FEMA certifications FEMA 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the National Incident Management System (NIMS), what is the maximum recommended span of control for a supervisor?
- 3 subordinates
- 7 subordinates (Correct answer)
- 10 subordinates
- 15 subordinates
Correct answer: 7 subordinates
NIMS recommends a span of control of one supervisor to between three and seven subordinates, with seven as the optimal upper limit.
Question 2: In the Incident Command System (ICS), who is responsible for the overall management of an incident?
- Operations Section Chief
- Incident Commander (Correct answer)
- Logistics Section Chief
- Safety Officer
Correct answer: Incident Commander
The Incident Commander has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations and managing all incident activities.
Question 3: Which ICS section is responsible for providing facilities, services, and materials for an incident?
- Planning Section
- Finance/Administration Section
- Logistics Section (Correct answer)
- Operations Section
Correct answer: Logistics Section
The Logistics Section provides resources and all other services needed to support the incident.
Question 4: What document is used in ICS to communicate the objectives and strategy for an operational period?
- Incident Action Plan (IAP) (Correct answer)
- Situation Report
- After-Action Report
- Memorandum of Understanding
Correct answer: Incident Action Plan (IAP)
The Incident Action Plan documents the incident objectives, strategies, and tactics for a single operational period.
Question 5: Under NIMS, what principle ensures that responders from different agencies can work together using common terminology?
- Unity of effort
- Standardization (Correct answer)
- Chain of command
- Accountability
Correct answer: Standardization
Standardization, including common terminology, allows diverse organizations to work together effectively.
Question 6: When two or more agencies share responsibility for managing an incident together, which command structure is used?
- Single Command
- Unified Command (Correct answer)
- Area Command
- Joint Command
Correct answer: Unified Command
Unified Command allows multiple agencies with jurisdictional responsibility to jointly manage an incident.
Question 7: What is the recommended length of a typical operational period during the early stages of a large incident?
- 1 to 4 hours
- 12 to 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 48 to 72 hours
- One week
Correct answer: 12 to 24 hours
Operational periods are commonly 12 to 24 hours, though they can be shorter or longer depending on the incident.
Under the National Incident Management System (NIMS), what is the maximum recommended span of control for a supervisor?