Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................................ 1

Background ............................................................................................................................ 1

System Function..................................................................................................................... 2

System Users......................................................................................................................... 2

User Support .......................................................................................................................... 2

Troubleshooting...................................................................................................................... 2

Basics of the Incident Status Summary...................................................................................... 2

Purpose.................................................................................................................................. 2

Reporting Requirements:........................................................................................................ 3

Preparation:............................................................................................................................ 3

Distribution: ............................................................................................................................ 3

Requesting and Accessing SIT-209 Application Account ........................................................... 4

Requesting a New INAP Account and SIT-209 Access .......................................................... 4

How To Request SIT-209 Access for Users with Existing INAP Account................................ 6

To log into the 209 Application: .............................................................................................. 6

Navigating Application Tabs and Screens.................................................................................. 7

209/SIT Report Application Menu Bar .................................................................................... 7

209 Data Entry Pane .............................................................................................................. 8

Data Entry Tabs ....................................................................................................................10

209 DATA ENTRY ....................................................................................................................10

Tips for Effective Data Entry ..................................................................................................10

To Enter 209 Data: ................................................................................................................11

Header Tab (Blocks 1-11)......................................................................................................12

Block 1 Incident Name: ......................................................................................................13

Block 2 Incident Number:...................................................................................................13

Block 3 Report Version: .....................................................................................................13

Block 4 Incident Commander(s) & Agency or Organization:...............................................14

Block 5 Incident Management Organization:......................................................................14

Block 6 Incident Start Date/Time:.......................................................................................14

Block 7 Current Incident Size or Area Involved: .................................................................14

Block 8a Percent (%) Contained or Completed: .................................................................19

Block 8b Percent (%) of Perimeter that will be Contained or Completed: ...........................19

Block 9 Incident Type:........................................................................................................20
Block 10 Incident Complexity Level:...................................................................................21

Block 11 For Time Period:..................................................................................................22

Location Tab (Blocks 16-27)..................................................................................................22

Block 16 State:...................................................................................................................23

Block 17 County / Parish / Borough:...................................................................................23

Block 18 City:.....................................................................................................................23

Block 19 Unit or Other:.......................................................................................................23

Block 20 Incident Jurisdiction:............................................................................................24

Block 21 Incident Location Ownership (if different than jurisdiction): *................................24

Block 22 Latitude / Longitude:............................................................................................24

Block 23 US National Grid Reference: ...............................................................................24

Block 24 Legal Description (Township, Range, Section): ...................................................24

Block 25 Short Location or Area Description:.....................................................................24

Block 26 UTM Coordinates: ...............................................................................................25

Block 27 Note any electronic geospatial data available:.....................................................25

Summary Tab (Blocks 28-30)................................................................................................25

Block 28 Observed Fire Behavior or Significant Incident Events for the Time Period 

Reported:...........................................................................................................................25

Block 29 Primary Fuel Model, Material or Hazards involved:..............................................26

Block 30 Damage Assessment Information:.......................................................................26

Additional Decision Support Tab (Blocks 31-47)....................................................................27

Block 31 Public Status Summary: ......................................................................................27

Block 32 Responder Status Summary:...............................................................................29

Block 33 Life, Safety, and Health Status / Threat Remarks: ...............................................29

Block 34 Life, Safety, and Threat Management:.................................................................29

Block 35 Weather Concerns:..............................................................................................30

Block 36 Projected Incident Activity, Potential, Movement, Escalation or Spread:..............30

Block 37 Strategic Objectives:............................................................................................30

Block 38 Current Incident Threat Summary and Risk Information: .....................................30

Block 39 Critical Resources Needs: ...................................................................................31

Block 40 Strategic Discussion:...........................................................................................31

Block 41 Planned Actions for Next Operational Period:......................................................32

Block 42 Projected Final Incident Size / Area:....................................................................32

Block 43 Anticipated Incident Containment or Completion Date:........................................32

Block 44 Projected Significant Resource Demobilization Start Date:..................................33
Block 45 Estimated Incident Costs to Date:........................................................................33

Block 46 Projected Final Incident Cost Estimate: ...............................................................33

Block 47 Remarks:.............................................................................................................33

Resource Commitment Summary Tab (Blocks 48-53)...........................................................33

Block 48 Agency or Organization .......................................................................................34

Block 49 Resources: ..........................................................................................................36

Block 50 # of Overhead Personnel.....................................................................................37

Block 51 Total Personnel: ..................................................................................................37

Block 52 Total Resources: .................................................................................................38

Block 53 Additional Cooperating and Assisting Organizations Not Listed Above:...............38

Approval and Routing Tab (Blocks 12-15): ............................................................................39

Block 12. Prepared By: ......................................................................................................39

Block 13. Approved By:......................................................................................................39

Block 14. Date/Time Submitted:.........................................................................................40

Block 15. Primary Location, Organization, or Agency Sent To: ..........................................40

Verification................................................................................................................................40

Verification Outputs ...............................................................................................................41

To Complete the Verification Process....................................................................................42

Forms, User Guides and Help...................................................................................................42

Blank ICS-209 Form..............................................................................................................42

User Guides ..........................................................................................................................43

Help.......................................................................................................................................43
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Introduction

The Incident Status Summary, also known as the “ICS-209,” is utilized to report specific 

information on significant incidents. The ICS-209 is a critical interagency reporting tool that 

provides daily ‘snapshots’ of the wildland fire management situation and individual incident 

information, including cost, critical resource needs, fire behavior, size, etc. In conjunction with 

other sources of information, the information included on the ICS-209 is used by managers to 

determine the priority of an incident and allocation of scarce resources. The Sit/209 application 

is also a system of record for data on incident activity. This document is to be used as a User 

Guide for the 209 Application located on the Wildland Fire Application Portal. The 209 

Application is a web-based application that allows for more efficient processing of the ICS-209. 

Background

In January 2012 the National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group (NWCG) issued an All-Hazards 

Intent Document defining wildland fire agencies support to all-hazards incidents. The document 

stated, “The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is the foundation of all response. 

NWCG principles, procedures and publications will comply with and support NIMS. NWCG 

expects that all local, State and Federal response agencies and organizations will comply with 

NIMS.” The document further stated that, “NWCG supports the ongoing development and 

maintenance of wildland fire systems to be adaptable for all-hazards response.” 

In part to meet the new NIMS standards as well as other mandated requirements, the Situation 

Report / 209 (Sit/209) application underwent a significant redesign in 2012. The primary goals of 

the redesign were to meet more stringent federal agency IT and security requirements, as well 

as to provide users of the application a more functional and robust reporting system. New 

features have been added to the 209 application, including:

• Implementing a design refresh as part of the Software Development Lifecycle Cycle 

(SDLC) process.

• Meeting new and on-going technical and mandated security requirements (for 

example, user and password management through the NESS integrated LDAP, C&A 

Self-Assessment, secure coding.) Also, implementing the Fire and Aviation 

Management (F&AM) single sign-on in conjunction with the NESS common user 

authentication project.

• Replacing the existing “canned” Sit/209 reports with the Cognos® reporting package 

required by the Forest Service (similar functionality to the IROC reports software 

package).

• Incorporating the NIMS 209 form into the 209 application. This allows incident 

management teams and others to better report all-hazard incidents. Additional data 

fields within the application allow non-fire incidents to be more accurately reported. 

• Enhancing the application’s capability to integrate with other existing or emerging 

systems of record, such as IRWIN, WFDSS and other applications. 

To ensure that the information submitted is as complete as possible, please follow the 

guidelines in this User’s Guide when completing or reviewing 209s for submission into this 

database. 
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System Function

The intent of the 209 application is for ICS-209 information to be entered at the incident or at the 

dispatch center responsible for the incident. Once the incident information is approved, the ICS209 can be accessed and utilized at the local, geographic and national levels.

209s should be completed according to each Geographic Area’s Mobilization Guide. Please 

refer to Chapter 60 of your Geographic Area’s Mobilization Guide and the National Interagency 

Mobilization Guide for more specific information on reporting requirements.

