How should an Incident Commander assess the situation prior to action?

The process of size-up is an essential initial step for an Incident Commander before taking action at an incident scene. Size-up involves gathering critical information about the situation at hand, allowing the Incident Commander to understand the severity of the incident, the resources required, and any potential hazards that may be present. This assessment typically includes evaluating the type of emergency, determining the incident's scale, and identifying factors such as location, environmental conditions, and the potential impact on public safety.

Performing a size-up enables the Incident Commander to prioritize actions, allocate resources efficiently, and make informed decisions on strategies to mitigate the incident effectively. By establishing a clear situational awareness through size-up, the Incident Commander can effectively communicate the necessary strategies to their teams and facilitate a structured response.

In contrast, conducting a resource inventory, performing a risk assessment, and carrying out an environmental scan, while valuable processes, do not fully encapsulate the comprehensive overview provided by size-up. These actions may contribute to the overall situational understanding, but they should be part of the size-up process rather than standalone initial assessments. Size-up synthesizes all available information into a cohesive understanding of the incident, making it imperative for effective incident management.