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Ramsey County-Wide Emergency Operations Plan Revision 5.1,June,2005 GENERAL DUTIES OF INCIDENT COMMAND STAFF FUNCTIONS Source: United States Department of Homeland Security — Federal Emergency Management Agency Comments: For all incidents, a command team comprised of the incident commander, appropriate command and general staff personnel is assigned. (Sources: FIRESCOPE and NIMS) Incident Commander(IC)/Unified Command(UC): The Incident Commander's responsibility is the overall management of the incident(to which it is assigned). On most incidents, the command activity is carried out by a single Incident Commander. Complex or multi-jurisdictional/multi-agency incidents may require several leaders and subject matter experts to work together on the command functions.This is the Unified Command (UC).The Incident Commander is selected by qualifications and experience.The Incident Commander may have a deputy, who may be from the same agency, or from an assisting agency. Deputies may also be used at section and branch levels of the ICS organization. Deputies must have the same qualifications as the person for whom they work, as they must be ready to take over that position at any time. Depending on the extent of the Incident Management team needed, this area of management may also have under its purview an Information Officer, Liaison Officer, Agency Representative(s), and Safety Officer. Public Information Officer(PIO) Each agency and jurisdiction will designate a Public Information Officer(PIO).The PIO is responsible for interfacing with the public and media and/or with other agencies with incident- related information requirements.The PIO develops accurate and complete information on the incident's cause, size, and current situation; resources committed; and other matters of general interest for both internal and external consumption.The PIO may also perform a key public information-monitoring role.Whether the command structure is single or unified, only one incident PIO should be designated. Assistants may be assigned from other agencies or departments involved. The IC must approve the release of all incident-related information. Liaison Officer(LNO) The LNO is the point of contact for representatives of other governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and/or private entities. In either a single or UC structure, representatives from assisting or cooperating agencies and organizations coordinate through the LNO. Agency and/or organizational representatives assigned to an incident must have the authority to speak for their parent agencies and/or organizations on all matters,following appropriate consultations with their agency leadership. Assistants and personnel from other agencies or organizations(public or private) involved in incident management activities may be assigned to the LNO to facilitate coordination. Safety Officer(SO) The SO monitors incident operations and advises the IC on all matters relating to operational safety, including the health and safety of emergency responder personnel. The ultimate 31