What is the ongoing evaluation of an incident known as?

The ongoing evaluation of an incident is referred to as size-up. This process involves a continuous assessment of the incident's conditions, the resources available, and the needs of the response. Size-up allows fire officers and responders to make informed decisions based on real-time information as the situation evolves. It is essential for assessing the effectiveness of the current strategy and determining if any adjustments are necessary to ensure safety and operational success.

Size-up is not just a singular action taken at the beginning of an incident; rather, it is an ongoing process throughout the incident. This continuous evaluation helps to identify hazards, prioritize tasks, and allocate resources effectively as conditions change.

While risk assessment involves evaluating potential hazards before they manifest, and action plans focus on strategy development, size-up specifically emphasizes the real-time evaluation aspect. Similarly, a situation report conveys information about the current status of an incident but does not inherently include the ongoing analysis and assessment that size-up entails. Thus, size-up is crucial for adapting to dynamic scenarios and ensuring an effective and safe response.