| - Authority is the right or obligation to act on behalf of a department, agency, or jurisdiction.
- The scope of authority that an Incident Commander has is determined by existing laws, policies, and procedures. Additional authority may be delegated when necessary.
- Delegation of authority is the process of granting authority to an individual or agency to carry out specific functions during an incident.
- Delegation of authority does NOT relieve the granting entity of the responsibility for that function. Authority can be delegated; responsibility cannot.
- When needed, a delegation of authority should contain elements related to restrictions, external implications and considerations, and planning and communication processes.
- Authority is implemented by the Incident Commander through the management of objectives. Effective Incident Objectives should be SMART. Objectives are not tactics or strategies; they state what needs to be accomplished, not how to do it.
- Objectives are a part of the Incident Action Plan, which is completed each operational period and outlines incident-specific information. It is created through a process known as the Operational Period Planning Cycle (Planning P).
- Incident Command, as well as Command and General Staff, should also have a working knowledge of other preparedness plans, such as EOPs, SOGs, SOPs, and mutual aid agreements.
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