The person with overall responsibility for managing the on-scene incident is the Incident Commander (IC). The IC is a senior-level official who coordinates all responders, including firefighters, police, and medical personnel, to ensure the incident is controlled quickly and safely. They have the authority to make decisions about resource deployment, evacuation, and containment of the incident
. The Incident Commander’s key responsibilities include:
- Establishing immediate priorities, with life safety as the top priority.
- Stabilizing the incident and managing resources efficiently.
- Determining incident objectives and strategy.
- Establishing and monitoring the incident organization.
- Ensuring safety measures are in place.
- Communicating with internal and external stakeholders, including the public and media.
- Approving and authorizing the Incident Action Plan.
- Coordinating with multi-agency partners and maintaining command continuity
The IC may have deputies and support staff but retains overall command until the incident is resolved or command is formally transferred to another qualified individual
. In summary, the Incident Commander has the overall responsibility for managing all aspects of the on-scene incident, ensuring safety, coordination, and effective response
