Why assigning a Deputy during a major incident helps the Incident Commander focus on decision-making

Outline (skeleton)

• Hook: A real-world outage scene and the moment when a Deputy steps in.

• Section 1: What a Deputy does during a major incident (clear roles: Incident Commander vs Deputy).

• Section 2: Why letting the Incident Commander concentrate on decision-making matters.

• Section 3: What the Deputy handles on the ground (tactics, teams, updates).

• Section 4: A few relatable analogies (orchestra conductor, fire chief, air traffic control) to make the division obvious.

• Section 5: How to set up and rotate a Deputy role without chaos.

• Section 6: Common pitfalls and light, practical fixes.

• Quick-start tips and a compact checklist.

• Wrap-up: the bigger payoff—faster decisions, calmer response, fewer regrets.

The Deputy: the unsung co-pilot of incident response

Imagine a broad outage—customers calling, dashboards flickering, and a room full of people trying to decide what to do first. The heat is on, time is tight, and every decision carries weight. In that moment, the Incident Commander doesn’t need more noise; they need clarity. Enter the Deputy: the calm, organized counterpart who takes the operational load off the commander’s shoulders so strategic decisions can take center stage.

What exactly does a Deputy do during a major incident?

Think of the Incident Commander as the strategist in the room—the person who weighs risk, sets priorities, and guides the overall arc of the response. The Deputy is the doer who translates those priorities into action.

• The Deputy manages tactical execution: they assign tasks, track what’s being done, and ensure action items don’t slip through the gaps.

• They handle coordination across teams: SREs, developers, network folks, and ops—making sure everyone knows who does what and by when.

• They communicate updates to the broader audience: stakeholders, on-call teams, and anyone who needs a heads-up about progress or blockers.

• They maintain the incident timeline: jotting down what happened when, what’s fixed, what’s still failing, and what the next milestones are.

In short, the Deputy keeps the wheels turning while the Incident Commander stays focused on the map—the big picture, the decisions, the trade-offs.

Why the Incident Commander benefits from staying focused on decision-making

Let’s be honest: decision-making under pressure is hard. You don’t want the person steering the ship to be alphabet-soup busy writing status emails or chasing minor blockers. Here’s why the focus matters:

• Faster, better decisions: When the Commander isn’t bogged down by tiny tasks, they can weigh risks, consider alternatives, and choose the path that minimizes impact. It’s not about being decisive in a vacuum; it’s about making informed calls quickly.

• Clearer strategy and priorities: A calm, deliberate head can set the incident’s priorities—restore service first, minimize customer impact, then fix root causes. This clarity guides every other action.

• Better stakeholder communication: The Deputy can shoulder the bulk of routine updates and only escalate critical changes. That prevents the Commander from getting pulled into a thousand micro-updates during the heat of the moment.

• Improved morale and trust: Teams function better when there’s a trusted structure. A Deputy who keeps the gears turning gives everyone else confidence that the response is organized and moving forward.

What the Deputy actually handles on the ground

To keep the Commander free for high-level decisions, the Deputy takes on the hands-on work. Here’s what that looks like day-to-day:

• Coordination across groups: The Deputy ensures teams know their priorities, dependencies are surfaced, and handoffs are clean.

• Action-item management: They own the incident action plan (IAP) or equivalent, track who is responsible for each task, and follow up on overdue items.

• Status communication: Regular, concise updates to the wider team, and to external stakeholders if needed, without drowning the Commander in chatter.

• Resource allocation: If a team needs more people, the Deputy flags it and reallocates quickly.

• Incident documentation: They keep a running log of events, decisions, and outcomes so the post-incident review is grounded in reality.

• Safety and risk checks: The Deputy can call a quick risk reassessment if new information changes the picture.

All of this happens in a way that keeps the big picture intact. It’s a rhythm, not a scramble.

Relatable analogies: why this split works

• Orchestra conductor and section leaders: The conductor doesn’t play every instrument, but they cue the trombones and violins at the right moments. The Deputy is that cue. They keep tempo, coordinate entrances, and ensure the performance stays cohesive.

