ICS 219
Encyclopedia
ICS Form 219, Resource Status Card, is commonly known as a T-Card, and is one of the key tools used by police
, fire department
s, and emergency management
agencies to manage their responses to incidents. The cards are so-named because they are made of card stock
and have a T-like shape. These cards are used to record and track the location and status of all major resources, including individuals, teams, vehicles, and other equipment.
T-Cards are displayed in resource status or “T-Card racks” (typically a sheet of plastic
or metal
with slots cut to accept the body of the card) where they can be easily viewed, retrieved, updated, and statused. The Resources Unit typically maintains cards for resources assigned to an incident until demobilization
. At demobilization, all cards should be turned in to the Documentation Unit.
In the United States, T-Cards are found in one of these sizes:
In the UK, these sizes are in common use:
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, fire department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
s, and emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
agencies to manage their responses to incidents. The cards are so-named because they are made of card stock
Card stock
Card stock, also called cover stock or pasteboard, is a paper stock that is thicker and more durable than normal writing or printing paper, but thinner and more flexible than other forms of paperboard. Card stock is often used for business cards, postcards, playing cards, catalog covers,...
and have a T-like shape. These cards are used to record and track the location and status of all major resources, including individuals, teams, vehicles, and other equipment.
T-Cards are displayed in resource status or “T-Card racks” (typically a sheet of plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
or metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
with slots cut to accept the body of the card) where they can be easily viewed, retrieved, updated, and statused. The Resources Unit typically maintains cards for resources assigned to an incident until demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
. At demobilization, all cards should be turned in to the Documentation Unit.
T-Card Design
Each card is printed in a different color of card stock and used for a different resource category, kind, or type:- 219-1: Header Card – Gray (used only as label cards for T-Card racks)
- 219-2: Crew Card – Green
- 219-3: Engine Card – Rose
- 219-4: Helicopter Card – Blue
- 219-5: Personnel Card – White
- 219-6: Aircraft Card – Orange
- 219-7: Heavy Equipment Card – Yellow
- 219-8: Misc. Equipment/Task Force Card – Tan
- 219-10: Generic Card – Light Purple
In the United States, T-Cards are found in one of these sizes:
- #1 T-Card: 1 1/8" X 2"
- #2 T-Card: 2 3/8" x 3 3/8"
- #3 T-Card: 3 5/8" x 4 3/4" (over-sized cards 8 1/4" long are also common)
- #4 T-Card: 4 7/8" x 7 1/8"
- 3 T-Cards are the most commonly used, and the over-sized version is the size used in the official FEMAFederal Emergency Management AgencyThe Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
ICS 219 forms.
In the UK, these sizes are in common use:
- Size 1: 16.5x49mm
- Size 2: 48.5x85mm
- Size 3: 80x120mm
- Size 4: 112x180mm
Commercial Vendors
- http://t-cardsystems.com/index.html T-Card Systems (Better Way Inc.)
- http://www.magnatag.com/page/CARD/category/visible-card-files.asp Magnatag Visible Systems
- http://www.copartusa.com/ COPART
- http://www.noboeurope.com/nobo/en/gb/s/354/t-cardplanning.aspx Nobo Europe T-Card Planning