<p> Fire Department Company Officer (3rd Edition) Chapter 20 - Size-Up & Incident Plans "By the Numbers" </p><p>. Lloyd Layman, in his book Fire Fighting Tactics, described a 5-step process for analyzing an emergency: 1) Facts, 2) Probabilities, 3) Own Situation, 4) Decision, and 5) Plan of Operation. . The decision step of Layman's 5-step process is based on the initial decision which includes whether resources on scene are adequate, how scene resources are deployed, and what to do with later-arriving resources, and later decisions include evaluating whether additional resources are needed. . A 3-step process for evaluating an emergency regardless of nature is: 1) Locate, 2) Isolate, and 3) Mitigate. . The location step is the 1st step of the 3-step evaluation process and includes defining the problem (location, nature, scope). . The isolate step is the 2nd step of the 3-step evaluation process and includes identifying what will be needed to interrupt the dynamic nature of the incident. . In the isolation step of the 3-step evaluation process, the IC determines how to stabilize the situation. . The mitigation step is the 3rd step of the 3-step evaluation process and includes determining what will be needed to eliminate the problem. . NFPA 1021 requires company officers to be able to develop an incident action plan (IAP) and produce operational plans. . The Incident Management System is based on NFPA 1561, Standard for Fire Department Incident Management System. . Operational plans are described in NFPA 1021 as those that "identify the required resources, their assignment(s), and safety considerations for successful control of a hazardous materials incident or other emergency requiring multi-unit operations". . The incident action plan specifies strategic goals and tactical objectives for the next operational period, usually 12 hours. . Strategic goals are dictated by the 3 incident priorities: Life Safety, Incident Stabilization, and Property Conservation.</p>