ICS Form 219 is commonly known as a T-Card, and is one of the key tools used by police, fire departments, 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.

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

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"

1. 3 T-Cards are the most commonly used, and the over-sized version is the size used in the official FEMA 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

• [1] T-Card Systems (Better Way Inc.)
• [2] Magnatag Visible Systems
• [3] COPART
• [4] Nobo Europe T-Card Planning

[5] ICS Forms Stakeholder Review Draft [6] official ICS forms on FEMA site