System Users

Typically, local dispatch personnel and incident management teams compile data for 209s. 

Agency managers, information officers and decision-makers access completed reports. The 

data within the 209 application is accessed by users within and outside of the wildland fire/allrisk community.

User Support

Technical support for the 209 Application can be found through the Interagency Incident 

Applications (IIA) Help Desk. Contact the Help Desk at (866) 224-7677, via e-mail at iiahelpdesk@usda.gov or via chat from their website at https://iiahelpdesk.nwcg.gov. The 

helpdesk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

An application or system outage should be reported immediately to the IIA Help Desk by phone. 

If the outage is affecting fire reporting, inform the Help Desk that this is a “fire emergency” and 

instruct them to immediately elevate the ticket.

Troubleshooting

Specific instructions for completing the ICS-209 are explained in this User’s Guide. Additional 

troubleshooting instructions are outlined in specific sections of this User’s Guide. Please follow 

the instructions in this User’s Guide carefully before contacting the IIA Help Desk or Geographic 

Area Coordination Center.

Save ICS 209 data frequently. By saving frequently, users will not lose any saved data in the 

event an internet connection is lost. 

Basics of the Incident Status Summary

Purpose

The ICS-209 collects basic decision support information at the incident level and is the primary 

mechanism for upward reporting to various decision-making entities. Accurate and timely 

completion of the ICS-209 is necessary to prioritize incidents and allocate resources on a 

national scale. 
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Reporting Requirements: 

According to the National Interagency Mobilization Guide, an ICS-209 should be completed 

under the following main circumstances: 

• A wildland fire has exceeded 100 acres in timber fuel models.

• A wildland fire has exceeded 300 acres is grass fuel models. 

• A nationally recognized Incident Management Team (Type 1, Type 2, or CIMT) is 

assigned to a wildland fire incident, even if it does not meet the acreage criteria.

For more information on when to submit an ICS-209, visit Chapter 60 of the National 

Interagency Mobilization Guide, page 73. 

Wildland fires managed under a Full Suppression strategy should submit an ICS-209 daily until 

the incident is contained. 

Wildland fires managed for Point Zone Protection, Monitor, or Confine Strategies should submit 

an initial ICS-209 and then weekly on Thursday. An ICS-209 can be updated more frequently if 

significant activity occurs. An ICS-209 should be submitted daily if an incident management 

team is assigned to the incident. 

Local and geographical reporting requirements may differ than the national standard, check with 

local and geographic personnel before submitting an ICS-209. Typically, ICS-209s are 

completed once daily, or for each operational period. This may differ between agencies and 

geographic areas, again double check local or geographical ICS-209 reporting requirements.

Preparation: 

When an Incident Management Team is in place, the Situation Unit Leader or Planning Section 

Chief prepares the ICS-209. The responsibility of completing the ICS-209 falls to the local 

dispatch center or local fire manager if an Incident Management Team is not in place. This form 

should be completed with the best possible, currently available, and verifiable information at the 

time it is completed and signed. 

Distribution: 

209 information should be completed at the closest possible level to the incident (preferably at 

the incident). Once the 209 is submitted to a dispatch center or MAC group, it may subsequently 

be transmitted to various incident support and coordination entities based on the support needs 

and the decisions made within the MAC groups in which the incident occurs.

Coordination with public information system elements and investigative/intelligence information 

organizations at the incident and within MACS is essential to protect information security and to 

ensure optimal information sharing and coordination. There may be times in which particular 

209s contain sensitive information that should not be released to the public (such as information 

regarding active investigations, fatalities, etc.). When this occurs, the 209 (or relevant sections 

of it) should be labeled appropriately and care should be taken in distributing the information 

within MACS. 
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Requesting and Accessing SIT-209 Application Account

The SIT-209 application is accessible from the internet through the Wildland Fire Application 

Portal Website, located at https://iwfirp.nwcg.gov/. Google Chrome is the preferred browser, but 

users can use other browsers, including Edge and FireFox. 

Note: NEVER share a username or password with the public or the media as this is a 

government application.

Note: Before accessing this application, request an account and obtain a INAP Logon ID 

and password. 

Requesting a New INAP Account and SIT-209 Access

1. To request a new Integrated National Application Portal (INAP) account go to 

https://nap.nwcg.gov/NAP/ and select the “Request account” button located in the upper 

right hand corner of the page. An INAP Account is necessary to access the Wildland 

Fire Application Portal.
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2. Enter your information on the form and select the “Next” button.

3. Review and accept or decline the rules of behavior by selecting the “Accept” or 

“Decline” button.

4. Select “SIT209-SIT-209” from the Application access dropdown menu.

5. Select “PROD (Standard)” from the Under Instances dropdown menu. Current

FAMTEST users can also select “TEST (Standard).”

6. “Request application roles for SIT209” will automatically default to “SIT209 Report

Reader.” This allows users to input data, run canned reports, and create reports in 

Cognos Query Studio. Do not request “SIT209 Writer.” 

7. Complete the contact information portion with someone who can validate your account.

This is typically the GACC Intelligence Coordinator’s information.

8. Select “Submit”.
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How To Request SIT-209 Access for Users with Existing INAP Account

1. Logon to your INAP Account located at https://nap.nwcg.gov/NAP/

2. Click on “Your name”” in the upper right corner of the INAP homepage.

3. Select “Request app access and roles” from the dropdown menu.

4. Follow steps 4 through 9 above to complete process. 

To log into the 209 Application:

To get to the SIT/209 application on the Wildland Fire Application Portal website, you must enter 

the site through the URL--https://iwfirp.nwcg.gov/#dashboard. 

• From the Wildland Fire Application Portal Logon Page, select Login.gov if you are a 

public/Non-Federal partner or e-Authenticate if you are Federal. The Logon popup 

screen appears. Public/Non-Federal partners enter your Email address and password. 

If you are Federal enter using your credentials following the prompts.

• Click “Sign in”.

• Select “SIT-209” from the Wildland Fire Application Homepage. 
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Note: Application icons may be duplicated, one for Production and one for Training. 

Select the appropriate icon to access SIT-209 Production or SIT-209 Test to practice

using the application.

SIT-209 Homepage will now be displayed.

• Click 209.

• Select Data Entry from the drop-down list. The 209 screen appears.

Navigating Application Tabs and Screens

209/SIT Report Application Menu Bar

The SIT/209 application has four tabs on the menu bar: 

• Home: Select this tab to logon and logoff of the 209; SIT Report, and management Tools 

applications.

• 209: Select this tab for Data Entry to create or modify draft ICS 209 information or to run 

a Cognos Report. 
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• SIT Report: Select this tab to create or modify SIT information, run a Cognos Report, and 

view access to the prior year’s data (Historic SIT Data.)

• Tools: This tab is for managers only. Select this tab to manage user accounts, associate 

units with Dispatch Centers and other user and system maintenance tasks.

209 Data Entry Pane

Click on 209 > Data Entry from the Application Menu Bar. The first screen of the 209 application 

is comprised of four panes separated by double lines (shown in the example below). Most 

existing incidents for a dispatch center will display here. Incidents are prepopulated via 

Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN.) 

Note: There may be occasions where incidents do not appear in this list. To avoid duplicate 

incidents, contact an IRWIN SME or GACC Intelligence Coordinator/Officer before proceeding.

1. Incident Reports Pane: All existing 209 reports for a dispatch center for the calendar year 

are displayed. The list can be sorted by clicking the column header (Name, Unit ID, etc.). 

Select an incident by clicking on it. The background color is different for selected incidents. 

2. Data Entry Pane: The selected 209 report will appear in this pane. Text blocks available for 

editing will appear as white fields. Colored text fields cannot be edited in the current version 

of the report. 

3. Verification Pane: This pane is kept minimized by default. This pane displays report items 

that need to be corrected (due to an error) or verified as correct by the user. 

4. Status Pane: This pane displays application messages usually relating to system 

performance, errors and user status.
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Expand or Minimize panes by dragging the double line spacers left or right (shown by the 

vertical red lines and double arrows in the following screenshots). The 209 report in pane 2 can 

be expanded to full width (hiding the other panes) by clicking the double arrow icon shown in the 

red circle below.

