Who develops the Incident Action Plan (IAP)?

• A. Incident Commander with command staff
• B. Public Information Officer and Safety Officer
• C. Liaison Officer and Public Information Officer
• D. Safety Officer and Liaison Officer

Answer: (C)

The Incident Action Plan is a coordinated document that must reflect both how agencies work together and how information about the incident is shared with the public. The Liaison Officer acts as the primary conduit to other agencies, gathering their objectives, constraints, and resource commitments and ensuring those inputs shape the plan. The Public Information Officer handles all public-facing communication, ensuring the plan’s actions, timelines, and messaging are consistent and clear for the public and the media. When these two roles collaborate, the IAP effectively integrates interagency coordination with public information needs, which is essential for a coherent plan that can be implemented across multiple organizations. The Incident Commander guides the overall effort and other staff provide specialized input, but the combination of the Liaison and Public Information Officers directly drives the development of an IAP that addresses external coordination and public information requirements.