ICS 202
Incident Objectives
Purpose. The Incident Objectives (ICS 202) describes the basic incident strategy, incident objectives, command
emphasis/priorities, and safety considerations for use during the next operational period.
Preparation. The ICS 202 is completed by the Planning Section following each Command and General Staff meeting
conducted to prepare the Incident Action Plan (IAP). In case of a Unified Command, one Incident Commander (IC) may
approve the ICS 202. If additional IC signatures are used, attach a blank page.
Distribution. The ICS 202 may be reproduced with the IAP and may be part of the IAP and given to all supervisory
personnel at the Section, Branch, Division/Group, and Unit levels. All completed original forms must be given to the
Documentation Unit.
Notes:
• The ICS 202 is part of the IAP and can be used as the opening or cover page.
• If additional pages are needed, use a blank ICS 202 and repaginate as needed.
Block
Number
Block Title Instructions
1 Inciden
t Name
Enter the name as
si
gned to the incident. If needed, an inc
ident
number can be added.
2 Operatio
nal Period
• Date and Time F
rom
• Date and Time T
o
Measurable – How will achievements be measured?
Action-oriented – Is an action verb used to describe expected
accomplishments?
Realistic – I
s the outcome achievable
with given available resources?
Time-sensitive – What is the timeframe?
4 Operational Period Command
Emphasis
Enter command emphas
is for the operational period, which may
include tactical priorities or a general weather forecast for the
operational period. It may be a sequence of events or order of events
to address. This is not a narrative on the objectives, but a discussion
about where to place emphasis if there are needs to prioritize based
on the Incident Commander’s or Unified Command’s direction.
Examples: Be aware of falling debris, secondary explosions, etc.
General Situational Awareness General situational awareness may include a weather forecast,
incident conditions, and/or a general safety message. If a safety
message is included here, it should be reviewed by the Safety Officer
to ensure it is in alignment with the Safety Message/Plan (ICS 208).
5 Site Safety Plan Required?
Yes No
Safety Off
icer should check whether or not a site safety plan is
required for this incident.
Approve
d Site Safety Plan(s)
Located At
Enter the loc
ation of the approved Site Safety Plan(s).
Specific – I
s the wording precise and unambiguous?
Objectives shoul
d follow the SMART model or a similar approach:
Enter clear, c
oncise statements of the objectives for managing the
response. Ideally, these objectives will be listed in priority order.
These objectives are for the incident response for this operational
period as well as for the duration of the incident. Include alternative
and/or specific tactical objectives as applicable.
Objective(
s)
3
Enter the st
art date (month/day/year) and time (using the 24-hour
clock) and end date and time for the operational period to which the
form applies.
