What is the main function of the Incident Commander?

The primary responsibility of the Incident Commander is to oversee all operations during an incident. This role is crucial in establishing order and ensuring that all aspects of the incident response are effectively coordinated. The Incident Commander is in charge of making strategic decisions, allocating resources, and delegating tasks to various teams based on the incident's needs.

This central position involves assessing the situation, setting objectives, and ensuring that all efforts align with the established incident management plan. By maintaining overall command and control, the Incident Commander helps ensure a unified response, which is essential for efficient incident management. The effectiveness of an incident response largely depends on this clear and centralized leadership, thereby allowing for streamlined decision-making and implementation of response activities.

In the context of other roles, while acting as a liaison with the public, developing training programs, and managing communications with external agencies are important functions within an emergency management framework, they do not encompass the comprehensive command authority and operational oversight that define the role of the Incident Commander.