SSP Emergency Planning & Response 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'span of control' in ICS recommends that each supervisor manage no more than how many individuals?
- 3 to 7 subordinates (Correct answer)
- 1 to 3 subordinates
- 8 to 12 subordinates
- 10 to 15 subordinates
Correct answer: 3 to 7 subordinates
ICS recommends a span of control between 3 and 7 (optimal: 5) to maintain effective supervision without overwhelming any single supervisor.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes a 'tabletop exercise' in emergency preparedness?
- A discussion-based exercise where participants talk through a scenario without physical deployment (Correct answer)
- A full-scale drill involving actual deployment of personnel and equipment
- A computer simulation modeling the spread of a hazard
- An unannounced drill to test real-time response capabilities
Correct answer: A discussion-based exercise where participants talk through a scenario without physical deployment
Tabletop exercises are facilitated discussions using a scenario to test plans and identify gaps without mobilizing actual resources.
Question 3: When establishing a Joint Information Center (JIC) during a large-scale incident, the PRIMARY purpose is to:
- Coordinate and release consistent public information from all responding agencies (Correct answer)
- Manage resource requests between field units and the EOC
- Serve as the operational base for hazmat response teams
- Provide medical triage services to injured responders
Correct answer: Coordinate and release consistent public information from all responding agencies
A JIC consolidates public information functions across agencies to prevent conflicting messages and ensure coordinated communications to the public.
Question 4: What is the correct order of the emergency management cycle phases?
- Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery (Correct answer)
- Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Mitigation
- Response, Recovery, Preparedness, Mitigation
- Recovery, Mitigation, Response, Preparedness
Correct answer: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery
The four phases of emergency management are Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, forming a continuous cycle.
Question 5: A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between two organizations during emergency planning PRIMARILY serves to:
- Formalize mutual expectations and resource-sharing commitments before an emergency occurs (Correct answer)
- Transfer legal liability from one organization to another during a response
- Satisfy insurance requirements for emergency event coverage
- Replace the need for an emergency operations plan
Correct answer: Formalize mutual expectations and resource-sharing commitments before an emergency occurs
MOUs establish pre-agreed terms for cooperation and resource sharing, ensuring clarity before an incident occurs rather than negotiating during a crisis.
Question 6: In the context of mass casualty incidents, START triage categorizes victims into how many priority groups?
- 4 groups: Immediate, Delayed, Minor, Expectant (Correct answer)
- 3 groups: Critical, Serious, Minor
- 5 groups: Critical, Urgent, Non-urgent, Delayed, Deceased
- 2 groups: Treatable and Untreatable
Correct answer: 4 groups: Immediate, Delayed, Minor, Expectant
START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) uses four color-coded categories: Red (Immediate), Yellow (Delayed), Green (Minor), and Black (Expectant/Deceased).
Question 7: Which document type outlines the specific mission, objectives, and resource assignments for a single operational period during an incident?
- Incident Action Plan (IAP) (Correct answer)
- Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
- Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
- Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP)
Correct answer: Incident Action Plan (IAP)
An IAP is developed for each operational period and provides tactical direction, objectives, and resource assignments for that specific timeframe.
SSP Emergency Planning & Response 4
The concept of 'span of control' in ICS recommends that each supervisor manage no more than how many individuals?