A management approach, fundamental to NIMS, that involves (1) establishing objectives, e.g., specific, measurable and realistic outcomes to be achieved; (2) identifying strategies, tactics, and tasks to achieve the objectives; (3) performing the tactics and tasks and measuring and documenting results in achieving the objectives; and (4) taking corrective action to modify strategies, tactics, and/or performance to achieve the objectives.

A number of individuals that have been organized and trained and are supervised principally for operational assignments on an incident.

Evaluation of all factors pertinent to probable future behavior of a going fire and of the potential ability of available forces to perform fire suppression operations on a specified time schedule.

The meeting which serves as a final review and approval, by the Command and General Staff, of operational plans and resources requirements. This meeting is an element of the Planning Cycle.

Cards filled out with essential tracking information for each resource they represent. The cards are color-coded to represent different types of resources.

A progressive system of building a fireline on a wildfire without changing relative positions in the line. Each worker does one to several "licks", or strokes, with a given tool and then moves forward a specified distance to make room for the worker behind.

Rate at which a propellant and other combustibles burn.

Prediction of probable fire behavior, usually prepared by a fire behavior analyst, in support of fire suppression or prescribed burning operations.

A NIMS guiding principle stating that each individual involved in incident management reports to and takes direction from only one person.

An increase in the central pressure of a low. Counter-clockwise wind flow around the low usually decreases as filling occurs.