Florida Incident
Field Operations Guide
January 2006
Florida FOG

All Hazard Approach to
Incident Management
Initial Training


Designed for personnel who have NOT already
completed training on Florida Field Operations
Guide.
First edition of FOG released in 2003.
Provided first all-risk emergency response field
operation guide.
 Incorporated all facets of Florida’s emergency
response program.

Florida Field Operations Guide

Designed to provide reference information for
multiple agencies responding to, and working at,
large emergency incidents.

Goal is to increase personnel safety and improve
efficiency by identifying roles and
responsibilities for each responder.
Large Emergency Incidents

Pocket guide for incident management and
control of major events including:
 Natural Hazards (hurricanes)
 Technological Emergencies (Radiological)
 Man-made Incidents (Mass Casualties)
 National Security (WMD/Terrorism)
 Planned Events (Superbowl)
Agencies Responding to Emergency

FOG provides organization for every agency
responding to a major emergency including:
Fire and Medical Services
 Law Enforcement
 Public Health Agencies
 State and Federal Agencies


Responders should have copy of FOG in every
vehicle/apparatus.
Response to Major Incident

Local agencies respond

County EOC – deploys additional resources

State EOC – deploys state resources

Federal – deploys federal assets and financial
assistance
State Disaster Response Plan

In response to large emergency incidents, the
Division of Emergency Management
coordinates to:
 Pre-stage resources for immediate
deployment.
 Mobilize resources statewide.
 Track resources sent to each incident.
 Fund and/or provide reimbursement for
resources.
Disaster Response
Need for Coordination

Large emergency incidents typically result in:
 Response of multiple agencies.
 Request for similar and sometimes competing
resources.
 Extraordinary logistical needs.
 Loss of critical infrastructure.
National
Incident Management System
Presidential Directive (PD-8).
 Department of Homeland Security
developed NIMS.
 Provides incident management and control for
multiple agencies at large emergency incident.
 NIMS includes Incident Command System.
 Florida FOG is NIMS compliant.

FOG Chapters
Chapter 1
 Chapter 2
 Chapter 3
 Chapter 4
 Chapter 5
 Chapter 6
 Chapter 7
 Chapter 8
 Chapter 9
 Chapter 10

COMMON RESPONSIBILITIES
SAFETY/ACCOUNTABILITY
COMMAND
OPERATIONS
PLANNING
LOGISTICS
FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION
MAC
AREA COMMAND
COMPLEX
FOG Chapters
Chapter 11
 Chapter 12
 Chapter 13
 Chapter 14
 Chapter 15
 Chapter 16
 Chapter 17
 Chapter 18

ORGANIZATIONAL GUIDES
WILDLAND FIRE
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
MULTI-CASUALTY
USAR
HEALTH
LAW ENFORECMENT
TERRORISM/WMD
FOG Appendix
 Appendix
A
 Appendix B
 Appendix C
COMMUNICATIONS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
CHEMICAL/BIOLOGICAL
Chapter 1

Common Responsibilities:
 Applies to all responders:
 Receive
assignment from your agency.
 Check in at the ICS Check-in location.
 Receive briefing from immediate supervisor.
 Know your assigned frequency.
 Use clear text and ICS terminology.
 Complete reports and forms as required.
Chapter 1

Common Responsibilities:
 Unit Leader Responsibilities:
 Determine
current status of unit activities.
 Develop and implement accountability, safety and
security measures for personnel and resources.
 Supervise demobilization of unit, including
storage of supplies.
 Maintain
unit records.
Chapter 2

Personnel Incident Safety and Accountability:
 Contains specific requirements regarding
accountability of members:
 Personnel Emergencies
 Hazard Area Operations
 Operational Retreat Policy
 Glossary of Terms
Chapter 2

Personnel Emergencies:
“EMERGENCY TRAFFIC” used to clear radio
traffic.
 Initiate rescue plan assigned by the Incident
Commander.
 Monitor designated radio channels.

Chapter 2

Hazard Area Operations:
Requires minimum of four individuals – two
individuals working inside the hazard area and two
individuals outside the hazard area.
 Remain together by radio, visual, voice or signal line
communications with the team.
 Exception: “imminent life-threatening situation”.

Chapter 2

Operational Retreat Policy :
“EVACUATION SIGNAL” consist of repeated
short blasts of the air horn for approximately 10
seconds, followed by 10 seconds of silence; total air
horn evacuation signal including periods of silence
will last 50 seconds.
 Implement15 Minute Benchmarks.

