Instructor Note

UNIT INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this unit is to familiarize you with different types of briefings and meetings. The activity at the end of the unit will provide an opportunity to practice presenting an effective operational briefing.

Instructor Note

UNIT OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this unit are as follows:

Describe components of field, staff, and section briefings/meetings.
Plan to give an operational period briefing.

Instructor Note

TYPES OF BRIEFINGS

Effective briefings and meetings are:

An essential element of good supervision and incident management.
Intended to pass along vital information required in the completion of incident response actions.

Typically, these briefings are concise and do not include long discussions or complex decisionmaking. Rather, they allow incident managers and supervisors to communicate specific information and expectations for the upcoming work period and to answer questions.

Instructor Note

TYPES OF BRIEFINGS

There are three types of briefings/meetings used in ICS: staff level, field level, and section level.

Staff-level briefings are delivered to resources assigned to nonoperational and support tasks at the Incident Command Post or Base.
Field-level briefings are delivered to individual resources or crews who are assigned to operational tasks and/or work at or near the incident site.
Section-level briefings are delivered to an entire Section and include the operational period briefing.

These three levels of briefing are described in more detail on the following page.

Three Levels of Incident Briefings


Briefing Type	Description
Staff-Level Briefing	This level typically involves resources assigned to nonoperational and support tasks that are commonly performed at the Incident Base or Command Post. These briefings will be delivered to individual staff members or full units within a Section. These briefings occur at the beginning of the assignment to the incident and as necessary during the assignment. The supervisor attempts to clarify tasks and scope of the work as well as define reporting schedule, subordinate responsibilities and delegated authority, and the supervisor’s expectations. The supervisor will also introduce coworkers and define actual workspace, sources of work supplies, and work schedule.
Field-Level Briefing	This level typically involves resources assigned to operational tasks and/or work at or near the incident site. These briefings will be delivered to individual subordinates, full crews, or multiple crews such as Strike Teams or Task Forces and will occur at the beginning of an operational shift. The location will usually be near the work site or just prior to mobilization to the field. The supervisor attempts to focus the subordinates on their specific tasks and helps define work area, reporting relationships, and expectations.
Section-Level Briefing	This level typically involves the briefing of an entire Section (Operations, Planning, Logistics, or Finance/Administration) and is done by the specific Section Chief. These briefings occur at the beginning of the assignment to the incident and after the arrival of Section supervisory staff. The Section Chief may schedule periodic briefings at specific times (once per day) or when necessary. A unique briefing in this category is the operational period briefing (also called a shift briefing). Here, the Operations Section Chief presents the plan for all operational elements for the specific operational period. This specific briefing is done at the beginning of each operation shift and prior to the operational resources being deployed to the area of work. Often, a field-level briefing will take place subsequent to the completion of the operational period briefing. During any Section-level briefing, the supervisor attempts to share incident-wide direction from the Incident Commander, how the direction impacts the Section staff, and specific ways the Section will support the Incident Commander’s direction. The supervisor will establish Section staffing requirements, Section work tasks, Section-wide scheduling rules, and overall timelines for meetings and completion of work products.

Instructor Note

OPERATIONAL PERIOD BRIEFING

The operational period briefing:

Is conducted at the beginning of each operational period.
Presents the Incident Action Plan for the upcoming period to supervisory personnel within the Operations Section.
Should be concise.

In addition to the Operations Section Chief, at the operational period briefing the other members of the Command and General Staffs as well as specific support elements (i.e., Communications Unit, Medical Unit) can provide important information needed for safe and effective performance during the shift.

Instructor Note

OPERATIONAL PERIOD BRIEFING

Other elements of a typical briefing include the following:

Technical Specialists present updates on conditions affecting the response (e.g., weather, fire behavior, environmental factors).
The Safety Officer reviews specific risks to operational resources and the identified safety/mitigation measures.
The Special Operations Chief briefs on areas such as Air Operations (if activated).

Instructor Note

OPERATIONAL PERIOD BRIEFING

Other elements of a typical briefing include the following:

Specific Section Chiefs/Unit Leaders present information related to ensuring safe and efficient operations.
The Incident Commander reiterates his or her operational concerns and directs resources to deploy.
The Planning Section Chief announces the next planning meeting and operational period briefing, then adjourns the meeting.

Instructor Note

SUMMARY

Are you now able to:

Describe components of field, staff, and section briefings/meetings?
Plan to give an operational period briefing?