Who is ultimately responsible for accountability at all incidents?

• A. Incident commander
• B. Safety officer
• C. Company officer
• D. Medical branch director

Answer: (A)

At incidents, accountability is centralized under the Incident Commander. The IC has the overall command authority and responsibility for every aspect of the operation, including making sure personnel and resources are accounted for and safe. They establish the incident command structure, assign tasks, maintain the plan, and oversee the ongoing status of everyone on scene through tools like the personnel accountability system and status boards. The Safety Officer serves in a critical advisory role to identify hazards and prevent injuries, but does not carry the ultimate accountability for the entire incident. The Company Officer is responsible for their own crew’s safety and actions within a specific assignment, but accountability for the whole incident rests with the IC. The Medical Branch Director handles medical operations and patient care, not overall incident accountability.