The double arrow functions like a toggle switch. Clicking the double arrow (red circle) once 

maximizes the 209-view pane. Clicking the double arrow again makes all panes visible again.

Note: Performance issues can be exacerbated by accumulation of COOKIES in the internet 

browser. Clear the computer cache to improve performance. 
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Data Entry Tabs

The 209 application is comprised of six tabs for data entry. Some blocks may be prepopulated 

from IRWIN. The tool bar on the selected 209 pane indicates if the incident has an IRWIN 

record.

The tabs are:

Header tab: Includes key information that identifies an incident, incident type, incident 

commander, incident number and other information. This tab contains certain information that 

must be completed before other tabs can be completed.

Location tab: The location of the incident is entered here, including location description, 

latitude/longitude, UTM, etc.

Summary tab: Significant events, fuels involved, damage assessment and structure information 

are entered into this section.

Additional Decision Support: Information about public status, responder status, life safety, 

weather, incident activity, threats, and other similar information is entered here.

Resource Commitment Summary: Resources assigned are entered in this tab by agency and 

type.

Approval and Routing: Approval information, such as incident commander signature, prepared 

by information and date/time submitted are entered in this tab.

209 DATA ENTRY

Tips for Effective Data Entry

• Instructions for each block appear in the online application by hovering over the number. 

• Save data before leaving each tab by clicking Save. Click Undo Edits to clear any 

incorrect, unsaved data from that screen.

• To display or hide the menu top bar, toggle the double triangle icon.

• A red-shaded error message will appear when data is entered incorrectly or is not 

recognized by the application. An alert exclamation point and pop-up box appear to 

notify the user that the value is invalid:
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To Enter 209 Data:

1. Log into the 209 application (see above).

2. Select the appropriate dispatch office from the drop-down list. By typing the first two 

letters of the state, the application displays all offices for that state. For example, typing 

in “NV” brings up all the dispatch centers in Nevada.

• After selecting a dispatch center, all IRWIN incidents for that center will appear in the 

incident list on the left side. Filter by date to minimize the incidents listed if necessary.

Note: It is recommended to sort the list alphabetically by clicking on the Name column. 

If there is a possibility of a duplicate incident contact the GACC Intelligence Coordinator/Officer 

before creating a new incident to avoid future data issues.

3. Select an incident (or see New Incident below). Sort incidents using any of the headers 

listed to find the appropriate incident.

• Name: Incident name.
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• Unit ID: The NWCG unit identifier for the incident protecting unit (IDBOD, etc.).

• Number: The unique incident number.

• Report from (or) Discovery Date: The beginning date of the reporting period for this 

specific 209.

• Approved?: Status of an incident’s 209 report, either Draft or Approved (circled in red 

above). If this cell is blank, a 209 has not been initiated for this incident.

• Last Approved: Date and time the incident was last updated.

• Status: The status of the current 209 report for an incident either the IRWIN symbol,

Initial, Update, or Final. 

• Type: The type of incident (wildfire, hurricane, etc.)

Checking Only Show Final Approved will only show incidents with a final ICS-209. 

4. Click one of the Incident Report options: New Incident, Open, Update or Delete.

• New Incident: This option should rarely be used. In the event the incident does not exist 

in any other application (IRWIN) or is not a wildland fire, click this button to start a new 

209 report. 

• Open: Click this button to update an existing incident. Select the incident from the menu 

on the left side of the page (it will highlight in blue), then go up to the header tabs and 

click Open.

• Update: Opens a previously approved 209. Most previous information is carried over to 

the new draft copy. An existing draft 209 (not yet approved) cannot be updated (Update

button is “grayed out”). There can only be one draft 209 for an incident at one time.

• Delete: Allows a draft report to be deleted. (Final approved reports cannot be deleted 

from the system except for those with GACC manager roles.)

Note: Delete is only applicable for an incident NOT generated through IRWIN. Users can not

delete an IRWIN incident.

Header Tab (Blocks 1-11)

Entries with a * are required blocks.
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Use the Header screen to enter and manage basic information about an incident.

Block 1 Incident Name:

• IRWIN populated field for wildfires.

• Enter the full name assigned to the incident. 

• Check spelling of the full incident name. 

• For an incident that is a Complex, use the word “Complex” at the end of the incident 

name.

• If the name changes, explain in Remarks, Block 47. 

• Do not use the same incident name for different incidents in the same calendar year on 

the same unit. (“Smith” and “Smith 2” are acceptable.)

• Contact the GACC Intelligence Coordinator for an Incident Name changes.

Block 2 Incident Number:

• IRWIN populated field for wildfires.

• Enter the local incident identifier (if it doesn’t populate from IRWIN).

• Make sure the number entered is correct. 

• Unit identifiers must exist in the database to be valid for entry in this program.

• Do not use the same incident number for two different incidents in the same calendar 

year.

• Subordinate incident numbers associated with host jurisdictions or agencies and incident 

numbers assigned by agencies represented in Unified Command should be listed, or 

indicated in Remarks, Block 47.

• Contact the GACC Intelligence Coordinator for any Incident Number changes.

Block 3 Report Version:

• This indicates the current version of the ICS 209 form being submitted.

• Check “Initial” if this is the first ICS 209 for this incident.
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• Check “Update” if this is a subsequent report for the same incident.

• Check “Final” if:

o this is the last ICS 209 to be submitted for this incident (usually when the incident 

has been declared contained, controlled and/or when the incident requires only 

minor support that can be supplied by the organization having jurisdiction).

o An incident being merged into a complex should be marked as “Final” on its last 

ICS 209. The name and incident number of the complex should be indicated in 

Remarks, Block 47.

o If only one ICS 209 will be submitted (for an incident lasting one day), check 

“Final”.

• Selecting/completing a "Final" ICS 209 does not prevent the submission of another 

"Final" in the future.

Block 4 Incident Commander(s) & Agency or Organization:

• Enter the last name of the Incident Commander. 

• If the incident is under a Unified Command structure, list all primary Incident 

Commanders by last name separated by a slash. Denote the organizations in Remarks, 

Block 47. (For example: Lennon / Hendrix)

Block 5 Incident Management Organization:

• Indicate the incident management organization for the incident, which may be a Type 1, 

2, or 3 Incident Management Team (IMT), Complex IMT, Unified Command, Unified 

Command with an IMT, etc.

Block 6 Incident Start Date/Time:

• IRWIN populated field.

• This is always the start date and time of the incident (not the report date and time or 

operational period).

• Date: Enter the start date (month/day/year).

• Time: Enter the start time (using 24-hour clock time) or validate IRWIN input.

Block 7 Current Incident Size or Area Involved:

• Size is an IRWIN populated field for wildfires.

• Use unit label – e.g., “Acres”, “Square Miles”.

• Enter the appropriate incident descriptive size and area involved (i.e., acres, hectares, 

square miles, square kilometers). 

• Enter the total area involved for incident Complexes in this block, and list each subincident and size in Remarks, Block 47. 

• Indicate that the size is an estimate if a more specific figure is not available.
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• If the incident involves more than one jurisdiction or a mixed ownership, 

agencies/organizations may require listing a size breakdown by organization, or 

including this information in Remarks, Block 47. 

• **The ICS 209 program only accepts acres, hectares, square miles and square 

kilometers. Convert other area measurements to one of these when submitting an 

electronic ICS 209 report.**

Size by Unit:

1. When the incident is a single incident, as specified in Block 7, click Size by Unit

located beneath the drop-down list area.

The Incident Area Breakout by Unit pop-up window appears. Acreages in this block are

listed by ownership. 

2. Manually enter the acreage in the field under the Size/Area header by clicking in the 

field to make it editable. 

3. To change the “Unit of Measure,” click in the fields below the header.

4. To remove an agency, select the row and click Delete Selected Rows.

5. To add an agency, click + Add Row. The Add Land Management Unit for Breakout 

pop-up window appears. Land management units that fall within the selected 

dispatch zone populate on the right.
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6. Select the desired land management agency (previously selected units are grayed 

out – such as Elko District Office shown in the example above). After selecting a new 

unit, click Submit. When finished, click Close.