Chapter 2

Glossary of Terms:
Emergency Traffic
 Personnel Accountability Reports (PAR)
 Rapid Intervention Crew/Company (RIC)
 Standby Members

Chapter 3

Command:
Responsible for the overall management of the
incident.
 The Incident Commander is selected by
qualifications and experience.
 Most incidents require single Incident Commander.
 Large multi-jurisdictional incidents require Unified
Command.

Chapter 3

Command Staff:
 Public Information Officer
 Safety Officer
 Liaison Officer
Chapter 3

Public Information Officer:
Responsible for developing and releasing
information about the incident to the news media,
incident personnel, and other appropriate agencies
and organizations.
 Only one Public Information Officer assigned for
each incident.
 Joint Information System (JIS)
 Joint Information Center (JIC)

Chapter 3

Liaison Officer:
Contact for representatives of the personnel
assigned to the incident by assisting or cooperating
agencies.
 Only one Liaison Officer will be assigned for each
incident.

Chapter 3

Safety Officer:
Develop and recommend measures for assuring
personnel safety.
 Assess and/or anticipate hazardous and unsafe
situations.
 Only one Safety Officer will be assigned for each
incident.
 May have assistants as necessary.

Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Operations Section Chief:
Part of General Staff.
 Responsible for management of all operations
directly applicable to the primary mission.
 Activates and supervises organization elements in
accordance with the Incident Action Plan.
 Directs the preparation of unit operations plans and
request resources.

Chapter 4

Operations:
Ideal span of control is between 3 to 7 units.
 Operational Span of Control:

Branch Director
 Group /Division Supervisor
 Strike Team/Task Force Leader
 Single Resource
 Staging Area Manager

Chapter 4
OPERATIONS SECTION CHIEF
STAGING AREA MANAGER
AIR OPERATIONS BRANCH DIRECTOR
AIR SUPPORT GROUP SUPERVISOR
HELIBASE MANAGER(S)
HELISPOT MANAGER(S)
FIXED WING BASES
AIR TACTICAL GROUP SUPERVISOR
HELICOPTER COORDINATOR
AIR TANKER/FIXED WING COORDINATOR
BRANCHES (UP TO 5)
DIVISIONS/GROUPS (UP TO 5)
STRIKE TEAMS
TASK FORCES
SINGLE RESOURCES
Chapter 5

Planning Section Chief:
Part of General Staff.
 Responsible for the collection, evaluation,
dissemination and use of information about the
development of the incident and status of resources.
 Responsible for developing and documenting the
Incident Action Plan (IAP).

Chapter 5

Planning:
Information is needed to:
 understand the current situation
 predict probable course of incident events, and
 prepare alternative strategies and control
operations for the incident.
 Identifies planning process.
 Includes position checklist.

Chapter 5

Planning Positions:

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

Resources Unit Leader
Check-in/Status Recorder
Situation Unit Leader
Display Processor
Field Observer
Weather Observer
Documentation Unit Leader
Demobilization Unit Leader
Specialist
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

Logistics Section Chief:
 Part of General Staff.
 Responsible for providing facilities, services,
and materials in support of the incident.
Chapter 6

Logistics Section Branches:

Service Branch Director
Communications
 Food
 Medical


Support Branch Director
Supply
 Facilities
 Ground

Chapter 6

Unified Logistics Section:
Address critical issues and actions at State level that
require multi-agency efforts and response.
 Includes:

State Mobilization Areas
 State Logistical Staging Areas
 Forward Operations Bases
 Base Camps
 County Points of Distribution

Chapter 6
LOGISTICS SECTION CHIEF
SERVICE BRANCH DIRECTOR
COMMUNICATIONS UNIT LEADER
INCIDENT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
INCIDENT DISPATCHERS
MESSAGE CENTER OPERATOR
MESSENGERS
MEDICAL UNIT LEADER
RESPONDER REHABILITATION MANAGER
FOOD UNIT LEADER
COOK (KITCHEN CREW)
ASSISTANT COOK
HELPERS
SUPPORT BRANCH DIRECTOR
SUPPLY UNIT LEADER
ORDERING MANAGER
RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
RECORDERS
HELPERS
TOOL AND EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST
TOOL ATTENDANT
FACILITIES UNIT LEADER
SECURITY MANAGER
SECURITY PERSONNEL
BASE MANAGER
FACILITY MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS
CAMP MANAGER(S)
FACILITY MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS
SECURITY PERSONNEL
GROUND SUPPORT UNIT LEADER
EQUIPMENT TIMEKEEPER
MECHANICS
DRIVER/OPERATORS
Chapter 7

