SSP Emergency Planning & Response 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which element is MOST critical when developing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for a multi-story commercial building?
- Designating assembly areas and evacuation routes for each floor (Correct answer)
- Purchasing new fire suppression equipment
- Installing additional security cameras on each floor
- Scheduling monthly drills without prior notice
Correct answer: Designating assembly areas and evacuation routes for each floor
An EAP must include clearly designated assembly areas and evacuation routes for each floor to ensure orderly egress during emergencies.
Question 2: Under OSHA's Emergency Action Plan standard (29 CFR 1910.38), how many employees triggers the requirement for a written EAP?
- More than 10 employees (Correct answer)
- More than 25 employees
- More than 50 employees
- More than 100 employees
Correct answer: More than 10 employees
OSHA requires a written EAP when an employer has more than 10 employees; smaller organizations may communicate the plan orally.
Question 3: During a hazardous materials spill, the FIRST action of the Incident Commander should be to:
- Establish incident command and assess the situation (Correct answer)
- Immediately begin decontamination of victims
- Contact the media to prevent public panic
- Order a full facility evacuation without reconnaissance
Correct answer: Establish incident command and assess the situation
The Incident Commander must first establish command authority and assess the situation before directing any tactical response actions.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'hot zone' designation during a hazmat incident?
- To restrict access to the area of highest contamination risk (Correct answer)
- To identify the safest staging area for responders
- To mark where decontamination stations are located
- To designate the command post location
Correct answer: To restrict access to the area of highest contamination risk
The hot zone (exclusion zone) is the area of highest contamination where only properly equipped responders may enter.
Question 5: A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) differs from a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) primarily because COOP:
- Focuses on maintaining government essential functions during a disruption (Correct answer)
- Prioritizes restoring IT systems within 24 hours
- Covers only natural disaster scenarios
- Is required exclusively for private sector organizations
Correct answer: Focuses on maintaining government essential functions during a disruption
COOP is a government-sector framework focused on sustaining essential mission functions, while BCP is more broadly used in the private sector.
Question 6: Which ICS position is responsible for ensuring responder safety and health during an incident?
- Safety Officer (Correct answer)
- Operations Section Chief
- Logistics Section Chief
- Public Information Officer
Correct answer: Safety Officer
The Safety Officer has authority to immediately stop unsafe operations and is responsible for monitoring and assessing responder safety throughout the incident.
Question 7: When conducting a post-incident analysis (After Action Review), which question is MOST important to address first?
- What was supposed to happen according to the plan? (Correct answer)
- Who made the first mistake during the response?
- How much did the incident cost the organization?
- Which responders need additional training?
Correct answer: What was supposed to happen according to the plan?
A post-incident review begins by establishing the intended plan as a baseline before comparing actual events to identify gaps.
SSP Emergency Planning & Response 2
Which element is MOST critical when developing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for a multi-story commercial building?