Note: When the incident spreads onto a neighboring GACC, state, or dispatch zone, select the 

new unit on the left side of the window using the drop-down lists then select the desired land 

ownership unit(s). These acres need to be reported by the appropriate dispatch center on 

the SIT report.

Complex By Incident Widget:

As of this publication, incident type ‘Complex’ is imported from IRWIN. In this instance the child 

incidents in the complex will pre-populate in the complex by incident widget.

1. When reporting a complex of incidents, users must complete and save all required 

blocks in the header tab first, then click the Complex by Incident Widget listed below. 

The following pop-up window appears. 
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2. To add existing children incidents into the complex, click +Add Row. The Add 

Incident for Complex Breakout window pops up with a list of existing incidents within the 

dispatch zone the complex has been created in. Select the incident(s) to include in the 

complex and click Submit.

If children incidents do not exist in IRWIN, they will not be available in the pick list. An incident 

will need to be created in an IRWIN integrated application. Users can create a new incident in 

209 to get an IRWIN ID, but that 209 must be finalized before adding it to the complex. 

3. To edit an incident in a complex, select the incident, then select the field under the 

header to make desired changes.

4. To remove an incident from the complex, select the row and click Delete Selected 

Rows.

Merge Incident:

1. When reporting a merge of two or more incidents, complete and save all required blocks 

in the header tab first, and then click the Merge Incident. 
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The following pop-up window appears:

2. To add a child incident that has merged into a parent incident, click +Add Row. The

Add Incident for Merge Incident window pops-up with a list of existing incidents within 

the dispatch zone the parent incident has been created in. Select the appropriate child 

incident(s) that have merged into the parent incident and click Submit.

If the incident does not exist in IRWIN, it will not be available in the pick list. The incident must be 

created in an IRWIN integrated application. 

3. To edit an incident in a merge, select the incident, then select the field under the desired 

header to make edits (as shown below).

4. To remove an incident from the merge by incident function, select the row and click 

Delete Selected Rows.
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Block 8a Percent (%) Contained or Completed:

Enter the incident’s percentage containment or completion of objectives achieved at the end of 

the reporting period. Type a value in the text box or use the slider bar with the mouse and move 

to correct percentage contained to date. Using the slider bar, the numerical value will 

automatically update in the text above the slider.

• For non-wildfire incidents, this is only required if relevant to the incident.

• For wildfires managed under a full suppression strategy, this is usually expressed as the 

percentage of the fire perimeter that has been contained.

• For fires being managed under a strategy that includes other than full suppression 

objectives (from block 9), Percent (%) Contained or Completed represents 

accomplishment of the incident’s operational objectives. 

• 100% Percent (%) Contained or Completed equates to full attainment of the operational 

objectives of the incident.

Block 8b Percent (%) of Perimeter that will be Contained or Completed:

Enter the percent of the total perimeter that is to be contained or completed by management 

actions under the current strategy. 

• For example, if 20% of a fire’s perimeter is effectively confined by natural barriers, enter 

80% here to signify that only 80% of the perimeter will ultimately have containment line 

constructed around it. Do NOT use this field to represent the perimeter remaining to 

be contained.

• If the Fire Suppression Strategy in Block 9 is entered as 100% Full Suppression, Block 

8b will automatically grey out and be set to 100%.

• For non-wildfire incidents complete only if relevant to the incident.

• Examples:

o The management strategy for a wildfire calls for full suppression via active perimeter 

control on 90% of the fire’s edge (10% of the perimeter is in a Wilderness Area, 

where no Fireline will be constructed). At the end of this reporting period, about onefourth of the intended Fireline has been constructed and is holding. Under this 

scenario, enter 90% in Percent (%) to Be Contained or Completed and 25% in 

Percent (%) Contained or Completed.
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o When a wildfire is being managed for full suppression, enter the percent contained or 

completed to date. In the Percent of Perimeter to be Completed, enter 100 

percent.

o Non-wildfire example: If an oil spill is being managed for 100 percent containment, 

enter the percentage that has been contained (or cleaned up) in the Percent 

Contained or Completed field. Select 100 percent in the Percent of Perimeter to 

be Contained field.

Block 9 Incident Type:

Incident Type:

• IRWIN populated field.

• Select a general definition of the incident in this block by using the drop-down menu.

There are 25 types to choose from. 

Incident Description:

• Allows a more detailed description of the incident. For example: If Incident Type is 

“Biological Outbreak,” description might say “Swine flu epidemic.”

Cause:

• IRWIN populated field.

• Or select the cause (Human, Lightning/Natural, Undetermined) from the drop-down list. 

Fire Suppression Strategy:

Pick the predominant (single) management strategy. Multiple strategies can be selected, but 

only if they are significant. 

• Monitoring is the orderly collection, analysis, and interpretation of environmental data to 

evaluate management's progress toward meeting objectives and to identify changes in 

natural systems particularly with regards to fuels, topography, weather, fire behavior, fire 

effects, smoke, and fire location. This may be done onsite, from a nearby or distant 

vantage point in person, for example, the work done by Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO) or 

Field Observer (FOBS) positions or by using a sensor, or through remote sensing 

(aircraft or satellite). 

• Confine A wildfire response strategy of restricting a wildfire to a defined area, primarily 

using natural barriers that are expected to restrict the spread of the wildfire under the 

prevailing and forecasted weather conditions. Some response action may be required to 

augment or connect natural barriers (e.g., line construction, burn-out, bucket drops, etc.).

• Point or Zone Protection A wildfire response strategy which protects specific assets or 

highly valued resources from the wildfire without directly halting the continued spread of 

the wildfire.

• Full Suppression implies a strategy to "put the fire out” as efficiently and effectively as 

possible while providing for firefighter and public safety. This includes completing a 

fireline around a fire to halt fire spread and cool down all hot spots that are immediate 

threats to control lines or outside the perimeter, until the lines can reasonably be 

expected to hold under foreseeable conditions. Full Suppression is synonymous with 

“Full Perimeter Containment” and “Control.”
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 Fire managers may have a need to adjust an incidents suppression strategy over the life 

of an incident. In these instances, users should add further suppression strategy 

clarification in the Remarks, Block 47. 

Block 10 Incident Complexity Level:

Identify the incident complexity level as determined by Unified/Incident Commanders, if 

available or used. Incident types are based on five levels of complexity.

• Type 5 Incident Characteristics: Ad hoc organization managed by a Type 5 Incident 

Commander. Primarily local resources used. ICS command and general staff positions 

are not activated. Resources vary from two to six firefighters. Incident is generally 

contained within the first burning period and often within a few hours after resources 

arrive on scene. Additional firefighting resources or logistical support are not usually 

required.

• Type 4 Incident Characteristics: Ad hoc organization managed by a Type 4 Incident 

Commander. Primarily local resources used. ICS command and general staff positions 

are not activated. Resources vary from a single resource to multiple resource task 

forces or strike teams. Incident is usually limited to one operational period. However, 

incidents may extend into multiple operational periods. Written Incident Action Plan 

(IAP) is not required. A documented operational briefing will be completed for all 

incoming resources. 

• Type 3 Incident Characteristics: Ad hoc or pre-established Type 3 organization 

managed by a Type 3 Incident Commander. The IC develops the organizational 

structure necessary to manage the incident. Some or all of ICS functional areas are 

activated, usually at the Division/Group Supervisor and/or unit leader level. The incident 

complexity analysis process is formalized and certified daily with the jurisdictional 

agency. It is the IC’s responsibility to continually reassess the complexity level of the 

incident. When the assessment of complexity indicates a higher complexity level, the IC 

must ensure that suppression operations remain within the scope and capability of the 

existing organization and that span of control is consistent with established ICS 

standards. Local and non-local resources used. Resources vary from several resources 

to several task forces/strike teams. May be divided into divisions. May require staging 

areas and incident base. May involve low complexity aviation operations. May involve 

multiple operational periods prior to control, which may require a written Incident Action 

Plan (IAP). Documented operational briefings will occur for all incoming resources and 

before each operational period. ICT3s will not serve concurrently as a single resource 

boss or have any non-1 incident related responsibilities. May require a written 

Delegation of Authority.

