ABSTRACT
Safety means different things to different people. In Webster's New World Dictionary, the definition for safety is: 'the quality or condition of being safe; freedom from danger, injuiy, or damage; security'. In the fire service, when we think of safety, the first thing that comes to mind is that important component of every command structure and incident action plan. The role of a safety officer in incident command is taken very seriously. In fact, the safety officer wields the power to stop an emergency operation without consulting the incident commander if they deem the conditions or the operation to be unsafe.