Finance/Administration Section Chief:
 Part of General Staff.
 Responsible for all financial, administrative,
and cost analysis aspects of the incident.
 Includes position checklist.
Chapter 7

Finance / Administration Section Positions:

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

Time Unit Leader
Equipment Time Recorder
Personnel Time Recorder
Commissary Manager
Procurement Unit Leader
Compensation / Claims Unit Leader
Compensation For Injury Specialist
Claims Specialist
Cost Unit Leader
Chapter 7
FINANCE / ADMINISTRATION SECTION CHIEF
TIME UNIT LEADER
PERSONNEL TIME RECORDER
EQUIPMENT TIME RECORDER
COMMISSARY MANAGER
PROCUREMENT UNIT LEADER
COMPENSATION / CLAIMS UNIT LEADER
COMPENSATION FOR INJURY SPECIALIST
CLAIMS SPECIALIST
COST UNIT LEADER
Chapter 8

Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS:
Combination of facilities, equipment, personnel,
procedures, and communications to assist emergency
operations.
 Members from various disciplines to ensure
coordination with State and local EOC’s.
 Not designed to replace tactical Incident Command
or function as an Incident Management Team.

Chapter 8

Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS):
 Will perform the following functions:
 Activate
and operate in support of the incident.
 Asses the situational impact and need for
resources.
 Report situational awareness to the SEOC.
 Coordinate the regional response effort, and
 Deploy regional assets to augment local resources
in coordination with local EOC’s.
Chapter 8
REGIONAL
MULTI -AGENCY COORDINATION G ROUP
Regional
Multi-Agency
Coordination
Group
Coordinator
Liaisons to
Unified Command
(Intel ligence & Inves ti gation )
Regional
PIO
Liaisons to
Impacted EOCs
Operations
Liaisons to
Joint Operations
Center
Plans
Logistics
Finance/
Admin.
Chapter 9

Area Command:


Functions of Area Command are to
determine:
 Incident objectives.
 Incident strategies.
 Priorities for the use of critical resources.
Includes position checklist.
Chapter 9

Area Command:
 Designed to
manage one large
incident with
multiple
management
teams assigned.
Civil Disturbance
Shots Fired
Fires in Multiple
Structures
Looting Control
Problems
Chapter 9
AREA COMMAND ORGANIZATION FOR
TWO INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAMS
AREA COMMANDER
ASST. AREA
COMMANDER
LOGISTICS
ASST. AREA
COMMANDER
PLANNING
INCIDENT
COMMANDER
INCIDENT
COMMANDER
COMMAND
STAFF
COMMAND
STAFF
OPERATIONS
SECTION
OPERATIONS
SECTION
PLANNING
SECTION
PLANNING
SECTION
LOGISTICS
SECTION
LOGISTICS
SECTION
FINANCE/ADMIN
SECTION
FINANCE/ADMIN
SECTION
Chapter 10

Complex:
 Defined as two or more incidents located in
the same general proximity.
 All incidents are assigned to a single Incident
Commander or Unified Command to
facilitate management.
Chapter 10

Complex:

Illustration depicts three incidents in one
jurisdictional area.
Chapter 11

Organizational Guides:
 Initial response resources are managed by the
initial response Incident Commander who will
perform all command and general staff
functions.
 Includes guides for reinforced and multidivision/branch incidents.
 Organizational charts reflect all hazards.
Chapter 12

Wildland Fire:
Year round problem.
 Division of Forestry has statutory authority for
detection, prevention, and suppression of wildland
fires.

Chapter 12

Wildland Fire:

Provides for fire suppression by ground crews and
air operations.
Chapter 12
Includes terminology and fire behavior specific to
wildfires.
 Includes Technical Specialist positions:

Fire Behavior Specialist
 Water Resource Specialist
 Environmental Specialist
 Resource Use Specialist
 Training Specialist

Chapter 13

Hazardous Materials:

Designed to provide an organizational structure to
facilitate supervision and control of essential functions
required at virtually all Hazardous Material incidents.
Chapter 13

Control Zone Layout:



Exclusion Zone
Contamination Reduction
Zone
Support Zone
Chapter 13

Hazardous Materials:
Includes resource types and
minimum standards.
 Includes position checklist.
 Includes glossary of terms.

