Operational Briefings

Operational briefings are critical to safe fire operations. To ensure a consistent and effective briefing, a standardized briefing checklist should always be used. The following checklist is printed on the inside back cover of the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461:

Situation:

• Fire name, location, map orientation, other incidents in the area
• Terrain influences
• Fuel type and conditions
• Fire weather (previous, current, and expected)
• Winds, relative humidity (RH), temperatures, etc.
• Fire behavior (previous, current, and expected): Time of day, alignment of slope and wind, etc.

Mission/Execution:

• Command: Incident Commander (IC)/immediate supervisor
• Leader’s intent: overall objectives/strategy
• Specific tactical assignments
• Contingency plans
• Medevac plan: personnel, equipment, transport options, contingency plans

Communications:

• Communication Plan: tactical, command, air-to-ground frequencies, cell phone numbers, etc.

Service/Support:

• Other resources: working adjacent and those available to order
• Aviation operations
• Logistics: transportation, supplies and equipment

Risk Management:

• Identify known hazards and risks
• Identify control measures to mitigate hazards/reduce risk
  • Include LCES
• Identify trigger points for reevaluating operations

Questions or Concerns?