OPERATIONS BRIEFING

Overview: The Operations Briefing conveys the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the upcoming operational period to the response organization. The briefing provides an opportunity for the Operations Section Chief (OSC) to meet face-to-face with Branch Directors (OPBD), Division/Group Supervisors (DIVS), Staging Area Managers (STAM), and other incident supervisory personnel to review and discuss the tactical plan.

Schedule: The Operations Briefing is scheduled upon completion of the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and is typically held approximately one (1) hour prior to shift change, usually at both sunrise and sunset. The briefing is oftentimes held simultaneously in the Incident Command Post (ICP) and multiple locations in the field.

Attendees: Attendees for the Operations Briefing potentially include the following:

Federal OSC.
State OSC.
Local OSC.
Responsible Party IC.
Safety Officer (SOFR).
Public Information Officer (PIO).
Liaison Officer (LOFR).
Operations Section Chief (OSC).
Branch Directors (OPBD).
Division/Group Supervisors (DIVS).
Strike Team Leaders (STL).
Task Force Leaders (TFL).
Staging Area Managers (STAM).
Planning Section Chief (PSC).
Situation Unit Leader (SITL).
Documentation Unit Leader (DOCL).
Logistics Section Chief (LSC).
Finance Section Chief (FSC).

Facilitator: Planning Section Chief (PSC).

Duration: Approximately 30 minutes.

Room Layout: The recommended room layout and seating arrangement for the Operations Briefing is illustrated below:

RECOMMENDED AGENDA

1. Planning Section Chief (PSC): Bring the meeting to order, by stating “Good morning/afternoon. It’s [time and date] and I’d like to call the Operations Briefing to order.”

2. Planning Section Chief (PSC): Conduct roll call for the various ICS positions/functions listed below:

Roll Call

Incident Commander (RPIC).
Federal OSC.
State OSC.
Local OSC.
Safety Officer (SOFR).
Public Information Officer (PIO).
Liaison Officer (LOFR).
Operations Section Chief (OSC).
Branch Directors (OPBD).
Division/Group Supervisors (DIVS).
Strike Team Leaders (STL).
Task Force Leaders (TFL).
Staging Area Managers (STAM).
OSRO Representatives.
Planning Section Chief (PSC).
Situation Unit Leader (SITL).
Documentation Unit Leader (DOCL).

Logistics Section Chief (LSC).

Finance Section Chief (FSC).

3. Planning Section Chief (PSC): Announce ground rules, as follows:

Example Ground Rules

Silence all electronic devices.
Respect the meeting agenda.
Be mindful of time.
Presenters front and center.
Limit interruptions and side conversations.
Table discussions unrelated to the meeting.

4. Planning Dection Chief (PSC): Briefly review the agenda, noting the purpose of the meeting is to convey the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the upcoming operational period to the response organization.

Agenda Overview

Finalize Operational Planning Worksheet (ICS-215) in support of operational activities for the next operational period.
Review/assign tasks and action items (ICS-233).
Gain Unified Command (UC) approval of the Incident Action Plan (IAP).

5. Planning Section Chief (PSC): Confirm the Documentation Unit is taking meeting minutes and tracking action items that could potentially arise during the meeting, using Meeting Summary (ICS-231) and Open Action Tracker (ICS-233), respectively.

6. Planning Section Chief (PSC): Distribute copies of the Incident Action Plan (IAP) to the respective Branch Directors (OPBD), Division/Group Supervisors (DIVS), Staging Area Managers (STAM), and others with field supervisory responsibilities.

7. Planning Section Chief (PSC): Review incident objectives (ICS-202), operational critical information requirements (ICS-202b), and changes to the Incident Action Plan (IAP) (from the previous edition), including any “pen and ink” revisions.

8. Unified Command (UC): Issue opening remarks.

9. Situation Unit Leader (SITL): Provide a brief (less than 3-minute) synopsis of the current and projected incident situation. Highlight recent progress and accomplishments. Review the weather forecast. Use the Situation Map and Incident Status Summary (ICS-209) as references.

10. Safety Officer (SOFR): Convey a brief safety message for the next operational period. Discuss chemical hazards, personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, medical emergency procedures, etc.

11. Operations Section Chief (OSC): Discuss current response actions and recent accomplishments.

12. Operations Section Chief (OSC): Brief Operations Section personnel on strategic/tactical priorities and work assignments for the next operational period. Use the Situation Map to illustrate work locations and clarify tasks.

13. Operations Section Chief (OSC): Review the Operations Section organization chart and expansion of the organizational structure into Branches, geographic Divisions, and functional Groups. Stress chain-of-command reporting requirements.

14. Logistics Section Chief (LSC): Communicate supply, communications, transportation, and medical updates, along with any other logistical issues that may be of concern to field personnel.

15. Finance Section Chief (PSC): Examine fiscal issues relating to personnel and equipment time recording, contractor performance, contracting, liability/damage claims, etc.

16. Public Information Officer (PIO): Cover public affairs and public information issues. Announce the schedule for any media briefings or press conferences. Discuss potential interactions with the news media. Provide contact information for the Joint Information Center (JIC), if established.

17. Liaison Officer (LOFR): Address any inter-agency issues.

18. Unified Command (UC): Deliver closing comments. Offer words of encouragement relating to ongoing response efforts and the hard work put into the incident. Highlight safety and the support of personnel in the field.

19. Planning Section Chief (PSC): Solicit final comments and adjourn briefing.

FEMA TRAINING VIDEO

The YouTube video above, produced by FEMA, depicts a simulated Operations Briefing.