What should the outgoing Incident Commander provide to ensure a smooth transition?

The outgoing Incident Commander should provide a Transfer of Command Briefing to ensure a smooth transition. This briefing is a critical process that allows for the transfer of authority and responsibility for the incident from one Incident Commander to another. It typically includes sharing essential information about the current situation, ongoing operations, and specific challenges faced during the incident.

This briefing ensures that the incoming Incident Commander has a complete understanding of the incident’s context, resources in use, and strategic goals, thereby enabling them to effectively continue the management of the incident without loss of continuity. It fosters a clear communication channel between the two commanders and helps maintain operational effectiveness as the command shifts.

While the other options such as an Incident Action Plan, Resource Inventory, and a debriefing report are important aspects of incident management, they do not specifically address the need for effective command transition in the same way that a Transfer of Command Briefing does. An Incident Action Plan provides current strategies for managing the incident, a Resource Inventory lists available resources, and a debriefing report reviews what happened after an incident. However, none of these documents alone directly facilitate the transfer of authority and the successful onboarding of the new commander as comprehensively as a formal Transfer of Command Briefing.