Which of the following Best describes the Operational Period Briefing?

1. Provides an orientation to individual resources at the beginning of their assignments
2. Sets forth the specific tasks, reporting relationships, and expectations for support staff
3. Presents the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the upcoming period to supervisory personnel
4. Helps keep the public and media informed about the incident status and operational accomplishments

What is the Operational Period Briefing?

An Operational Period Briefing occurs at the beginning of each operational period in a response effort (e.g., during an emergency or disaster). Its purpose is to share critical information with personnel responsible for implementing the plan during the operational period.

The main goal is to ensure that everyone understands:

1. The objectives for the operational period (what needs to be achieved).
2. The tactics and strategies for achieving those objectives.
3. The roles, responsibilities, and assignments of supervisory personnel and resources.
4. Safety concerns, incident conditions, and updates.

It’s primarily aimed at supervisory personnel who will carry out the objectives defined in the Incident Action Plan (IAP).

Analysis of the Options

Let’s examine each option carefully and see how well it matches the definition above.

1. Provides an orientation to individual resources at the beginning of their assignments
   • This is incorrect. The Operational Period Briefing is not about onboarding or orienting individual resources. Instead, it’s a high-level meeting for supervisors and leadership to understand the IAP for the operational period.
2. Sets forth the specific tasks, reporting relationships, and expectations for support staff
   • This is also incorrect. While the Operational Period Briefing may touch on tasks and reporting relationships, this option is too narrow in scope. The briefing is focused on the overall plan for the operational period, not just support staff.
3. Presents the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the upcoming period to supervisory personnel
   • This is correct. The Operational Period Briefing’s primary purpose is to present the IAP to supervisory personnel and ensure they understand their roles, responsibilities, and expectations for the operational period. This is the clearest and most complete description of the briefing’s purpose.
4. Helps keep the public and media informed about the incident status and operational accomplishments
   • This is incorrect. Keeping the public and media informed is typically the responsibility of the Public Information Officer (PIO), not the Operational Period Briefing.

Correct Answer with Explanation:

The best answer is:
Presents the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the upcoming period to supervisory personnel.

This answer is correct because:

• The Operational Period Briefing is designed to ensure supervisory personnel understand the Incident Action Plan, which outlines the objectives, tactics, and resource assignments for the operational period.
• It’s a structured meeting focused on ensuring clarity, alignment, and readiness to execute the IAP.
• This matches the core purpose of the Operational Period Briefing.