What is the ICS term for a group of firefighters with an assigned leader working without an apparatus?

What is the ICS term for a group of firefighters with an assigned leader working without an apparatus?

• A. Crew
• B. Team
• C. Platoon
• D. Strike team

Answer: (A)

In ICS, the basic field unit of firefighters who operate on the ground under a single supervisor and without a vehicle is called a crew. A crew is a group with an assigned leader that works directly on scene, often moving and doing hands-on tasks on foot or with minimal gear, rather than being tied to an engine or apparatus. This makes it the best fit for the scenario described, since the emphasis is on leadership and working without an apparatus.

A team is a more general term and not the formal ICS unit described here. A platoon is a military-style term and isn’t the standard ICS label for a fire-ground unit. A strike team is a set of the same type of resources working together under a single leader, typically with shared equipment, which isn’t implied by the description of working without an apparatus.