After an Emergency Alarm, what should Communications do first?

• A. Contact the IC and verify the emergency situation.
• B. Notify the public safety answering point and log the event.
• C. Dispatch personnel to all areas immediately.
• D. Shut down all communications until the IC provides confirmation.

Answer: (A)

Verifying the emergency with the Incident Commander is the first step because it establishes the on-scene reality and the initial plan before any further actions. This confirmation ensures you’re aligned on what’s happening, where it’s happening, and what kind of response is needed. With the IC’s direction, communications can accurately prioritize resources, assign appropriate units, and coordinate safety considerations.

Notifying the public safety answering point and logging the event is important for documentation and external communication, but it should follow the IC confirmation to avoid duplicating effort or acting on incorrect assumptions. Dispatching personnel to all areas immediately is inefficient and risky without IC guidance on scope and priorities. Shutting down communications until confirmation would delay critical coordination and endanger responders and the public.

Starting with IC verification keeps the response organized, controlled, and safe from the very first moments after the alarm.