What is the primary responsibility of the Incident Commander?

The primary responsibility of the Incident Commander is to manage all aspects of incident response, with a strong focus on safety. The Incident Commander is tasked with overseeing the entire incident management process, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively, and making critical decisions that impact the overall response effort. This role is central during an incident, as the Incident Commander maintains situational awareness, coordinates operations, and communicates with all involved agencies and stakeholders.

Safety is a paramount concern for the Incident Commander, as they must ensure that both responders and the public are protected throughout the response. By managing these various aspects, the Incident Commander plays a vital role in leading the incident response team and implementing strategies that achieve the incident objectives while mitigating risks.

In contrast, other responsibilities mentioned do fit within the scope of the incident management framework but do not encapsulate the primary role of the Incident Commander. For example, while coordinating transportation logistics and overseeing public relations and media are essential functions during an incident, they are typically delegated to specific personnel or units. Financial decision-making, although important, is usually managed by a finance section chief rather than the Incident Commander.