The Incident Commander is the individual designated to manage operations at the incident scene. This role involves the overall coordination and leadership necessary to successfully manage and mitigate the incident. The Incident Commander develops the incident action plan, makes decisions regarding resource allocation, and implements strategies to ensure both the safety of personnel and successful outcomes for the incident.
While the Fire Chief holds a leadership position within the fire department, their responsibilities often extend beyond the immediate scene, focusing more on administrative, operational readiness, and policy matters rather than direct incident management. The Safety Officer plays a crucial role in monitoring safety conditions and ensuring that all operations are conducted safely but does not typically manage the overall incident response. The Public Information Officer is responsible for communication with the media and public, providing information about the incident, but this role is distinct from operational command responsibilities.