Limitations & Constraints
Limitations and constraints are developed and provided by the Incident Commander (IC)/Unified Command (UC) to help the Incident Management Team (IMT) understand criteria that will affect the efficiency and effectiveness of response operations and identify critical restrictions/thresholds which can impact their ability to respond and efficiently manage the response. Limitations and Constraints can be documented on the Forms 202 or 202A.
| Example Limitations & Constraints |
| · Weather conditions |
· Support infrastructure (i.e. hotels, meals, fuel, etc.) |
| · Geography and terrain conditions |
· Use of foreign-flagged/unapproved vessels |
| · Availability, shortfalls of resources (people, equipment and supplies) |
. Lack of MOU, contracts and agreements or spending limitations |
| · Toxicity restrictions (air monitoring, PPE requirements) |
· Transportation and logistics |
| · Delegation of authority limitations |
· Work/rest rotation requirements |
| · Authorization to apply Alternative Response Techniques (i.e. in-situ burning, sub-sea dispersants, etc.) |
· Customs issues bringing additional resources (people, equipment, and supplies) into the country |
| · Wildlife activities (fish, birds, etc.) |
. Location of the incident |
| · Permits/approval procedures |
· Access to area (private vs. public) |
| · Community/media perception |
· Night operations restricted/limited |
| · Large scale evacuation |
· Disposal of waste (restrictions, limitations) |
| · Evidence preservation |
· Jurisdictional Issues |
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