Who has overall responsibility for managing the on-scene incident?

• A. Public Information Officer
• B. Incident Commander
• C. Planning Section Chief
• D. Operations Section Chief

Answer: (B)

The person in charge on scene is the Incident Commander, who has the final responsibility for the entire incident. The Incident Commander sets the incident objectives, establishes the strategy, and approves the Incident Action Plan, all while maintaining overall accountability for safety and resource use. This role coordinates with the Command Staff (such as the Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, and Liaison Officer) and with the General Staff (including the Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration sections). The Public Information Officer handles outward communications; the Planning Section Chief develops the plan and manages information and forecasting; the Operations Section Chief directs the tactical actions and resources needed to carry out the plan. Because the Incident Commander holds the overarching authority and duty to oversee the on-scene response, this is the best answer. In larger incidents, a Unified Command may exist with multiple agencies, but the leadership structure still centers on coordinated on-scene management under the incident command concept.