Incident Scene Decision Making and the Planning Process

Flashcards covering incident scene decision making, the Planning "P", Incident Action Plan (IAP) development, ICS forms, the Command Sequence, size-up factors, and fireground operations.

According to General Dwight D. Eisenhower's quote featured in the text, how are plans and planning characterized?

"Plans are nothing; planning is everything."

What is an Incident Action Plan (IAP)?

A plan containing measurable incident objectives to be achieved in a specific time frame called an Operational Period.

Under what specific incident conditions is a written Incident Action Plan (IAP) considered necessary or mandatory?

When multiple jurisdictions respond, the incident is of long duration or involves multiple Operational Periods, all General Staff Sections are staffed, agency policy requires it, hazardous materials are involved, or the incident involves special operations (such as confined space or trench rescues).

What are typical durations for an Operational Period during the response phase versus the recovery phase?

The Operational Period can be $6$, $8$, $12$, or $24\,\text{hours}$ during a response phase, and weeks or months during a recovery phase (such as weekly IAPs used after Hurricane Katrina).

What three ICS forms are considered the foundational platform of an Incident Action Plan (IAP), even though they are not part of the written IAP itself?

ICS Form 201 (Incident Briefing), ICS Form 215 (Operational Planning Worksheet), and ICS Form 215A (Incident Safety Analysis / Safety Officer's Report).

Which primary ICS forms are prepared by the Planning Section for inclusion in the written IAP?

ICS Form 202 (Incident Objectives), ICS Form 203 (Organizational Assignment List), and ICS Form 204 (Assignment List).

What is the purpose of ICS Form 204 (Assignment List), and why is a separate one created for each division and group?

It denotes work assignments or tactics taken from Form 215, radio frequencies, and safety considerations. A separate form is created for each division and group to maintain strict accountability and specify supervisor duties.

Why is ICS Form 205A often prepared but excluded from the publicly distributed IAP?

It contains essential personnel contact details (telephone, cell phone, or pager numbers) and is kept separate to prevent mass public distribution of private contact information.

In wildland firefighting terminology, what is a "helispot"?

A temporary location at an incident where helicopters can safely land and take off to deliver supplies and personnel.

What does the leg of the Planning "P" represent, and what are its initial steps?

The leg describes the initial response period and actions taken once an event begins: Notifications, Initial Response and Assessment, Incident Briefing (ICS Form 201), Initial IC/UC Meeting, and Agency Administrator Briefing (if appropriate).

What are the nine steps in the circular operational planning cycle at the top of the Planning "P"?

1. IC/UC Develop/Update Objectives Meeting; 2. Command and General Staff Meeting; 3. Preparing for the Tactics Meeting; 4. Tactics Meeting; 5. Preparing for the Planning Meeting; 6. Planning Meeting; 7. IAP Prep and Approval; 8. Operations Period Briefing; 9. Execute Plan and Assess Progress.

What criteria are represented by the S.M.A.R.T. acronym when writing incident objectives?

Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Timely.

Who are the primary attendees and major roles in the Tactics Meeting, and what documents do they produce?

Attendees are the Operations Section Chief and Safety Officer (major roles), Logistics Section Chief, Resources Unit Leader, and optionally the Planning Section Chief. They document decisions on ICS Form 215 and ICS Form 215A.

What is the primary function and maximum recommended duration of the Planning Meeting?

It allows the Command and General Staff to review and validate the operational decisions proposed by the Operations Section Chief; it follows a fixed agenda and should be completed in $30\,\text{minutes}$ or less.

In the Gulf Oil Refinery Fire case study, what critical cue recalled from recruit training saved a firefighter's life?

Remembering advice from an informal recruit school discussion $15\,\text{years}$ earlier: "Don't breathe," because inhaling superheated vapors without a mask causes lethal internal damage.

What are the two basic methods of incident scene decision making described in the text?

The classical method (a step-by-step, analytical, and time-consuming process) and the naturalistic, recognition-primed, or cue-based method (an extremely rapid process dependent on experience and training).

What are the five sequential levels of the Command Sequence?

Level 1: Incident Priorities; Level 2: Size-Up; Level 3: Strategy; Level 4: Tactics; Level 5: Tasks.

What are the three incident priorities in their strict order of importance?

1. Life Safety; 2. Incident Stabilization; 3. Property Conservation.

How can accomplishing Priority 2 (Incident Stabilization) directly fulfill Priority 1 (Life Safety)?

Quick extinguishment of a fire on a lower floor of a multistory building stabilizes the incident while directly protecting the lives of civilian occupants trapped on floors above.

What occurred in NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Report F2013-17?

A $51\text{-year-old}$ career firefighter conducting a primary search at a fourth-alarm apartment fire was killed when the second- and third-floor walkways collapsed into the first-floor hallway.

How does a company officer's initial size-up differ from a chief officer's size-up?

The first-arriving company officer has an urgent need for action and must select initial strategies/tactics without an interior assessment; the chief officer arrives later with slightly more time and benefits from reports on interior conditions.

Why is performing a 360-degree walk-around essential during size-up?

It permits a complete exterior survey of the entire structure to establish initial baseline conditions, allowing Command to evaluate later progress reports to see if conditions are improving or worsening.

What is meant by the term "lag time" or "reflex time" on the fireground?

The amount of time that elapses from receiving an operational order to actually accomplishing it.

What cardinal safety rule must hose-line crews observe before advancing to an upper floor to fight a fire?

Ensure that a hose-line is already in place on the floors below attacking fire at those locations.

How does truck or platform apparatus placement differ between an offensive and a defensive attack?

In an offensive attack, the turntable is spotted for immediate rescue access; in a defensive attack, the apparatus is positioned at the corner of the building outside collapse zones.

What are the 13 points of size-up represented by the mnemonic "Wallace Was Hot"?

Water, Area, Life hazard, Location/extent, Apparatus/personnel, Construction/collapse, Exposures, Weather, Auxiliary appliances, Special matters, Height, Occupancy, Time.

What vital maintenance step must be taken if ocean water is used as an emergency water supply?

The apparatus must be thoroughly flushed with fresh water as soon as possible after use to prevent salt damage.

How does a relay pumping operation function in a non-hydrant or water-deficient area?

Multiple fire apparatus are positioned in series along large-diameter hose-lines to pump water from a distant source (lake, pond, or distant hydrant) directly to the fireground.