Command and Control Liaison Officers. In addition to the activities identified in Section 2.4, the following also applies. Response operations demand the close cooperation between the Requesting and Assisting Party or Parties to manage and direct response operations by the Parties involved on all levels. Any Party participating in an oil pollution incident response may request that a representative from one of the other Parties participates as a liaison officer to facilitate the flow of information, communicate opinions and wishes, and to support direct communications between the Parties. Parties should designate a liaison officer as soon as is practicable. The liaison officer of the Assisting Party should report directly to the Requesting Party, as appropriate. Generally, the Requesting Party does not need to provide administrative support (i.e. accommodation, meals, etc.) to the Assisting Party’s liaison officer, although it should ensure the officer’s integration into the command and control structure, as indicated in Section 5.1. However, there may be instances where the Requesting Party may assist Assisting Party’s liaison officer with administrative matters (e.g. remote location where accommodations, meals not readily available). The liaison officer should be given access to all necessary communication means such as telephone, e-mail, and facsimile (if necessary), and to a reasonable extent, if available. If Parties affected by the same oil pollution incident choose not to exchange liaison officers, they should, as a rule, exchange daily situation reports.
