Who serves as the command's liaison to outside jurisdictions?

• A. The planning director
• B. The agency representative
• C. The staging chief
• D. The liaison officer

Answer: (D)

In this context, coordinating with other agencies and jurisdictions is handled by the liaison officer. This role is part of the command Staff and serves as the official point of contact for representatives from outside agencies, jurisdictions, and organizations that aren’t part of the incident organization. The liaison officer facilitates interagency coordination, shares situation updates, and helps resolve conflicts or resource requests that involve external partners, keeping the command focused on its objectives.

The planning director leads the planning function and develops incident objectives and strategies, which is an internal responsibility. The staging chief manages the movement and assignment of resources to staging areas, a logistical task. The agency representative represents a specific external agency at the incident and may convey that agency’s needs, but the liaison officer is the designated bridge for all external agencies and jurisdictions.