What is the ICS term for a group of fire fighters with an assigned leader who are working without an apparatus?

• A. Group
• B. Team
• C. Unit
• D. Crew

Answer: (D)

In ICS, a crew refers to a group of firefighters who work together under a single supervisor and are operating on the ground without an apparatus. This on-foot, supervisor-led setup is the defining feature of a crew, distinguishing it from other terms that describe larger or differently organized resources. A unit, for example, usually denotes a specific functional resource (often with equipment) under a supervisor, while a group is broader and can encompass multiple resources or crews working in one function. A team is a more general term and isn’t the standard designation for a foot-operations, single-supervisor fireground group. So the term that best fits a group of firefighters with an assigned leader who are working without an apparatus is crew.