Basic ICS for Initial Action Incidents

Every principle, term, and organizational relationship from the ICS 200 course — WHO, WHAT/WHEN/WHERE, HOW, Resources, and Accountability — in one field-manual reference.

Initial Action Model — Round 1: Build the Plan

WHOWho's in charge? Establish Command

WHATWhat's the situation? What do we want to do? Set Objectives

WHENWhen will it be done? Make objectives time-sensitive

WHEREWhere will it be done? Add location if not obvious

HOWHow will it be done? Strategies, comms & injury-care plan

Round 2 — Execute It

WHOWho's needed to get it done? Assign human resources

WHATWhat do they need? Assign equipment, build org structure

WHENWhen will everything be done? Identify Operational Period

WHEREWhere will everything be located? Secure scene, establish ICP

HOWHow will everything be done? Account for people & information

The 14 ICS Principles

If the Incident Command System is being used, all 14 apply — regardless of incident size. "It's not ICS without them."

Establishment & Transfer of Command

Ensures someone is always in charge. Command starts when a trained person formally declares they're taking charge, with no gaps.

Unified Command

When multiple agencies/jurisdictions share responsibility, they unite: one plan, one voice, and account for everyone involved.

Management By Objectives

Everything at an incident happens to accomplish the IC's specific objectives. The objectives dictate the response.

Common Terminology

Everyone speaks the ICS language — plain English plus standardized terms for roles, locations, functions, resources.

Integrated Communications

Everyone can reach the right people. Systems are interoperable before an incident; every incident gets a Comms Plan.

Comprehensive Resource Management

Resources are tracked (available / assigned / out-of-service) through ordering, check-in, utilization, demobilization.

Manageable Span of Control

Each supervisor has 3–7 direct reports, 5 is ideal — prevents any one leader from being overloaded under stress.

Modular Organization

The org chart is standardized but flexible — expands and contracts to fit the incident, activating only what's needed.

Chain of Command & Unity of Command

Formal direction flows top-down through supervisors; every person answers to exactly one supervisor.

Dispatch / Deployment

You only become part of an incident once formally dispatched or deployed — never self-respond.

Incident Action Plan

There is always a plan — verbal or written — communicated to every supervisor, for every Operational Period.

Incident Locations & Facilities

Locations/facilities the IC establishes use one of six standard names, each with its own map symbol.

Accountability

Someone always knows your location and wellbeing — enforced via check-in, IAP resource lists, resource tracking.

Information & Intelligence Management

Vital information and intelligence is gathered, analyzed, shared, and managed through a formal process.

ICS Priorities

The three-item guide used to assess any scene. Anything threatening one of these is a problem to solve, addressed in this order.

Life SafetyResponders and the public — always solved first.

Incident StabilizationGetting the situation under control so it stops getting worse.

Property & Environmental ConservationProtecting structures, land, and waterways once life and stabilization are addressed.

Objectives → Strategies → Tactics

The chain that turns prioritized problems into assigned work.

OBJECTIVE

WHAT we want to do, by WHEN, and WHERE if not obvious. Never describes HOW.e.g. "Secure the scene in the next 5 mins"

STRATEGY

HOW we plan to accomplish the objective. An IC creates several (ideally 3–4) per objective as backups.e.g. "Block access and provide security"

TACTIC

WHO gets it done, and WHAT they need — the resource assignment to a detailed task.e.g. "Assign 1 person to extend scene tape around the perimeter"

Writing a good objective — SMART

SSpecificWhat, and where if not obvious

MMeasurableCan you assess completion?

AAction-OrientedA concrete action verb

RRealisticTime and resources exist

TTime-SensitiveA completion time is attached

Leadership & Authority

Leadership means providing purpose, direction, and motivation for responders working difficult tasks under dangerous, stressful circumstances.

Quality	What it looks like
Respect	Know your subordinates' experience, fatigue, and limits. Brief and debrief often.
Integrity	Words match actions. Know your own strengths/weaknesses; accept responsibility; credit the team.
Commitment	Take charge within your scope; be proficient technically and as a leader; decide soundly and fast.
Duty	Commit to excellence beyond the minimum required by law or policy.

Authority & Delegation

Authority is a right or obligation to act on behalf of a department, agency, or jurisdiction. It rests with the chief elected official (or CEO), who can delegate it — ideally in writing — to an Incident Commander.

Delegation of Authority should cover: legal & financial authorities/restrictions, reporting requirements, demographic issues, political implications, agency/jurisdictional priorities, a public information plan, a communications process, and a plan for ongoing incident evaluation.