Chapter 13
Chapter 14

Multi-Casualty Branch:
Provides organizational plan for triage, treatment,
and transport of multiple casualty incidents.
 Expands Uniform Pre-Hospital Multiple Casualty
Incident Procedures.
 Identifies checklist for positions in Branch.

Chapter 14

MCI Levels:
Level 1 (5 – 10 Victims)
 Level 2 (11 – 20 Victims)
 Level 3 (21 – 100 Victims)
 Level 4 (101 – 1000 Victims)
 Level 5 (over 1000 Victims)

Chapter 14



Identifies Jump S.T.A.R.T.
method for triage of victims
under 8 years old or under 100
pounds.
Identifies S.T.A.R.T method
for triage of adults.
Includes Glossary of Terms.
Chapter 15

Urban Search and Rescue:
 Requires technical rescue expertise and equipment for
safe and effective rescue operations.
 Deployed for:
Hurricanes
 Floods
 Tornados
 Terrorist Incidents
 Structural Collapse

Chapter 15

Florida USAR Resource Types:
Type I – Full Task Force
 Type II – Intermediate Task Force
 Type III – Heavy USAR Team
 Type IV – Light USAR Team


Florida Technical Rescue Teams:
Type I – Heavy TRT
 Type II – Light TRT

Chapter 15

Structural/Hazard Markings:

Standard markings to identify structural stability,
safe access, and crew assignments.
Chapter 15

Search Markings:

Identifies crew entering and exiting the structure,
hazards, and number of victims found
Chapter 15

Victim Marking
System:

Involves determining
location, extrication,
and initial medical
stabilization of trapped
victims.
Chapter 16

Health:

Coordinate deployment and organization of health,
medical and limited social service assets to provide:
Public health response
 Triage and transport of victims
 Evacuation of victims out of the disaster area after the
event
 Immediate support to hospitals and nursing homes
 Mental health crisis counseling
 Re-establishment of all health and medical systems.

Chapter 16

Basic Groups include:
Disaster Medical
Assistance Teams
(DMAT)
 Metropolitan Medical
Response System
 Medical Examiner

Radiological Group
 Health Surveillance
 Health Assessment
Teams
 Special Teams
 Management Support
Unit (MSU)

Chapter 16

Health:

Includes Charts For:
 Health Interface with Local Command
 Biological Threat Assessment Protocol
 WMD Agent Quick Reference Guide
 Nerve Agent Symptom Assessment
 Mark I and CANA Nerve Agent Antidote Usage
Chapter 17

Law Enforcement:

Responsible for prevention,
detection and investigation of
criminal activity.
Provide enforcement.
Provide services, safety and
protection.


Chapter 17

Law Enforcement Branch:
Intelligence Group
 Investigation Group
 Security Groups
 Hazardous Device Group
 WMD SWAT Group
 Forensics Group
 Waterborne Group

Chapter 18

Terrorism/WMD:
 In 2001, Governor
Bush directed teams
to complete a
comprehensive
assessment of
Florida's capability to
prevent, mitigate and
respond to a terrorist
attack.
Chapter 18

Primary Agencies include:
 Local
Response (Unified Command)
 Regional Response (Regional Domestic
Security Task Force, RDSTF)
 Regional Operations Center (ROC)
 State Command
Chapter 18

Organizational Charts:
Local Response
 Regional Response
 State Response

Appendix A

Communications:
 Voice Communication
Procedures
 Radio Frequency
Assignments
 Mutual Aid Radio Cache
Procedures
Appendix B

Glossary of Terms:
 Contains definitions of terms frequently used
in ICS documentation which are, for the most
part, not defined elsewhere in the guide.
Appendix C

Chemical / Biological:
Provides responders with reference charts for the
rapid identification and treatment for various agents.
 Biological Agents
 Nerve Agents
 Blister Agents
 Blood Agents
 Choking Agents

Conclusion



Florida FOG should be used for all hazards
encountered by any jurisdiction in the State.
Will assist agencies who are unfamiliar with
working together on large incidents.
For additional copies of the FOG call:
Florida Division of Emergency Management
(850) 413-9900
Contributors

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Florida Division of Forestry
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida Department of Community Affairs
Florida Department of Health
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida State Fire Marshal
Florida Sheriffs’ Association
Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association
Florida Emergency Preparedness Association