Objective: At the end of this chapter, you will be able to explain that crisis action planning does not differ from deliberate planning in any way except for the environment in which it occurs.

Operational planning is typically done with other partners and organizations to inform efforts that address current and potential incidents.

There are two different types of operational plans, deliberate plans and crisis action plans. Both types are created using the same six steps of the planning process. The defining difference between these operational plans is time constraint.

Deliberate plans prepare for potential future incidents and events.

• Planning takes place in normal (steady state) circumstances.
• Planners develop concepts of operations and of support for mitigating, handling, and recovering from hazards.
• Deliberate plans also include information on:
• Resources (personnel and commodities) and capabilities
• Projected timelines
• Critical considerations
• Assumptions
• Key tasks
• Risk analysis

Crisis action plans are developed during time-sensitive situations in response to a current or imminent incident.

• Planners modify deliberate plans to create crisis action plans.
• Crisis action plans are developed based on the situation and the risks that exist as planning occurs.
• These plans must be able to adapt to an incident’s changing conditions.

Although most of the chapters in this course focus on deliberate planning, notes throughout the course will urge you to consider how each step of the operational planning process applies to crisis action planning. Chapter 9 discusses how to use deliberate plans during crisis action planning in more detail.