Which concept addresses assignment of personnel under a single supervisor?

• A. Unity of Command
• B. Span of Control
• C. Mutual Aid
• D. Redundancy

Answer: (A)

Unity of Command means that each person reports to one and only one supervisor. This arrangement prevents conflicting directions, makes responsibilities clear, and ensures messages and decisions run through a single, consistent channel. In practice, a single supervisor assigns tasks, tracks progress, and makes priorities known, which keeps the incident organized and reduces confusion. This idea is distinct from span of control, which looks at how many direct reports a supervisor can manage effectively, and from Mutual Aid or Redundancy, which concern resource sharing and backup rather than reporting lines. For example, when a team receives orders from one supervisor, there’s no mix of conflicting instructions, helping everyone stay aligned and accountable.