What is the span of control in incident management?

The concept of span of control in incident management refers to the number of individuals or resources that one supervisor can effectively manage or oversee during an incident. A typical span of control is often recommended to be around five people. This is because, at this number, communication is manageable, and a supervisor can provide adequate support, guidance, and oversight to each individual.

When the span of control exceeds five, supervision can become less effective, leading to issues in communication, accountability, and overall management of the incident. This limitation ensures that supervisors can maintain situational awareness and provide effective leadership, which is crucial during emergency and rescue operations.

The other options suggest either fewer or more individuals than what is generally considered optimal for effective supervision in incident management situations.