Who is in charge of the Incident Command System and responsible for the management of all incident operations during an emergency?

• A. Incident Commander
• B. ICS
• C. Hot Zone
• D. Hazard

Answer: (A)

On-scene leadership in the Incident Command System is held by the Incident Commander. This person has overall responsibility for managing all incident operations, setting priorities, directing the incident action plan, and coordinating resources while keeping safety as the top priority. The Incident Commander may delegate authority to other parts of the command structure (like operations, planning, logistics, and finance sections), but the ultimate accountability stays with them.

The other terms aren’t about who leads the response: ICS refers to the entire standardized system, the hot zone is the dangerous area where hazards exist, and a hazard is the danger itself.