The purpose of unity of command is to ensure unity of effort under

• A. one pre-incident plan for every incident
• B. the prevailing group dynamic
• C. one responsible commander for every objective
• D. decentralized authority

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is unity of command: every person involved in an incident reports to one supervisor, so actions toward a given objective are guided by a single direction. When there are multiple objectives at an incident (fire control, life safety, property conservation, etc.), assigning one responsible commander to each objective keeps decisions coordinated and prevents conflicting instructions. This clear authority speeds decision-making, improves accountability, and helps allocate resources consistently with the objective’s needs. The other options don’t fit because a pre-incident plan, while important for preparedness, isn’t about ongoing command hierarchy; group dynamics describe interpersonal interactions rather than formal command structure; and decentralized authority would create multiple, potentially conflicting leaders rather than a single commander per objective.