When the Safety Officer arrives on the scene, the Incident Commander should:

• A. Ignore the Safety Officer and Proceed
• B. Demote the Safety Officer to a Bystander
• C. Assign the Safety Officer to Manage Logistics
• D. Have the Safety Officer Review the Incident Action Plan

Answer: (D)

When the Safety Officer arrives on scene, the Incident Commander should have the Safety Officer review the Incident Action Plan. This ensures safety considerations are built into every planned action and that risk controls match the planned operations. By reviewing the IAP, the Safety Officer can confirm hazard analyses align with tactics, verify that appropriate PPE, monitoring, and exclusion zones are in place, and spot any new or overlooked risks before continuing. If gaps or changes are found, they can prompt immediate adjustments to protect responders and the public. Ignoring safety oversight or assigning the Safety Officer to logistics would remove essential risk control, which is why reviewing the plan is the correct step.