What is the primary role of the Incident Commander?

The primary role of the Incident Commander is to ensure that the incident objectives are met. This involves overseeing the entire incident response and making high-level decisions that allow for effective management of resources and strategies during an incident. The Incident Commander establishes the incident objectives, prioritizes tasks, and coordinates activities among various responding agencies and teams. This role is crucial as it ensures that all efforts are aligned towards achieving a successful resolution of the incident.

While developing the incident action plan, supervising communicators, and leading the operations team are essential functions within the overall incident management structure, these tasks fall under the responsibilities of the Incident Commander or other designated roles within the command system. The focus of the Incident Commander's role is on the broader objectives and ensuring that the incident response is strategically directed toward meeting specified goals.