What is the chain of command for Rescue 21?

• A. OUC, SUC, CU
• B. CU, SUC, OUC
• C. SUC, OUC, CU
• D. OUC, CU, SUC

Answer: (A)

In Rescue 21, the flow of authority follows a top-down chain: the person with overall responsibility for the operation sets the mission and allocates resources, then the coordinating unit plans and synchronizes efforts, and finally the unit that handles the actual execution carries out the tasks and reports results back. The Operational Unit Commander oversees the entire operation and issues the directive. The Sector Unit Coordinator takes that directive, coordinates among units, and translates it into actionable steps. The Communications Unit implements those steps on the ground, handling the radio and data tasks needed to carry out the mission. This structure keeps clear lines of authority, ensures proper planning and safety oversight, and assigns execution to the unit equipped to perform it.

Other sequences would place an execution or coordination role ahead of the coordinating authority, which would blur responsibility and disrupt the established command flow.