IAEM CEM ACTUAL 2026 CORE EXAM TEST QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Two key elements of COOP plans - ✔✔Orders of succession and delegations of
authority.
✔✔Definition of ICS (Incident Command System) - ✔✔A standardized, on-scene
incident management system that is modular, scalable, and flexible.
✔✔Typical ICS span of control - ✔✔Between 3 and 7 subordinates per supervisor
(optimal about 5).
✔✔ICS Command Staff positions - ✔✔Public Information Officer (PIO), Safety Officer,
and Liaison Officer.
✔✔ICS General Staff Section Chiefs - ✔✔Operations Section Chief, Planning Section
Chief, Logistics Section Chief, Finance/Admin Section Chief.
✔✔Primary responsibility of Operations Section in ICS - ✔✔Conducts tactical
operations to carry out the Incident Action Plan.
✔✔Primary responsibility of Planning Section in ICS - ✔✔Collects, evaluates, and
disseminates incident information and develops the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
✔✔Primary responsibility of Logistics Section in ICS - ✔✔Provides support, resources,
supplies, facilities, and communications.
✔✔Primary responsibility of Finance/Admin Section in ICS - ✔✔Tracks costs, manages
procurement, timekeeping, and financial/administrative activities.
✔✔Definition of Unified Command - ✔✔An ICS structure where multiple agencies with
jurisdiction share command and jointly make decisions.
✔✔Definition of an Incident Action Plan (IAP) - ✔✔A plan that outlines incident
objectives, strategies, and tactics for a specific operational period.
✔✔Primary purpose of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) - ✔✔Provide
coordination, policy support, and resource management, not direct field-level tactical
control.
✔✔Three common EOC functions - ✔✔Maintain situational awareness, coordinate
resources, and support public information and policy decisions.
, ✔✔Definition of a Multiagency Coordination (MAC) Group - ✔✔A group of senior
officials that provides policy direction and resource prioritization for complex incidents.
✔✔Definition of Joint Information Center (JIC) - ✔✔A physical or virtual location where
PIOs from multiple agencies coordinate public information activities.
✔✔Definition of EMAC - ✔✔Emergency Management Assistance Compact—state-to-
state mutual aid agreement for resource sharing and reimbursement.
✔✔Three primary priorities of response operations - ✔✔Life safety, incident
stabilization, and property/environmental conservation.
✔✔Definition of Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) - ✔✔A quick assessment early in an
incident to determine immediate life-safety needs and the general scope of damage.
✔✔Purpose of Community Lifelines - ✔✔Identify and prioritize key systems that must be
stabilized to support life, health, safety, and basic community functioning.
✔✔Example of a Community Lifeline - ✔✔Energy; Food, Water, Shelter; Health &
Medical; Safety & Security; Communications; Transportation; Hazardous Materials (any
one).
✔✔Difference between short-term and long-term recovery - ✔✔Short-term restores
essential services; long-term focuses on permanent housing, infrastructure, economy,
and community redevelopment.
✔✔What FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) provides - ✔✔Temporary housing, home
repairs, Other Needs Assistance, crisis counseling, and disaster unemployment.
✔✔What FEMA Public Assistance (PA) provides - ✔✔Repair or replacement of eligible
public infrastructure and certain nonprofit facilities; debris removal and emergency
protective measures.
✔✔FEMA PA Category A - ✔✔Debris removal.
✔✔FEMA PA Category B - ✔✔Emergency protective measures.
✔✔Trigger for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding - ✔✔A Stafford Act
disaster declaration.
✔✔Primary purpose of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) - ✔✔Provide
structure and guidance for coordinating long-term recovery among partners.
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Two key elements of COOP plans - ✔✔Orders of succession and delegations of
authority.
✔✔Definition of ICS (Incident Command System) - ✔✔A standardized, on-scene
incident management system that is modular, scalable, and flexible.
✔✔Typical ICS span of control - ✔✔Between 3 and 7 subordinates per supervisor
(optimal about 5).
✔✔ICS Command Staff positions - ✔✔Public Information Officer (PIO), Safety Officer,
and Liaison Officer.
✔✔ICS General Staff Section Chiefs - ✔✔Operations Section Chief, Planning Section
Chief, Logistics Section Chief, Finance/Admin Section Chief.
✔✔Primary responsibility of Operations Section in ICS - ✔✔Conducts tactical
operations to carry out the Incident Action Plan.
✔✔Primary responsibility of Planning Section in ICS - ✔✔Collects, evaluates, and
disseminates incident information and develops the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
✔✔Primary responsibility of Logistics Section in ICS - ✔✔Provides support, resources,
supplies, facilities, and communications.
✔✔Primary responsibility of Finance/Admin Section in ICS - ✔✔Tracks costs, manages
procurement, timekeeping, and financial/administrative activities.
✔✔Definition of Unified Command - ✔✔An ICS structure where multiple agencies with
jurisdiction share command and jointly make decisions.
✔✔Definition of an Incident Action Plan (IAP) - ✔✔A plan that outlines incident
objectives, strategies, and tactics for a specific operational period.
✔✔Primary purpose of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) - ✔✔Provide
coordination, policy support, and resource management, not direct field-level tactical
control.
✔✔Three common EOC functions - ✔✔Maintain situational awareness, coordinate
resources, and support public information and policy decisions.
, ✔✔Definition of a Multiagency Coordination (MAC) Group - ✔✔A group of senior
officials that provides policy direction and resource prioritization for complex incidents.
✔✔Definition of Joint Information Center (JIC) - ✔✔A physical or virtual location where
PIOs from multiple agencies coordinate public information activities.
✔✔Definition of EMAC - ✔✔Emergency Management Assistance Compact—state-to-
state mutual aid agreement for resource sharing and reimbursement.
✔✔Three primary priorities of response operations - ✔✔Life safety, incident
stabilization, and property/environmental conservation.
✔✔Definition of Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) - ✔✔A quick assessment early in an
incident to determine immediate life-safety needs and the general scope of damage.
✔✔Purpose of Community Lifelines - ✔✔Identify and prioritize key systems that must be
stabilized to support life, health, safety, and basic community functioning.
✔✔Example of a Community Lifeline - ✔✔Energy; Food, Water, Shelter; Health &
Medical; Safety & Security; Communications; Transportation; Hazardous Materials (any
one).
✔✔Difference between short-term and long-term recovery - ✔✔Short-term restores
essential services; long-term focuses on permanent housing, infrastructure, economy,
and community redevelopment.
✔✔What FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) provides - ✔✔Temporary housing, home
repairs, Other Needs Assistance, crisis counseling, and disaster unemployment.
✔✔What FEMA Public Assistance (PA) provides - ✔✔Repair or replacement of eligible
public infrastructure and certain nonprofit facilities; debris removal and emergency
protective measures.
✔✔FEMA PA Category A - ✔✔Debris removal.
✔✔FEMA PA Category B - ✔✔Emergency protective measures.
✔✔Trigger for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding - ✔✔A Stafford Act
disaster declaration.
✔✔Primary purpose of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) - ✔✔Provide
structure and guidance for coordinating long-term recovery among partners.
