you most likely will not need many of the standard ICS facilities. However, in large incidents, such as a hurricane or earthquake, it is likely that
all of these facilities will be necessary.
TRUE or FALSE
There should only be one ICP for each incident?
TRUE: There should only be one ICP for each incident.
Can the ICP change locations during the
event.
YES; The ICP may change locations during the event.
Every incident must have some form of an Incident Command Post. The ICP may the ICP be located?
The ICP may be outside, in a vehicle, trailer, or tent, or within a building.
The ICP will be positioned outside of the present and potential hazard zone but,
Close enough to the incident to maintain command.
What are Staging Areas?
Staging Areas are temporary locations at an incident where personnel and equipment wait to be assigned.
What are temporary locations at an incident where personnel and equipment wait to be assigned.
Staging Areas
Staging Areas should be located close enough to the incident for a timely response, but:
Far enough away to be out of the immediate impact zone.
In large complex incidents can there be more than one Staging Area?
YES: In large complex incidents there may be more than one Staging Area at an incident.
.
Staging Areas _________be collocated with other ICS facilities
a) can
b) cannot
Staging Areas CAN be collocated with other ICS facilities.
What is a Base?
A Base is the location from which primary logistics and administrative functions are coordinated and administered.
What is a Camp?
A Camp is the location where resources may be kept to support incident operations if a Base is not accessible to all resources.
.
Camps are equipped and staffed to
provide?
Food, water, sleeping areas, and sanitary services.
What is a Helibase?
A Helibase is the location from which helicopter-centered air operations are conducted.
Helibases are generally used on?
More long-term basis and include such services as fueling and maintenance.
What are Helispots and can mulitple Helispots be used?
Helispots are more temporary locations at the incident, where helicopters can safely land and take off.
Multiple Helispots may be used.
Name the Incident Facitities?
- Incident Command Post
- Staging Areas
- Base
- Camp
- Helibase
- Helispot
Integrated Communications refers to?
A common communications plan being essential for ensuring that personnel
can communicate with one another
during an incident.
Interoperability states that _________ an incident, response partners should work together to ensure that communication equipment, procedures, and systems can operate together during a response.
a) During
b) Prior to
c) concluding
Prior to an incident, response partners should work together to ensure that communication equipment, procedures, and systems can operate together during a response. This is known as interoperability.
TRUE or FALSE
Integrating communications can be as simple as making sure you have current phone numbers of all key players.
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TRUE: Integrating communications can be as simple as making sure you have current phone numbers of all key
players.
Information and Intelligence Management refers to?
The analysis and sharing of information and intelligence is an important component of ICS.
Intelligence includes operational information that may come from a variety of different sources, such as:
Risk assessments.
Threats involving potential for violence.
Surveillance of disease outbreak.
Weather forecasts.
Structural plans and vulnerabilities.
Accountability
Effective accountability during incident operations is essential. Individuals must abide by their agency policies and guidelines and any applicable local, tribal, State, or Federal rules and regulations.
The following principles must be adhered to:
Check-In: All responders must report in to receive an assignment.
Incident Action Plan: Response operations must be coordinated as outlined in the Incident Action Plan.
Unity of Command: Each individual will be assigned to only one supervisor.
Span of Contro: Supervisors must be able to adequately supervise and control their subordinates, as well as communicate with and manage all resources under their supervision.
Resource Tracking: Supervisors must record and report resource status changes as they occur.
Dispatch/Deployment
A systematic deployment process improves safety and reduces chaos.
After being dispatched, your first task is?
To check in and receive an assignment.
After check-in, you will locate your incident supervisor and obtain your initial briefing. The briefings you receive and give should include:
Current assessment of the situation and incident objectives.
Identification of your specific job responsibilities.
Description of ICS organizational structure and identification of coworkers.
Location of work area.
Identification of break areas, as appropriate.
Procedural instructions for obtaining needed resources.
Operational periods/work shifts.
Required safety procedures and personal protective equipment (PPE), as appropriate.
Dispatch/Deployment
TRUE or FALSE:
You should respond even when not dispatched by an appropriate authority.
FALSE: You should respond only when dispatched by an appropriate authority.