• Type 2 Incident Characteristics: Pre-established incident management team managed 

by Type 2 Incident Commander. ICS command and general staff positions activated. 

Many ICS functional units required and staffed. Geographic and/or functional area 

divisions established. Complex aviation operations. Incident command post, base 

camps, staging areas established. Incident extends into multiple operational periods. 

Written Incident Action Plan required for each operational period. Operations personnel 

often exceed 200 per operational period and total personnel may exceed 500. Requires 

a written Delegation of Authority to the Incident Commander. 
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• Type 1 Incident Characteristics: Pre-established Incident Management Team 

managed by Type 1 Incident Commander. ICS command and general staff positions 

activated. Most ICS functional units required and staffed. Geographic and functional 

area divisions established. May require branching to maintain adequate span of control. 

Complex aviation operations. Incident command post, incident camps, staging areas 

established. Incident extends into multiple operational periods. Written Incident Action 

Plan required for each operational period. Operations personnel often exceed 500 per 

operational period and total personnel may exceed 1000. Requires a written Delegation 

of Authority to the Incident Commander.

Block 11 For Time Period:

• Enter the time interval for which the form applies. This period should include all the time 

since the last ICS 209 was submitted. If it is the initial ICS 209, it should cover the time 

elapsed since the incident started.

• The time period may include one or more operational periods, based on 

agency/organizational reporting requirements.

• If this is an “Update” or “Final” ICS 209, it should encompass all the time since the last 

submitted 209 report.

Note: Time Period MAY NOT extend past the current operational period. The application 

cannot list time periods in the future.

• If the auto populated time zone is not correct in Block 11, select the correct time zone in 

Block 6.

Location Tab (Blocks 16-27)

Entries with an * are required blocks.

Much of the “Incident Location Information” in Blocks 16–26 is optional. Some required blocks 

import from IRWIN. Completing as many fields as possible increases accuracy and improves 

interoperability and information sharing between disparate systems.

Wildfire incident location information is based on the point of origin of the incident. Non-fire 

incidents may be based on the incident jurisdiction.
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Block 16 State:

• Derived from IRWIN. 

• Enter the State of incident point of origin. 

• If incident covers multiple states, enter the state first impacted or where the epicenter 

was located (as in a hurricane or earthquake, etc.).

• If other states or jurisdictions are involved, enter them in Remarks, Block 47.

Block 17 County / Parish / Borough:

• Enter the county, parish or borough of the incident’s point of origin.

• If other counties are involved, enter them in Remarks, Block 47.

Block 18 City: 

• Enter the city of the incident’s point of origin.

• If other cities are involved, enter them in Remarks, Block 47.

Block 19 Unit or Other: 

Enter the unit, sub-unit, unit identification (ID) number or code (if used) or other information 

about where the incident originated. This may be a local identifier that indicates primary 

incident jurisdiction or responsibility for the incident (e.g., police, fire, public works, etc.) or 

another type of organization.

Note: For wildfire incidents, managing unit information is derived from Block 2, Incident 

Number, and does not need to be re-entered here. Text entry in this block is grayed out and not 

allowed for wildfire incidents.
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Block 20 Incident Jurisdiction: 

Enter the jurisdiction under which the incident originated (the entry may be general, such as 

Federal, city, or State, or may specifically identify agency, such as Warren County, U.S. Coast 

Guard, Panama City, NYPD).

Note: For wildfire incidents, this block is grayed out. Incident jurisdiction is provided in Block 2, 

Incident Number.

Block 21 Incident Location Ownership (if different than jurisdiction): *

• Wildfire incidents should use an established NWCG unit identifier when entering 

ownership at point of origin.

• Indicate the ownership of the area where the incident originated, especially if it is 

different than the agency having jurisdiction.

• This may include situations where jurisdictions contract for emergency services or where 

it is relevant to include ownership by private entities, such as a large industrial site.

Block 22 Latitude / Longitude:

• IRWIN populated field.

• Enter the latitude and longitude of the incident’s point of origin. 

• Ensure the correct Lat/Long format is selected (degrees, minutes and seconds, or 

degrees decimal minutes). 

Block 23 US National Grid Reference:

• Optional – only Block 22 is required.

• Enter the US National Grid (USNG) reference where the incident’s point of origin, if 

available and commonly used by the agencies/jurisdictions with primary responsibility for 

the incident. 

• Clearly label the data.

• NAD83 should be identified as the datum standard.

Block 24 Legal Description (Township, Range, Section):

• Optional – only Block 22 is required.

• Enter the legal description where the incident’s point of origin, if available and commonly 

used by the agencies/jurisdictions with primary responsibility for the incident. 

• Clearly label the data (e.g., N 1/2 SE 1/4, SW 1/4, S24, T32N, R18E).

Block 25 Short Location or Area Description:

• Provide a general descriptive location of the incident (does not need to be the point of 

origin). This should be the number of miles from an identifiable town (e.g., “20 

miles SE of Jackson, WY”).
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• This information is important for readers unfamiliar with the area (or with other location 

identification systems) to be able to quickly identify the general location of the incident 

on a map.

Block 26 UTM Coordinates:

• Optional – only Block 22 is required.

• Enter the Universal Transverse Mercator at the incident’s point of origin.

Block 27 Note any electronic geospatial data available:

If geospatial data is available, provide the following information:

• Provide a general description of the available data. For example, a perimeter, a point, an 

area of impact, a radius (such as an evacuation zone), or a line or lines (such as a 

pipeline).

• Indicate the data format (e.g., .shp, .kml, .kmz, or .gml file) and any relevant information 

about projection, etc. 

• Include a hyperlink or other access information if incident map data is posted online or 

on an FTP (file transfer protocol) site to facilitate downloading and minimize information 

requests.

• Include a point of contact for getting geospatial incident information.

Summary Tab (Blocks 28-30)

Entries with a * are required blocks

Use the Summary Information screen to summarize an incident’s fire behavior, significant 

events, fuel model, material, and other hazards.

Block 28 Observed Fire Behavior or Significant Incident Events for the Time 

Period Reported:

• Describe fire behavior or significant events since the last report. Do not use this block 

for anticipated incident events, behavior or movement.
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• For Wildfire incidents, select the appropriate fire behavior for the current reporting 

period using the drop-down menus. Choose the General Behavior (i.e., extreme, active, 

moderate, minimal) and up to 3 additional “General Behavior” choices (e.g., flanking, 

running, smoldering, etc.). Use the text box to provide more specific fire behavior to paint 

a clearer picture of the incident’s fire activity. 

• For non-fire incidents, use the text box to describe significant incident events related 

to the materials or other causal agents influencing the incident. For example: Movement 

of a chemical gas cloud over a populated area; movement of flood waters; expansion of 

civil unrest into previously unaffected areas; additional recurring mud flows caused by 

heavy rains; radiological leak is affecting larger area than previously reported.

• Provide additional information in Remarks, Block 47 (if needed).

Block 29 Primary Fuel Model, Material or Hazards involved:

Wildland fire incidents: select the appropriate fuel model from the drop-down menu and 

provide additional information (if necessary) in the text field. Choose the fuel model that best 

represents the primary carrier of the fire.

Non-wildfire incidents: enter the appropriate primary materials, fuels, chemicals, or other 

hazards involved in the incident in the text field only. This can include type of chemicals, burning

materials, infecting agents, or anything else influencing the incident.

Block 30 Damage Assessment Information:

Structural Summary:

Complete the table as needed. Enter the number of structures threatened, damaged, or 

destroyed in the appropriate columns. Indicate in the text box below the table if the numbers

entered are estimated or confirmed. 

The following is a guide to assist in completing ICS-209 box 30 Damage Assessment 

Information:

Note: Initial estimate and methodology for determining damage and destroyed structures will 

be documented in the narrative. Only confirmed damaged and destroyed structures will be 

entered into column C & D. Percentage of completion of the damage and destroyed inspection 

process will be documented in the narrative (example: 25% of the damage and destroyed 

inspection process has been completed).

