Considerations for Demobilization of Support and Managerial Resources

After the incident is controlled, and tactical resources are beginning to be released, the incident management organization should begin to monitor the number of support and management staff that are assigned. Below are some typical workload considerations to consider when planning for demobilization.


Position	Demobilization Considerations
Public Information Officer	Press interest may taper off toward the end of the incident, especially when tactics turn from life safety to cleanup. As the incident demobilizes, the need for interagency coordination of information may also decline. While it is important that the press continue to have a contact at the incident, it may be possible for the Public Information Officer to scale back operations.
Safety Officer	As the number of tactical operations at an incident decreases, the demand on the Safety Officer will also decline. However, some incidents require post-incident debriefings that will require the input of the Safety Officer. While the workload may level out, it may remain until the end of the incident.
Liaison Officer	As Cooperating and Assisting Agency resources are demobilized, the Liaison Officer’s job will become less complex. The Liaison Officer is also likely to be involved in interagency post-incident review activities that may require continued presence at the incident and involvement after final demobilization.
Operations Section	The Operations Section Chief should be able to reduce support staff such as Deputies and Staging Area Managers as the Operations Section is demobilized.
Planning Section	In the Planning Section, the later workload falls on the Demobilization and Documentation Units. The Demobilization Unit will develop the Demobilization Plan and monitor its implementation. The Documentation Unit will package all incident documentation for archiving with the responsible agency or jurisdiction. Both of these processes are finished late in the incident.
Logistics Section	The Supply Unit and the Facilities Unit play major roles as the incident winds down. The Facilities Unit will need to demobilize the incident facilities, such as the command post and incident base. The Supply Unit must collect, inventory, and arrange to refurbish, rehabilitate, or replace resources depleted, lost, or damaged at the incident.
Finance/Administration Section	Many of the activities of the Finance and Administration Section continue well after the rest of the organization has been demobilized. Much of the paperwork needed to document an incident is completed during or after demobilization.