Introduction To Developing Incident Action Plans (IAPs)

Summary Description

The Incident Command System (ICS) emphasizes orderly and systematic planning and the Incident Action Plan is the central tool for planning during a response to an emergency. The Incident Action Plan is prepared with input from the appropriate sections and units of the Incident Management Team. It should be written at the outset of the response and revised continually throughout the response.

In an initial response for an incident that is readily controlled, a written plan may not be necessary. Larger, more complex incidents as well as hazardous materials incidents require an Incident Action Plan to coordinate activities. The level of detail required in an Incident Action Plan will vary according to the size and complexity of the response.

An incident action plan (IAP) formally documents incident goals (known as control objectives in NIMS), operational period objectives, and the response strategy defined by incident command during response planning. It contains general tactics to achieve goals and objectives within the overall strategy, while providing important information on event and response parameters. Equally important, the IAP facilitates dissemination of critical information about the status of response assets themselves. Because incident parameters evolve, action plans must be revised on a regular basis (at least once per operational period) to maintain consistent, up-to-date guidance across the system.

During this course, participants will be introduced to the NIMS Incident Action Plan (IAP) forms, and the applicability of each form.  Participants will then create and critique Incident Action Plans for a variety of different situations to ensure understanding and application of the concepts discussed during the course.