Transfer of Command

A more qualified person arriving on scene has three options: assume command, maintain command as-is and monitor for effectiveness, or request an even more qualified IC. Either way, a Transfer of Command Briefing is required — ideally face-to-face — with the time/date communicated to personnel. The first five of its nine elements are captured on ICS 201.

Organizational Structure

Built bottom-up, only after objectives → strategies → tactics are set. Expands only as far as Span of Control requires.

Command Function Chart

One diagram: the IC at the top, Command Staff and General Staff both reporting directly to it, and every Section's full breakdown cascading below its Chief.

Incident Commandergreen vest
- Command Staff
  
  Public Info. Officercommunicates
  
  Safety Officerprotects
  
  Liaison Officercooperates
- General Staff
  - Operations SC
    
    BranchesBranch Director
    
    DivisionsDivision Supervisor
    
    Strike Team
    
    Task Force
    
    Single Resource
    
    GroupsGroup Supervisor
    
    Air Ops BranchBranch Director
    
    Air Tactical Group
    
    Air Support Group
  - Planning SC
    
    Resources Unit
    
    Situation Unit
    
    Documentation Unit
    
    Demobilization Unit
    
    Technical Specialists
  - Logistics SC
    
    Service Branch
    
    Communications Unit
    
    Medical Unit
    
    Food Unit
    
    Support Branch
    
    Supply Unit
    
    Facilities Unit
    
    Ground Support Unit
  - Finance/Admin SC
    
    Time Unit
    
    Procurement Unit
    
    Cost Unit
    
    Compensation/Claims Unit

All seven positions report directly to the IC. Command Staff (red) handle Protect/Communicate/Cooperate; General Staff are the four Section Chiefs — each expands only as far as the incident's Span of Control requires. In Operations the base unit is the Single Resource; in Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Admin it's the predetermined Unit.

What Each Unit Does

Planning

Resources Unit — check-in, resource status, feeds the IAP
Situation Unit — collects/analyzes info, maps, projections
Documentation Unit — duplication, archives all records
Demobilization Unit — safe, orderly resource release
Technical Specialists — subject-matter advisors

Logistics

Service Branch

Communications Unit — comms plan & equipment
Medical Unit — first aid, medical plan
Food Unit — food & potable water

Support Branch

Supply Unit — orders/tracks all supplies
Facilities Unit — sets up & maintains facilities
Ground Support Unit — transportation plan, fueling

Finance / Admin

Procurement Unit — contracts, leases, agreements
Time Unit — personnel time recording
Cost Unit — cost data & analysis
Compensation / Claims Unit — injury & claims admin

Vest Colors (Western Canada)

Green	Incident Commander
Red	Command Staff Officers
Orange	Operations Section Chief
Yellow	Logistics Section Chief
Blue	Planning Section Chief
Grey	Finance/Admin Section Chief

Cooperating vs. Assisting Agencies

Agency	Definition
Cooperating	Helps with non-operational support; not responsible for the response. "They help because they can."
Assisting	Provides personnel, services, or resources; has responsibility for the response. "They help because they must."

An Agency Representative with decision-making authority can be assigned to improve coordination when cooperating/assisting agencies are involved.

Flashcards

Teams vs. Groups, who commands each level, and what each level is made of — focused on Operations, the IC, and Command Staff.

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Quiz

20 questions, same focus: Team/Group distinctions, chain of command, and composition.

Question 1 of 20Score: 0/0

Incident Complexity Types

Numbered by resources and time required. Most complex is Type 1; least complex is Type 5.

Type	Resources	Time Span
1	National resources; all Command/General Staff activated; Branches established; ops personnel often >500/period, total often >1,000	Multiple operational periods; written IAP required each period
2	Regional/national resources; most/all Command & General Staff filled; ops personnel typically ≤200/period, total ≤500	Multiple operational periods; written IAP required each period
3	Some/all Command & General Staff; Division/Group Supervisor and/or Unit Leader positions activated	May extend into multiple periods; written IAP may be required
4	Command/General Staff activated only if needed; several single resources	Limited to one operational period; no written IAP for non-HazMat
5	One or two single resources, up to 6 personnel; no Command/General Staff beyond IC	Contained in the first operational period, often within a few hours; no written IAP

Kinds & Types of Resources

Kind = what it is (a helicopter, an ambulance, a Planning Section Chief). Type = its specific capability — Type 1 is most capable, Type 5 is least.

Kind	Type 1 (most capable)	Lower type
Helicopter	Heavy — carries 16	Type 3 — light, carries 5
Ambulance	ALS crew	Type 3 — BLS crew
Fire boat	5,000 gal/min pump	Type 3 — 250 gal/min pump

Incident Locations & Facilities

Six standard names and map symbols. Only the ICP is mandatory at every incident.

