CEM Planning & Preparedness Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which element is NOT typically found in the basic plan section of an Emergency Operations Plan?
- Purpose, scope, and situation overview
- Concept of operations
- Detailed step-by-step field checklists (Correct answer)
- Authorities and references
Correct answer: Detailed step-by-step field checklists
Detailed field checklists belong in Standard Operating Procedures or annexes, not the basic plan, which provides overarching policy and organizational information.
Question 2: When using a threat-and-hazard-based planning approach, which source provides the most authoritative all-hazards risk data for local planners?
- Media reports from past disasters
- The Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) (Correct answer)
- Insurance company actuarial tables
- Social media trending topics during emergencies
Correct answer: The Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)
The THIRA is FEMA's standardized tool for communities to identify threats, assess risk, and establish capability targets.
Question 3: Mass care planning should prioritize which population segment because they require the most resource-intensive support?
- Healthy adults with transportation
- Access and Functional Needs (AFN) populations (Correct answer)
- Local government employees
- Tourists visiting the area
Correct answer: Access and Functional Needs (AFN) populations
People with access and functional needs require specialized resources such as medical support, mobility assistance, and communication accommodations.
Question 4: What is the recommended review cycle for an Emergency Operations Plan according to CPG 101?
- Every 6 months
- Annually or after a major incident or exercise (Correct answer)
- Every 5 years
- Only when FEMA issues new guidance
Correct answer: Annually or after a major incident or exercise
CPG 101 recommends reviewing and updating the EOP at least annually and after significant incidents, exercises, or changes in laws or policies.
Question 5: Which planning principle ensures that an EOP remains flexible enough to apply to multiple hazard scenarios?
- Hazard-specific annex development
- All-hazards planning approach (Correct answer)
- Single-agency planning authority
- Static resource pre-assignment
Correct answer: All-hazards planning approach
An all-hazards approach creates core capabilities and structures that can be adapted across different types of incidents rather than being locked to one scenario.
Question 6: In emergency planning, 'scalability' means that the response system should:
- Expand or contract based on the complexity and magnitude of the incident (Correct answer)
- Always activate at full capacity regardless of event size
- Be limited to the resources of a single jurisdiction
- Require federal authorization before expanding operations
Correct answer: Expand or contract based on the complexity and magnitude of the incident
Scalability allows emergency response structures and resources to be appropriately sized up or down to match the actual demands of the incident.
Question 7: What planning tool helps jurisdictions identify who is responsible for which emergency function and eliminates duplication?
- Resource Typing Matrix
- Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) or ESF assignments (Correct answer)
- Mutual Aid Compact
- Incident Action Plan
Correct answer: Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) or ESF assignments
A Responsibility Assignment Matrix or Emergency Support Function assignment table maps tasks to specific agencies, clarifying accountability and preventing overlap.
CEM Planning & Preparedness Strategies 3
Which element is NOT typically found in the basic plan section of an Emergency Operations Plan?