[Return to the Planning section's page.]  For a quick overview of how the Documentation Unit functions within the Planning section, go back and watch the quick little video there.

"The Documentation Unit... documents and maintains incident records for legal, analytical and historical purposes."

"The Documentation Unit Leader - is responsible for the maintenance of accurate, up-to-date incident files. Examples of incident documentation include: Incident Action Plan (IAP), incident reports, communication logs, injury claims, situation status reports, etc. Thorough documentation is critical to post-incident analysis. Some of the documents may originate in other sections. This unit shall ensure each section is maintaining and providing appropriate documents. The Documentation Unit will provide duplication and copying services for all other sections. The Documentation Unit will store incident files for legal, analytical, and historical purposes."  (excerpted from this helpful page)

Checklist: 

• Start Incident Log 
• Provide ICS Forms as needed 
   (pdf containing all)
• 201 Briefing (Summary of Situation Sizeup, Objectives, Activities, Resources)
• 202 IAP
• 203 Assignments List
• 204
• 205  Radio/Phone Communications
• 206 
• 207 Org Chart (big, for Command Post)
• 214 Unit Log (by each unit) - Your assigned personnel & activities 
• Position description and responsibilities document.
• Agency policies and procedures manual
• Set up copy-machine type functionality.
• Accept documents, eg situation reports, etc.
• Filing.
• Report on our status.
• (Are we responsible to maintain an overall 'activity log' (journal) of the incident?  Maybe even media reports, links, news reports, etc.???)

Stray Links:

• FEMA's Documentation Unit Checklist (.pdf) 
• Be thinking:  Documentation Unit responsible for ongoing website/wiki filing process?