Who is responsible for developing the Incident Action Plan?

• A. Planning Section Chief
• B. Incident Safety Officer
• C. Operations Section Chief
• D. Incident Commander

Answer: (D)

The main idea is identifying who holds ultimate responsibility for the plan that guides incident operations. The Incident Commander is in charge of overall incident management, including setting the incident objectives and ensuring a coherent strategy for the next operational period. Because the IAP translates those objectives into coordinated actions, the Incident Commander oversees its development and signs off on the final document to authorize its use. The Planning Section Chief runs the planning process—facilitating planning meetings, gathering information, and drafting the plan with input from all sections—but the final responsibility and authority to approve and implement the IAP rests with the Incident Commander. The other roles contribute essential input (the Planning Section Chief for the plan’s content, the Operations Chief for execution, the Safety Officer for safety considerations), but they do not hold the overall responsibility for developing the IAP.