Offensive strategy is defined as which?

• A. Overall plan for incident control established by the IC in which responders take aggressive, direct action on the material, container, or process equipment involved in an incident.
• B. A defensive plan focusing on protecting exposures.
• C. A plan to evacuate occupants and shut down utilities.
• D. A protocol for securing a perimeter.

Answer: (A)

Offensive strategy means taking direct, aggressive action to control the incident at its source. It’s the overall plan established by the incident commander to actively intervene on the material, container, or process equipment involved, with the aim of stopping or limiting the hazard itself. This approach is used when conditions allow direct intervention and the risk to responders can be managed with proper precautions, PPE, and coordinated tactics. Examples include actions like stopping a release, shutting a valve, plugging a leak, or applying cooling to a compromised container.

The alternative ideas focus on protecting people or property rather than attacking the hazard itself—such as defending exposures, evacuating occupants, or securing a perimeter. Those are defensive or protective measures, not the core offensive plan.