Glossary

This glossary is intended to help incident responders by providing a consolidated glossary of terms related to incident command and incident management, emergency response, and emergency management. It is not a comprehensive, definitive, or exhaustive listing; it is simply a collection of terms, definitions, and acronyms, we’ve compiled together into a single document as a service to responders worldwide. If you have a term that you believe should be here, please contact us and send the term and definition so we can include it. This glossary is intended to be a collaborative effort. We hope you find it useful.

In addition to this glossary, FEMA maintains the FEMA Acronyms, Abbreviations and Terms: A Capability Job and Field Aid, which was updated in March 2023.

Do you want to test your knowledge of ICS terms? Click here to study using Quizlet!