By Structure Type:

• Single Residences: Standalone single dwellings or homes.

• Multiple Residences: Apartment dwellings, duplexes and so forth.

• Mixed Commercial/Residential Property: Real estate zoned for business or industrial 

use, as well as residential (likely continuous occupation).

• Nonresidential Commercial Property: Any commercial property that does not include

continuous residential occupation.

• Other Minor Structures: Constructed buildings, usually detached from other structures, 

such as barns, equipment sheds, loafing sheds, outhouses and so forth. Does not 

include power poles, fences, pipelines, bridges.
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In the box below the table, summarize damage and/or restriction of use/availability to 

residential/commercial property, natural resources, critical infrastructure and key resources, and 

so forth. In the text box include:

• Short summary of damage or use/access restrictions/ limitations caused by the incident 

for the reporting period and cumulatively.

• Include, if needed, any information on the facility status, such as operational status, if it’s 

evacuated, etc.

• Include any critical infrastructure or key resources damaged/destroyed/impacted by the 

incident. The type of infrastructure; the extent of the damage and/or any known 

cascading impacts. 

• Refer to more specific or detailed damage assessment forms and packages when they 

are used and/or are relevant.

• Include any endangered/threatened species habitat destroyed such as sage-grouse 

habitat.

Additional Decision Support Tab (Blocks 31-47)

Entries with a * are required blocks.

Use the Additional Decision Support Information tab to summarize incident-related injuries, 

illnesses and fatalities for civilians or the public. The screen displays any numbers entered from 

the incident’s previous 209, if one exists. 

Block 31 Public Status Summary:
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Do not estimate fatality information. 

Do not include first responder information in this block. Complete Responder Status Summary, 

Block 32 for responder information. 

When a previous 209 exists for this incident, numbers previously entered in this block are 

carried over to the Previous Report Total column. The Total # to Date column sums the first 

two columns together to provide a total for the duration of the incident.

• This section is for summary information regarding incident-related injuries, illness, and 

fatalities for civilians (or members of the public). 

• Explain or describe the nature of any reported injuries, illness or other activities in Life, 

Safety, and Health Status/Threat Remarks, Block 33.

• Illnesses include those that may be caused through a biological event such as an 

epidemic or an exposure to toxic or radiological substances.

• Please use caution when reporting information in this section that may be on the 

periphery of the incident or change frequently. This information should be reported as 

accurately as possible as a snapshot in time, as much of the information is subject to 

frequent change.

• Do not complete this block if the incident covered by the ICS 209 is not directly 

responsible for these actions (such as evacuations, sheltering, immunizations, etc.) even 

if they are related to the incident. 

• Only the authority having jurisdiction should submit reports for these actions to mitigate 

multiple/conflicting reports. 

• For example, if managing evacuation shelters is part of the incident operation itself, do 

include these numbers in Block 31J with any notes in Block 33.

• If values are estimated, explain in Remarks, Block 47.

Handling Sensitive Information:
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• Release of information should be carefully coordinated within the incident management 

organization to ensure synchronization with public information and 

investigative/intelligence actions.

• Thoroughly review the “Distribution” section in the introductory ICS 209 instructions for 

details on handling sensitive information. Use caution when providing information in any 

situation involving fatalities and verify that appropriate notifications have been made 

prior to release of this information. Electronic transmission of any ICS 209 may make 

information available to many people and networks at once.

• Information regarding fatalities should be cleared with the Incident Commander and/or 

an organizational administrator prior to submission of the ICS 209. 

Block 32 Responder Status Summary:

• Report the number of first responders affected by the incident in the # This Reporting 

Period column (other columns and totals are grayed out to prevent data entry.)

• When accurate responder numbers are not available, provide the best estimate and note 

this in Safety, and Health Status/Threat Remarks, Block 33.

• The application totals the data that is entered in the bottom row Total # Responders

Affected.

Note: Do not include public or civilian information in this block. Use Public Status Summary, 

Block 31 for public or civilian information.

If a previous 209 exists for this incident, numbers previously entered in Block 32 are carried 

over to the Previous Report Total column. The Total # to Date column sums the first two 

columns together to provide a total for the duration of the incident.

Block 33 Life, Safety, and Health Status / Threat Remarks:

• Enter any additional details about the affected public or first responders reported in 

Blocks 31, 32, and 34. 

• Specify information such as road numbers and duration of closures, how many people or 

homes are impacted by evacuations, or the amount of material spilled or recovered. 

• Due to the potential sensitivity of the information in Blocks 31, 32, and 34, information 

should be as accurate as possible in the assessment.

Block 34 Life, Safety, and Threat Management:

• Check any applicable blocks in 34 A-N based on current available information regarding 

incident activity potential. 

• If B through N do not pertain to the incident, Check A, No likely Threat.

• Indicate any details in Life, Safety, and Health Status/Threat Remarks (Block 33) and 

provide additional explanation or information as relevant in Blocks 28, 36, 38, 40, 41, or 

in Remarks (Block 47).

Remember to uncheck the boxes when identified threats no longer exist.
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Block 35 Weather Concerns:

• Complete a short synopsis/discussion on significant weather factors that could cause 

concerns for the incident when relevant. Include current and/or predicted weather 

factors, and the timeframe for predictions.

• Enter the weather forecasted for the next operational period including wind speed, wind 

direction, temperature, and relative humidity. Highlight significant forecasted severe 

weather events, such as thunderstorms, high temperatures, dry lightning, frontal 

passages, inversions, and gusty/erratic winds, weather watches, advisories, or warnings 

or any other weather information relative to the incident, such as flooding, hurricanes, 

etc.

Block 36 Projected Incident Activity, Potential, Movement, Escalation or Spread:

• Provide an estimate of the direction/scope in which the incident is expected to spread, 

migrate, or expand in the next indicated operational period, or other factors that may 

cause activity changes. 

• Discuss incident potential relative to values at risk, or values to be protected (such as 

human life), and potential changes to those as the incident changes. 

• Include an estimate of the acreage or area that will be affected. 

• Provide the above information in 12-, 24-, 48- and 72-hour timeframes, and any activity 

anticipated after 72 hours.

Block 37 Strategic Objectives:

Describe the desired end state of the incident. Briefly discuss the desired outcome for the 

incident based on currently available information. Note any high-level objectives and any 

possible strategic benefits as well (especially for planned events). 

• For Wildfire incidents, this could include resource benefit objectives, rehabilitation 

plans, assessing and reestablishing damaged/destroyed infrastructure, etc.

• For non-fire incidents, information could include repopulating an area, structure 

stabilization, mitigating a spill, etc.

• For fires with a strategy other than full suppression that are using an Operational 

Objective Weighted Scale Matrix to determine progress made on the incident, document 

the stated operational objectives in this block.

Block 38 Current Incident Threat Summary and Risk Information:

• Summarize major or significant threats due to incident activity based on currently 

available information. Include a breakdown of threats in terms of 12-, 24-, 48-, and 72-

hour timeframes and anticipate beyond if applicable.

• Summarize primary incident threats to life, property, communities and community 

stability, residences, health care facilities, other critical infrastructure and key resources, 

commercial facilities, natural and environmental resources, cultural resources, and 

continuity of operations and/or business. 

• Identify corresponding incident-related potential economic or cascading impacts.
31 | Page

• Summarize significant threats to any endangered/threatened species habitat such as 

sage-grouse habitat. 

Block 39 Critical Resources Needs:

• List the specific critical resources and numbers needed, in order of priority. 

• Be specific to the task needed. Provide critical resource needs in 12-, 24-, 48- and 72-

hour increments. 

• List the most critical resources needed for each timeframe if needs have been identified 

for each timeframe. Listing critical resources by the time they are needed gives incident 

support personnel a “heads up” for short-range planning and assists the ordering 

process to ensure these resources will be in place when they are needed.

