ICS-440 Planning Section Chief Training Course - Long Beach, CA (July 21-23)

ICS-440 Planning Section Chief

Course Overview

ICS-440 prepares emergency management and response personnel for the role of Planning Section Chief (PSC) on an Incident Management Team. The course builds on ICS fundamentals and focuses on the PSC’s duties and responsibilities, including incident response and effective section management. Training is delivered in small, instructor-led groups in your region, featuring hands-on exercises, realistic scenarios, and personalized coaching to ensure job-ready skills.

Course Objectives

• Identify key resources and reference materials for the Planning Section Chief (PSC) position.
• Explain the function of the Planning Section and the PSC’s roles and responsibilities.
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of the Resources Unit Leader (RESL) and Situation Unit Leader (SITL).
• Explain how to manage the Planning Section effectively, including supervision and delegation.
• Identify information gathered from initial meetings, briefings, and documents during transition from initial response to ongoing operations.
• Explain the purpose, timing, and structure of meetings, briefings, and documents in the Operational Period Planning Cycle.
• Describe the PSC’s role in coordinating and facilitating ICS meetings and briefings.
• Explain the process for developing the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and incorporating contingency plan information.
• Describe how to develop support plans and supervise technical specialists.
• Apply strategies for effective interaction with Planning Section members, IMT personnel, and external partners.
• Describe the responsibilities of the Documentation Unit and Demobilization Unit Leaders and the purpose of the Final Incident Package.

Target Audience: Responders who may be assigned duties as PSC during an incident.

Duration: 25 hours, delivered over 3 days, in person.

The ICS-440 course is designed as a blended learning experience. While the core content is delivered in three days of instructor-led, face-to-face training, additional asynchronous activities are included to reinforce learning and meet the full 25-hour requirement in compliance with California Code of Regulations 14 CCR 830.5.

Pre-requisites are required.

Note: This course was developed in alignment with the principles and learning objectives outlined in FEMA’s National Preparedness Course Catalog for the 0962 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Planning Section Chief Course but is not an official FEMA course and does not confer FEMA certification.