What is the primary responsibility of the Incident Commander (IC)?

The primary responsibility of the Incident Commander (IC) is to manage and coordinate all operations at the incident scene, which encompasses setting objectives, strategies, and providing overall direction. The IC establishes the incident command structure and ensures that all resources are utilized effectively to achieve the mission's goals. This role requires the IC to maintain a clear vision of the incident and the necessary operations to manage it, ensuring that activities are performed in a safe and effective manner.

While executing tactical operations, coordinating resource allocation, and communicating with the media are important functions that occur within the incident response framework, these tasks fall under the broader responsibilities of the IC. The IC oversees these aspects but is not limited to them, encompassing a comprehensive approach to incident management that includes overall scene operations.