 Documentation in the ICS 209 can help the incident obtain critical regional or national 

resources through outside support mechanisms including multiagency coordination 

systems and mutual aid.

o Information provided in other blocks on the ICS 209 can help to support the need for 

resources, including Blocks 28, 29, 31-38, and 40-42.

o Additional comments in the Remarks section (Block 47) can also help explain what 

the incident is requesting and why it is critical (for example, “Type 2 Incident

Management Team is needed in three days to transition command when the current 

Type 2 Team times out”).

Examples: More than one resource need may be listed for each timeframe. This list could 

include: 

o 12 hours: 2 Type 1 helicopters (3 operational periods), 6 Type 2-IA hand crews 

(8 operational periods).

o 24 hours: 2 Type 1 helicopters (3 operational periods).

o 48 hours: 5 Type 3 engines with STEN (2 operational periods).

o 72 hours: 1 Type 2 helicopter with module (6 operational periods).

Do not use this block for noncritical resources. 

If critical resources are listed in this block, there should be corresponding orders placed for them 

through appropriate resource ordering channels. 

Additional documentation in other blocks on this tab can help support and justify the need for 

critical resources.

Block 40 Strategic Discussion:

Explain the relation of overall strategy, constraints, and current available information to: 

• Critical resource needs identified above.

• The Incident Action Plan and management objectives and targets.

• Anticipated results:

o Explain major problems and concerns such as operational challenges, incident 

management problems and social, political, economic, or environmental concerns or 

impacts. 
32 | Page

o Wording should be consistent with Block 39 to justify critical resource needs, which 

should relate to planned actions in the Incident Action Plan.

o Give a short assessment of the likelihood of meeting the incident management 

targets, given the current management strategy and currently known constraints.

o Identify when the chosen management strategy will succeed given the current 

constraints. 

o Adjust the anticipated incident management completion target in Block 43 as needed 

based on this discussion.

Examples are:

o T-1 engines critical for structure protection of subdivision in anticipated path of the 

fire (expected to impact subdivision within 24 hours).

o IHC crews needed for burnout operation planned for Division D in 48 hours. Difficulty 

of the terrain and planned burnout operation necessitates use of IHC crews.

o Containment unlikely for foreseeable future due to lack of T-1 crews and helicopters 

needed to contain the fire in the vicinity of Lone Peak. Terrain is too rugged and 

dangerous for the T-2 crews currently assigned.

Block 41 Planned Actions for Next Operational Period:

• Provide a short summary of actions planned for the next operational period, such as:

• The current Incident Management Team will transfer command to another IMT.

• Continue holding Division A.

• Continue to review operational/ engineering plan to facilitate removal of the partially 

collapsed west bridge supports.

• Continue refining mapping of the recovery operations and damaged assets using GPS.

• Initiate removal of unauthorized food vendors.

Block 42 Projected Final Incident Size / Area:

• Enter an estimate of the total area likely to be involved or affected over the course of the 

incident.

• Label the estimate of the total area or population involved, affected, or impacted with the 

relevant units such as acres, hectares, or square miles by selecting from the drop-down 

list.

Note: The total area involved may not be limited to geographic area (see previous discussions 

regarding incident definition, scope, operations, and objectives). 

Block 43 Anticipated Incident Containment or Completion Date:

• Select the expected containment or completion date of the incident using the pop-up

calendar.

o For Wildfire incidents, this is the expected containment date.
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o For non-fire incidents, this is the date at which the incident is expected to be 

closed or when significant incident support will be discontinued. Block 44. 

Projected Significant Resource Demobilization Start Date.

Block 44 Projected Significant Resource Demobilization Start Date: 

• Select the date from the pop-up calendar when significant demobilization is anticipated.

Block 45 Estimated Incident Costs to Date:

• Enter the estimated total incident costs to date for the entire incident based on currently 

available information.

• Incident costs include estimates of all costs for the response, including all management

and support activities per discipline, agency, or organizational guidance and policy.

• This does not include damage assessment figures, as these are impacts from the 

incident and not response costs. 

• When incident costs increase or decrease dramatically, provide a brief explanation in 

Remarks, Block 47.

• This block is grayed out when the “Complex” button is selected in Incident Complexity 

Level, Block 10 of the Header tab. For complexes the application automatically carries 

over the total cost of all incidents reported in Block 7.

Fire Code #

This code is generated from the FireCode application and is for wildfire incidents only. Single 

incidents will be auto populated and “Complexes” may need to be manually entered.

Block 46 Projected Final Incident Cost Estimate:

• Enter an estimate of the total costs for the incident once all costs have been processed 

based on current spending and projected incident potential, per discipline, agency, or 

organizational guidance and policy. This is often an estimate of daily costs combined 

with incident potential information.

• This does not include damage assessment figures, as they are impacts from the incident 

and not response costs.

Block 47 Remarks:

• Use this block to expand on information that has been entered in previous blocks or to 

include other pertinent information that has not been previously addressed. 

• Key information to include in this block would be: 

o Incident Command Team transfers or command back to the local unit.

o Reasons for incident acreage/size or cost reductions.

o Injuries that occurred during the reporting period.

o More detailed current or expected weather descriptions affecting the incident. 

Resource Commitment Summary Tab (Blocks 48-53)

Entries with a * are required blocks
34 | Page

• Use the Resource Commitment Summary screen to report resources assigned to the 

incident. Do not report civilians or resources not actually assigned to the incident.

• Enter those resources by individual contributing agency or organization(s) assigned to 

the incident as responders. 

• Enter Volunteer groups or organizations in Block 53. 

Recommendation: It is best to add resource types to Block 49 before adding agencies involved 

in the incident in Block 48. See caution statements below. 

The most common resources affiliated with a dispatch office can be preloaded into the 

application under the Tools menu on the homepage. Users must have Manager Privileges to 

access the Tools function to change the resource template; however, users may change 

resource types within individual incidents. 

The maximum resource types allowed within the application is 20. 

To adjust the resource template, contact the GACC Intelligence Coordinator/Officer.

Block 48 Agency or Organization

Utilize the drop-down list under Agency or Organization and select the appropriate agency.
35 | Page

• Enter the agencies or organizations contributing resources to the incident as responders, 

through mutual aid agreements. 

• Indicate in the rows under Block 49 how many resources are assigned to the incident 

under each resource identified.

• These are listed with the number of resources on the top of the box, and the number of 

personnel associated with the resources on the bottom half of the box.

Adding an agency to Block 49:

1. Click Add Row to select agencies from the pop-up list. Users must select each agency 

individually from the pop-up list. Multiple agency selections are not permitted. 

2. Click Submit to save each agency to Block 48. After adding an agency, the pop-up 

window automatically closes. 

Deleting an agency from Block 49 that no longer has resources:

1. Select the agency row. The selected row changes color, such as the green shown in the 

example above for BIA. 

2. Click Delete Selected Rows. A pop-up window appears asking users to confirm the 

deletion of the selected agency. Click Ok or Cancel.

There are several unique agencies listed that require clarification:

DOD: US Department of Defense. Selecting DOD is generic to any military unit or 

personnel, including National Guard, regular military, reserves, etc. However, there are 

separate military units listed for Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army Corps of 

Engineers, National Guard and Air National Guard.

IA: Interagency Resources

• Crews comprised of multi-agency resources

• Resources ordered as interagency resources
36 | Page

• Individual agencies may be listed in Cooperating Agencies (Block 53).

INTL: International Resources. These are any non-U.S. resources.

LGR and C&L: Used interchangeably by different agencies. Local Government and County 

and Local resources. These include municipal and county resources, including rural fire 

departments, fire protection districts, volunteer fire departments and townships.

OES: Office of Emergency Services. State governmental agencies such as the California 

Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

OTHR: Assisting agencies that do not fit into any other listed category.

PRI: All private resources, such as contractors and citizen volunteers not affiliated with a 

formal organization. But it does not include federal CWN (call when needed) and AD 

(administratively determined) resources because these are always hired or contracted 

by an agency and should be reported under that agency.

ST: Generic state agency identifier. Any state resources that cannot be listed under another 

agency in the list. List these individual state agencies in Cooperating Agencies, Block

53.

