In the context of NIMS, who is responsible for the overall management of an incident?

The Incident Commander is the individual responsible for the overall management of an incident within the framework of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). This role includes establishing objectives, strategies, and tactics to effectively respond to the incident. The Incident Commander directs all phases of the incident management process and ensures that resources are deployed efficiently and that communication between different teams is maintained.

This position is critical because the Incident Commander oversees the incident response, making key decisions that affect the outcome. They also serve as the primary point of contact during the incident, coordinating with various agencies and ensuring that the incident response complies with established protocols and NIMS principles.

Other roles, such as the General Staff, Planning Officer, and Field Coordinator, have specific responsibilities that support the overall incident management process but do not hold the ultimate authority and responsibility that the Incident Commander does. The General Staff focuses on specific functions like operations, logistics, or finance, while the Planning Officer is tasked with developing plans and situational assessments. The Field Coordinator generally manages operations in the field but does not have the overarching responsibility that the Incident Commander possesses.