Which of the following lists the five ICS sections commonly used in incident management?

• A. Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration.
• B. Command, Operations, Logistics, Planning, Communications.
• C. Command, Coordination, Planning, Logistics, Finance.
• D. Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, Administration.

Answer: (A)

The question tests knowledge of the five major sections that make up the ICS incident management structure. The standard setup includes Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Each serves a distinct purpose: Command oversees the incident and sets objectives; Operations carries out tactical field work to meet those objectives; Planning develops the incident action plan and keeps track of current information and resource needs; Logistics provides the support, services, and facilities necessary to run operations and sustain personnel; Finance/Administration handles cost tracking, procurement, contracts, and timekeeping. This combination covers leadership, execution, planning, support, and financial control, which is why listing these five exactly is the best fit.

Choices that try to add Communications as its own section, call out Coordination, or separate Administration instead of Finance/Administration don’t align with the standard five-section model, so they don’t reflect the typical ICS structure. In practice, sizes and specifics can cause some sections to merge or scale, but the five-section framework remains the common foundation for incident management.