NIMS Command & Management 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which NIMS component establishes the operational structures and procedures to manage emergencies?
- Preparedness
- Resource Management
- Command and Coordination (Correct answer)
- Communications and Information Management
Correct answer: Command and Coordination
The Command and Coordination component includes ICS, EOCs, and MAC Groups to manage incidents at all levels.
Question 2: The Public Information Officer (PIO) at an incident is responsible for:
- Briefing elected officials and agency executives
- Coordinating interagency messaging and releasing approved information to the public and media (Correct answer)
- Managing social media accounts for the jurisdiction
- Drafting the IAP's objectives section
Correct answer: Coordinating interagency messaging and releasing approved information to the public and media
The PIO develops and releases information about the incident for the public and media, ensuring messages are coordinated and accurate.
Question 3: When multiple agencies respond to an incident, the Liaison Officer serves as the:
- Primary contact for assisting and cooperating agency representatives (Correct answer)
- Coordinator between the IC and elected officials
- Public spokesperson for interagency press conferences
- Manager of all mutual aid agreements
Correct answer: Primary contact for assisting and cooperating agency representatives
The Liaison Officer is the IC's point of contact for representatives from other agencies and organizations assigned to the incident.
Question 4: An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) differs from an Incident Command Post (ICP) in that an EOC:
- Is located closer to the hazard to direct tactical operations
- Provides multiagency coordination and policy-level support, not direct tactical command (Correct answer)
- Replaces the ICS when activated
- Is managed by the Operations Section Chief
Correct answer: Provides multiagency coordination and policy-level support, not direct tactical command
EOCs support incident management by coordinating resources and policy, while the ICP directs on-scene tactical operations.
Question 5: Under ICS, resource status categories are 'Assigned,' 'Available,' and:
- Mobilized
- Out of Service (Correct answer)
- Staging
- En Route
Correct answer: Out of Service
The three ICS resource status categories are Assigned (working on a task), Available (ready for assignment), and Out of Service (unavailable).
Question 6: The Incident Commander should establish Incident Objectives that are:
- Broad and flexible to allow Operations maximum discretion
- Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-sensitive (SMART) (Correct answer)
- Developed independently by the IC without input from agency administrators
- Identical across every operational period until the incident closes
Correct answer: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-sensitive (SMART)
SMART objectives guide all incident operations and are revised each operational period to reflect changing conditions.
Question 7: Which section is responsible for the Situation Unit, Resources Unit, Documentation Unit, and Demobilization Unit?
- Operations Section
- Logistics Section
- Planning Section (Correct answer)
- Finance/Administration Section
Correct answer: Planning Section
The Planning Section contains the Situation, Resources, Documentation, and Demobilization Units to support information management and planning.
NIMS Command & Management 5
Which NIMS component establishes the operational structures and procedures to manage emergencies?