• Fire chief with a deputy: The chief prioritizes strategy and safety, while the deputy manages door-to-door communication, hydrant checks, and crews’ tasks. The outcome is rapid containment with less fatigue at the top.

• Air traffic control and ground crews: The controller keeps the flight plan aligned with safety margins, while ground crews handle loading, fueling, and maintenance details. The result? Fewer miscommunications and quicker landings.

How to set up a Deputy role without chaos

Organizations often stumble when they try to force a Deputy role into a chaotic situation. Here’s how to do it smoothly:

• Define a clear boundary: The Incident Commander makes strategic calls; the Deputy handles tactical execution and coordination. It’s a simple but crucial division.

• Pick the right person, not the loudest voice: The Deputy should be calm under pressure, comfortable with logistics, and skilled at cross-team communication.

• Empower with decision rights on operational matters: The Deputy should be trusted to assign tasks, escalate blockers, and adjust the action plan within predefined limits.

• Establish a quick handoff protocol: If the Commander needs to step away, the Deputy should “hold the line” and maintain continuity. Predefine who steps in as secondary authority if needed.

• Use a shared toolset to keep tempo: PagerDuty can be the backbone for incident coordination, while Slack or Teams carries the ongoing chatter. A clear incident timeline helps everyone stay aligned.

• Practice through tabletop exercises: Run rehearsals with a mock incident, so the Deputy and Commander grow comfy with the rhythm before the real thing hits.

Common pitfalls—and simple fixes

• Pitfall: The Deputy ends up micromanaging. Fix: Set clear boundaries and emphasize outcomes, not micro-trompting. The Deputy should assign, not overcheck.

• Pitfall: Too many deputies. Fix: Keep it to one Deputy per major incident; add a second if the scope truly demands it, but keep a clear chain-of-command.

• Pitfall: Poor handoffs. Fix: Create a short, standardized update format and a quick weekly practice for how to pass the baton.

• Pitfall: Communication bottlenecks. Fix: Use two channels—one for internal status, one for external updates—and keep the Commander’s focus on decisions.

A short, practical checklist to get started

• Identify a suitable Deputy for each on-call rotation.

• Draft a one-paragraph role description: what the Commander handles vs what the Deputy does.

• Agree on decision-making boundaries for operational tasks.

• Establish a reliable incident timeline and a simple IAP template.

• Test the setup in a controlled drill, then refine.

• Keep the communication lines clean and concise during an incident.

A few quick tips for real-world use

• Let the Deputy own the “what’s next” updates, so the Commander can weigh options and push forward confidently.

• Build a culture where the Deputy isn’t seen as “second fiddle” but as a critical force multiplier.

• Use visual aids—timeline boards, dashboards, or a shared incident sheet—to reduce cognitive load and keep everyone on the same page.

• After the dust settles, run a lean post-incident review that pinpoints what went well and what could be improved, especially around roles and handoffs.

The bigger payoff

Assigning a Deputy during a major incident isn’t about adding bureaucracy; it’s about creating a sharper division of labor where each role plays to its strengths. The Incident Commander preserves the mental bandwidth needed for strategic choices, risk assessments, and communications with leadership. The Deputy ensures the ground game moves quickly, consistently, and with less friction. The result? A swifter path to service restoration, fewer missed updates, and a team that feels supported rather than stretched thin.

If you’re staring at a runbook about incident response, or you’re just part of a team trying to tighten its game, remember this: the Deputy isn’t just a backup. They’re a crucial lever that lets the whole operation function with steadiness and purpose. And when the pressure ramps up, that calm, decisive collaboration can be the difference between a near-miss and a clean recovery.

In the end, the buy-in is simple: empower the Deputy to shepherd the operational tempo, give the Incident Commander the space to decide, and watch the incident-response machine run more smoothly. It’s not magic; it’s a well-timed partnership that keeps customers informed, systems safe, and teams confident under pressure. And that, more than anything, is what good incident response looks like in practice.