[22 Test Answers] FEMA IS-559: Local Damage Assessment

Here are the FEMA test answers to IS-559: Local Damage Assessment.

Overview: The FEMA IS-559 course was published on 10/31/2013 to provide information and resources that will enable participants to plan an effective damage assessment program and conduct rapid and effective damage assessments in order to save lives, protect property and the environment, and begin the process of recovery and mitigation.

Primary audience: FEMA IS-559 is for local officials who are responsible for assessing, collecting, and reporting damages during and after any event that causes damage to private, public, and critical infrastructure.

FEMA IS-559 test answers

Each time this test is loaded, you will receive a unique set of questions and answers. The test questions are scrambled to protect the integrity of the exam.

Question 1. Which of the following best describes the information that risk and hazard vulnerability assessments can provide? 
A. Measurement of a community’s response capabilities
B. Detailed and accurate data that can be used for damage assessment documentation✅
C. An evaluation of how the hazards identified could affect your community
D. Prescribed response actions for each hazard identified in the analysis

Question 2. How can the community and the damage assessment response team be better prepared to deal with the human impact of disasters? 
A. Learn to recognize the signs of stress and how to manage it
B. Prepare for an increased demand for mental health services
C. Plan for provision of Critical Incident Stress Management
D. All of the above✅

Question 3. Which of the following best describes the purpose of damage assessment? 
A. Provides estimated damage and repair costs based solely on property values
B. Determines the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and key resources to hazards
C. Determines where to direct resources and what resources are needed✅
D. Provides information to the community about impending damage

Question 4. Which of the following is an example of critical infrastructure or key resource that can be found in a community? 
A. Elementary school
B. Movie theatre✅
C. Retail store
D. Apartment building

Question 5. Which of the following best describes the difference between a risk assessment and a hazard vulnerability assessment? 
A. Risk assessments answer, ‘What could happen to adversely impact the community?’ Hazard vulnerability assessments answer, ‘How and where could each hazard affect the community?’
B. Risk assessments consider how each potential hazard will affect critical infrastructure and key resources; hazard vulnerability assessments provide information about all the hazards that are likely to occur.✅
C. Risk assessments answer, ‘How and where could each hazard event affect the community?’ Hazard vulnerability assessments answer, ‘What could happen to adversely impact the community?’
D. Risk assessments and hazard vulnerability assessments both provide information about what hazards are likely to occur in the community, and both include information about impacts on critical infrastructure.

Question 6. Which of the following provides the best description of the value of an after-action report? 
A. Provides documentation to be filed in case of a future audit
B. Addresses opportunities for improvement of plans and procedures
C. Resolves issues through the development of concrete corrective actions✅
D. Focuses on whom to blame for a failed attempt at implementing the plan

Question 7. Which of the following is the best description of a tabletop exercise? 
A. A fully simulated interactive exercise that tests the capability of an organization to respond to a simulated event.
B. A supervised exercise activity normally used to test a single specific operation or function.
C. A facilitated analysis of an emergency situation in an informal, stress-free environment.✅
D. An evaluation of the operational capability of emergency management systems in a highly stressful environment that simulates actual response conditions.

Question 8. Which of the following is NOT one of the main priorities that most communities include as a planning assumption in the damage assessment plan? 
A. The environment
B. Life
C. Property
D. Recreation areas✅

Question 9. Which of the following is the LEAST relevant area to be included in training for the local damage assessment teams? 
A. Zone familiarization
B. Safety
C. Planning✅
D. Data collection

Question 10. Which of the following best distinguishes the difference between a hazard and vulnerability? 
A. A hazard is a potentially dangerous or harmful situation; vulnerability may be categorized as natural or adversarial/human-caused.
B. A hazard is the estimated impact on people, services, facilities, and structures in a community; vulnerability is a description of how exposed or susceptible an asset is to damage.
C. A hazard is a potentially dangerous or harmful situation; vulnerability is a description of how exposed or susceptible an asset is to damage.✅
D. A hazard depends on the asset’s construction, contents, economic value, and replacement/repair costs; vulnerability is the estimated impact on people, services, facilities, and structures in a community.

Question 11. Which of the following areas should NOT be focused on while conducting a visual inspection for initial damage assessment (i.e., a windshield survey)? 
A. Interior damages✅
B. Structural damages
C. Amounts of debris
D. Impacts on utilities

Question 12. Which of the following is NOT a method of documenting damage assessment information for the community, agency, or organization? 
A. Conversation with Federal officials
B. Photo documentation of property damage✅
C. Surveys of local residents
D. Interviews with first responders

Question 13. Which of the following best describes the ‘Inventory Assets’ step in the process of conducting a hazard analysis? 
A. Estimate the expected repair costs from the hazard.
B. Determine the characteristics of each hazard.
C. List and map assets in the community.✅
D. Identify hazards that can occur in the community.

Question 14. Which of the following is NOT a common planning step for a damage assessment program? 
A. Determine plan components and assumptions
B. Identify damage assessment zones
C. Gather historical hazard information
D. Submit documentation to the State✅

Question 15. Which of the following is one of the basic principles for effective training and exercises? 
A. Evaluation should be focused on individuals performance
B. Exercises should test all aspects of the plan✅
C. Exercises should focus on working within one agency
D. Questions and problems should move from complex to simple

Question 16. What is the most important information to be included in the pre-deployment briefing? 
A. Communication needs
B. Life safety issues
C. Roles and responsibilities✅
D. Familiarization with assigned zones

Question 17. Which of the following is the best choice for a potential member of the local damage assessment response team? 
A. Code Enforcement Officials✅
B. City Manager
C. School Administrators
D. Emergency Management Director

Question 18. Which of the following best explains how damage assessment information is used after an event? 
A. It is kept on file as documentation but not used any further.
B. It sets priorities at the beginning of the process but is soon replaced by Federal data.
C. It helps to identify areas for improvement in the damage assessment program.✅
D. It is an optional part of the application for a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

Question 19. Which of the following would be the best potential member of the local damage assessment planning team? 
A. Apartment managers
B. First responders✅
C. Local store owners
D. Local homeowners

Question 20. Which of the following is a recommended resource that provides training for local damage assessment? 
A. FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute✅
B. FEMA’s National Exercise Division
C. State Emergency Management Agencies
D. All of the above

Question 21. Which of the following best describes the guidelines for establishing local standards for damage assessment? 
A. Data collection procedures should be established according to available resources.✅
B. You must use only a 4-point damage assessment scale.
C. You should develop a 10-point damage assessment scale.
D. Local standards can be established without regard to other guidelines.

Question 22. Which of the following best describes the value of training and exercises to a local damage assessment program? 
A. Allows planners to see areas for improvement to the program✅
B. Provides input for individual performance reviews
C. Allows for the analysis of only the strengths in the plan
D. Decreases the need for inter- and intra-agency coordination

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