What is the role of Temporarily Assigned Personnel?

• A. Staff brought in to assist with incident management as needed
• B. Permanent staff assigned to every incident
• C. Vendors who provide equipment but do not participate in management
• D. Observers who do not contribute to incident management.

Answer: (A)

Temporarily Assigned Personnel are brought in to bolster the incident management team when more hands are needed to handle the workload. They’re integrated into the incident command system to perform defined tasks in areas like planning, logistics, operations support, safety, or finance, under a designated supervisor. Their purpose is to extend the incident response capacity without making them permanent fixtures, and they step back or are released when the incident winds down. They are active participants in incident management, not just vendors, observers, or permanent staff assigned to every incident. They may come from other departments or mutual-aid partners and should be briefed and integrated into the ICS structure to maintain effective span of control and coordinated effort.