Command Staff

The Command Staff are incident management personnel that the Incident Commander or Unified Command assign to directly support the command function.

Command Staff positions are established by the Incident Commander or Unified Command as needed to support the management of an incident.

Command staff report directly to the Incident Commander or Unified Command and are assigned assistants as necessary to perform their duties.

The ICS Command Staff typically includes:

  • The Public Information Officer (PIO) who interfaces with the public, media, and others needing incident information
  • The Safety Officer who monitors incident operations and advises the Incident Commander or Unified Command on matters relating to health and safety
  • The Liaison Officer who serves as the incident command’s point of contact for organizations not included in the Incident Command or Unified Command
Public Information OfficerSafety OfficerLiaison Officer
Incident Command organizational chart with Incident Commander at top, Command Staff of Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, Liaison Officer in center, and General Staff of Operations Section Chief, Planning Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, Finance/Administration Section Chief on bottom row.
Click on a Command Staff position to access a more detailed description.