ABSTRACT Incident Action Plans (IAPs) are one of the most effective ways for an Incident Commander (IC) or Unified Command (UC) to convey to the established response organization the goals and objectives that must be accomplished to mitigate an event. These plans come in many forms, from simple ones written on a blank sheet of paper to book size plans produced by a computer. Regardless of the form used, they must all successfully convey the IC's or UC's intentions, while being flexible enough to handle changes brought on by unseen events. If the plan is not “user-friendly,” then field personnel in the Operations Section will develop their own strategies for mitigating the incident. This free-lancing may lead to poor resource utilization, duplication of effort, creation of safety hazards, and the general failure to accomplish the overall goals of the IC or UC. This lack of effectiveness will quickly be translated into a lack of efficiency, thereby raising response costs—something no responsible party wants or needs. IAPs must avoid being too complex, too detailed, or too lengthy, as this will limit their usefulness to response managers and supervisors. Dedicated efforts must be made by the Planning Section to assure that IAPs can be easily read and understood by response managers and supervisors. These plans must also have measurable objectives that can be accomplished by the available resources. An effective IAP is composed of four key elements—response objectives, the structure of the response management organization, assignments for response resources, and supporting plans and materials. Comprehensive development of these four essential elements is the cornerstone of an effective IAP. To translate planning into execution, IAPs must contain the four essential elements, be easily understood by response managers and supervisors, and have response objectives achievable by available resources.