When should the Incident Commander involve the Liaison Officer?

• A. Only during media outreach.
• B. When coordination with external agencies or jurisdictions is required.
• C. Only after the incident is over.
• D. When the safety officer is unavailable.

Answer: (B)

The Liaison Officer is the designated contact for representatives from outside agencies or jurisdictions, and they should be involved whenever coordination with those external entities is needed. During an incident, external partners—such as neighboring agencies, different government levels, and other organizations—must be integrated into the response to share information, align procedures, and obtain needed resources. Bringing in the Liaison Officer at those moments keeps that interagency coordination organized and effective, without burdening the Incident Commander with constant cross-agency outreach.

Media outreach falls under the Public Information Officer, not the Liaison Officer. The liaison isn’t limited to post‑incident work, and involvement isn’t contingent on the safety officer being unavailable. The key is external coordination during the active incident.