Which process enables the IC to determine what resources will be needed to control the situation and to ensure their availability?

• A. Staging
• B. Size-up
• C. Resource ordering
• D. Risk assessment

Answer: (B)

Size-up is the ongoing assessment of the incident scene that informs what resources will be needed and how to ensure they’re available. As you gather information about the location, occupancy, fire behavior, hazards, potential for spread, and the overall conditions, you translate that knowledge into a resource plan—deciding how many engines, ladder trucks, water supply, manpower, and specialized units might be required. From there, you coordinate with dispatch and establish plans for resource procurement and positioning, so those resources can be brought to the scene when needed.

Staging refers to where resources are held ready but not yet deployed, resource ordering is the act of formally requesting those resources, and risk assessment evaluates hazards and safety risks at the scene. The process that links scene information directly to what’s needed and ensures those needs can be met is size-up.