When selecting an agency from the agency drop-down list, users must populate at least one 

resource or personnel field for that agency in Block 49 before saving the page. When saving the 

page, any agency with no resources or personnel assigned is deleted from the page.

When clicking Show/Hide Columns to select new resource types, any agency in Block 48 with 

no resources assigned is deleted. Be sure each agency listed in Block 48 has at least one 

resource and/or personnel assigned before adding new resource types to Block 49.

Block 49 Resources:

• Contact the GACC Intelligence Coordinator/Officer to add or change the resource types 

that are listed (columns). The resources chosen for the selected dispatch center will 

prepopulate on all 209s and should include the most common resource types used on 

that unit.

• For each agency, enter the number of resources in the top row for that agency. In the 

second row for that agency, enter the number of personnel assigned to those resources.

o For example: If there are three BLM engines with nine personnel assigned, then 

that row for BLM should show “3” in the top row and “9” in the lower row.

o Strike teams must be counted as single resources (i.e., a strike team of engines 

should be entered as 5 engines).

• List resources using clear language when possible so ICS 209 readers who may not be 

from the discipline or host jurisdiction can understand the information.

o Examples: Type 1 Fire Engines, Type 4 Helicopters

• Enter total numbers in columns for each resource by agency, organization or grouping in 

the proper blocks.

• These can be listed with the number of resources on the top of the box and the number 

of personnel associated with the resources on the bottom half of the box.

• Group similar resources together when it is sensible to do so for the summary.
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• Do not list overhead personnel individually in the resource section, lump them in the “# 

of Overhead” Column with total personnel counted by agency.

• In the following example:

o fields are filled in correctly for dozers and Type 3 and 4 engines. 

o The type 5 engine is missing a value for number of personnel assigned to the 

seven engines. 

o The Type 6 engine is missing a value for the number of resources the six 

personnel are assigned to. 

o Missing values such as these will result in an error message similar to the one 

below.

Block 50 # of Overhead Personnel 

• Enter the number of additional overhead and other personnel by agency or organization

which are not assigned to a specific resource listed in Resources, Block 49. 

• Do not count individual personnel assigned to crews, engines, helicopters or other 

resources already listed in Block 49.

Block 51 Total Personnel:

• Total Personnel (highlighted in RED below) for each agency, organization or grouping 

are automatically counted in the online application. Resources are not manually totaled 

here by the user.

• The number of Total Personnel for each row should include both:

o The total number of personnel assigned to each of the resources listed in Block 49

and

o The total number of additional individual overhead personnel from each agency, 

organization, or group listed in Block 50.
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Block 52 Total Resources:

• Includes the sum of resources for each column (highlighted in ORANGE above). This 

includes the total from Blocks 49, 50, and 51. This should include the total number of 

resources from Block 49, as personnel totals will be counted under Block 51.

• Total Resources (engines, crews, helicopters, etc.) are automatically calculated in the 

online application. 

Block 53 Additional Cooperating and Assisting Organizations Not Listed Above:

• List all agencies and organizations involved in the incident that are not listed in Block 48. 

These organizations will not be counted by the application or included in the totals in 

Blocks 51 and 52.

• Do not repeat any resources counted in Blocks 48 – 52, unless explanations are needed 

for groupings created under Block 48 Agency or Organization.

• Examples may include the Red Cross, utility companies or state agencies that are being 

grouped together.
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Approval and Routing Tab (Blocks 12-15):

Entries with a * are required blocks.

Use the Approval and Routing tab to obtain approvals and develop routing procedures for the 

209. 

All required blocks on this tab must be completed before the 209 can be approved and finalized. 

Incomplete information will result in an error message.

Block 12. Prepared By:

Prepared By: 

• Enter the name and ICS position of the person preparing the form (e.g., Smith, SITL).

• When an incident management organization is in place, this would be the Situation Unit 

Leader or Planning Section Chief at the incident. 

• On other incidents, it could be a dispatcher in the local emergency communications 

center or another staff person or manager.

Date/Time Prepared: 

• Enter the date (month/day/year) and time (using the 24-hour clock) the form was 

prepared.

Block 13. Approved By:

• When an incident management organization is in place, this would be the Planning 

Section Chief or Incident Commander at the incident. 

• On other incidents, it could be the jurisdiction’s dispatch center manager, organizational 

administrator, or other manager. Also include the approver’s title on the 209. 
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Caution: The 209 cannot be viewed from the Reports function of the application until this block 

is completed. If needed, use the Print for Signature link to print a draft of the 209 for review 

and approval by the approving official before final submission to the database. A warning 

message appears when Blocks 12 and 13 are not completed.

Block 14. Date/Time Submitted:

The application automatically generates the date/time stamp when the electronic report is 

finalized and submitted. This information is not entered by the user and is grayed out.

Block 15. Primary Location, Organization, or Agency Sent To:

• Enter the appropriate primary location or office the ICS 209 was sent to apart from the 

incident. 

• This most likely is the entity or office that ordered the incident management organization 

that is managing the incident. 

• This may be a dispatch center or a MACS element such as an emergency operations 

center. If a dispatch center or other emergency center prepared the ICS 209 for the 

incident, indicate where it was submitted initially. See example above.

Verification

Before a 209 report can be submitted, information entered in the report must be verified for 

accuracy, omissions, errors and other discrepancies. Any inconsistencies or errors are flagged

and must be corrected before the document can be finalized.

Verification is done in the SIT/209 Report Not Approved pane of the application. To adjust this 

pane, use the computer mouse to grab and slide the divider (shown in the red box below) to the 

left to maximize, or to the right to minimize a windowpane. The verification pane is visible on the 

right below the blue banner in the example below.
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Verification Outputs

• The application reports two kinds of outputs when the SIT209 data is not verified.

o Errors are items that must be corrected before a report can be approved. Each error 

will identify the block number (arrow) where the error occurred. The nature of the 

error is also noted. Click the blue text link to go to that block and correct the error 

(see graphic below).

o Warnings are discrepancies found in information entered into the application. For 

example, possibly too many zeroes entered in a field. Warnings simply ask if the 

information entered in certain key blocks or fields is accurate. If so, then click the 

check box to the left of the warning statement to indicate that the information entered 

is accurate (see graphic below). If the information is not accurate, return to that block 

or field and correct the information. Be sure to save the changed or corrected 

information before exiting the tab.

• Status Bar Messages need to be read as well. The application will approve the 

document; however, if there are error messages in the Status Bar the information from 

the document will not flow through IRWIN and into other pertinent applications.
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Once errors and warnings have been corrected or validated, click Verify a second time to verify

the changes or corrections made. The application allows the 209 report to be finalized and 

submitted. A date/time stamp is applied by the application in Block 14. Corrected Errors 

disappear from the Verify pane, but Warnings do not disappear. All errors must be fixed, and all 

warnings checked off before the 209 report can be approved and finalized.

To Complete the Verification Process

1. Click Verify to perform the 209 verification check. Verification must be performed before 

final approval and submission is allowed by the 209 application. The application 

performs a data verification process and shows the errors or discrepancies found in the 

Verify pane, as discussed above. 

2. Correct any reported Errors and/or Warnings when the SIT209 Report is not approved.

3. Click Verify a second time to submit the SIT209 Report.

4. When the report is ready for submission, click Approve.

• After the approved report is submitted, all data fields in the Approval and Routing tab 

become grayed out. A date/time stamp is applied by the application to Block 14. 

• The approved 209 report appears stamped Approved in the dispatch center list of incidents 

(as shown below).

Note: In the Status column above, the approved 209 report is marked Initial. This is the first 209 

report submitted for this incident. Subsequent 209 reports display Update or Final.

Forms, User Guides and Help

Blank ICS-209 Form

A blank NIMS ICS-209 in PDF and Word Format can be found on the SIT-209 Homepage.
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User Guides

A link to the Situation Report (SIT), ICS-209 and Manager’s Guide are located on the SIT-209 

Homepage below the Blank NIMS forms shown above. 

Help

For Support, go to the Fire Applications Helpdesk website at https://iiahelpdesk.nwcg.gov.