Incident Command Post

IC / Unified Command + Planning. One per incident. Must be established.

Staging Area

Available resources waiting for assignment. Can be multiple.

Base

Main Logistics hub for the incident. One per incident.

Camp

Temporary support location closer to the action than the Base.

Helibase

Main fueling/maintenance hub; helicopters depart from here.

H-1

Helispot

Temporary, numbered landing/takeoff points.

Operational Period & Incident Action Plan

Operational Period: the time to accomplish all current objectives. Never longer than 24 hours — longer goals get broken into smaller objectives across multiple periods.

Incident Action Plan (IAP): required at every incident, verbal or written, communicated to every supervisor. Must answer four questions:

What do we want to do in this Operational Period?
Who is responsible for doing it?
How do we communicate with each other?
What's the procedure if someone gets injured?

Accountability & Information/Intelligence Management

Personnel Accountability (someone always knows your location/wellbeing) is enforced through mandatory check-in, the IAP's resource/location list, and Unity of Command + Span of Control + Resource Tracking.

Information is raw data. Intelligence is data with context that makes it usable. The IC runs a formal process to gather, analyze, share, and manage both.

Briefings & Forms

Every briefing covers, at minimum: Task (what), Purpose (why), End State (what "done" looks like).

Briefing	Audience	When
Section-Level	An entire Section	Start of assignment; periodic as scheduled by the Section Chief
Operational Period	All operational personnel	Start of every shift; covers the IAP for the upcoming period
Field-Level	Individuals, crews, Strike Teams/Task Forces	Start of shift, near the worksite
Staff-Level	Non-operational/support staff	Start of assignment, at Base or ICP

Common Forms

ICS 201	Incident Briefing — supports Transfer of Command & other briefings
ICS 204	Assignment List
ICS 211	Check-In List
ICS 213	General Message
ICS 214	Unit Log

Glossary

Incident Commander (IC): Only ICS position always staffed; in charge of and responsible for the incident.
Objective: WHAT will be achieved; never describes how.
Strategy: HOW an objective will be accomplished; multiple per objective.
Tactic: WHO/WHAT resource is assigned to a detailed task.
Resource: People, equipment, supplies, and facilities available for assignment.
Single Resource: Individual, equipment+crew, or small team with a supervisor — Operations' base unit.
Strike Team: 3–7 of the same resource, one Leader, common comms.
Task Force: 3–7 different resources combined for a task, one Leader.
Division: 3–7 Teams in the same geographic area; led by a Division Supervisor.
Group: 3–7 Teams with a shared purpose; led by a Group Supervisor.
Branch: 3–7 Divisions/Groups; led by a Branch Director.
Section: Operations, Planning, Logistics, or Finance/Admin; led by a Section Chief.
Unit: Predetermined job in Planning/Logistics/Finance-Admin; led by a Unit Leader.
General Staff: The four Section Chiefs, reporting to the IC.
Command Staff: Safety Officer, PIO, Liaison Officer — reporting to the IC.
Deputy: As qualified as the person they support; provides relief or takes on tasks.
Agency Representative: Sent by a cooperating/assisting agency with authority to make decisions for it.
Span of Control: 3–7 direct reports per supervisor; 5 is ideal.
Chain of Command: The line of authority formal direction flows down through.
Unity of Command: Every person has exactly one supervisor.
Modular Organization: Standardized elements that expand/contract to fit the incident.
Dispatch / Deployment: You may only join an incident once formally called.
Operational Period: Time to complete all current objectives; max 24 hours.
Incident Action Plan (IAP): The incident's plan, verbal or written; required every time.
Incident Command Post (ICP): Location of the IC/Unified Command and Planning; one per incident, mandatory.
Staging Area: Where available, not-yet-assigned resources wait.
Base: Main Logistics support hub; one per incident.
Camp: Temporary support location closer to the scene than the Base.
Helibase / Helispot: Main helicopter hub (fuel/maintenance) vs. temporary numbered landing spots.
Cooperating Agency: Non-operational support, no responsibility for the response.
Assisting Agency: Provides resources and holds responsibility for the response.
Kind vs. Type: Kind = what it is; Type = its capability level (1 = most capable, 5 = least).
Accountability: Someone always knows your location and wellbeing.
Information vs. Intelligence: Information = raw data; Intelligence = data with context you can act on.

knotwork.ca — compiled from the VIERA / Le Masurier ICS 200 course sections. ← back to knotwork