Polygon does not use a formal Deputy role
In traditional ICS-based incident response, a Deputy supports the IC by tracking timers, relaying information, and serving as a hot-swap standby. At Polygon, these responsibilities are distributed across the First Responder (scribe/documentation) and the IC fallback chain (another qualified IC who can take over command).
Purpose#
The concept behind the Deputy is still valuable: the IC should not be a single point of failure. During long-running or complex incidents, the IC may need to hand over command due to fatigue, complexity changes, or personal emergencies.
At Polygon, the IC fallback is typically:
- Mudit Gupta — can serve as IC for any product area
- The product-specific backup IC — see Who's On-Call for assignments
Key Responsibilities (Distributed)#
| Traditional Deputy Task | Who Handles It at Polygon |
|---|---|
| Track incident timers | First Responder |
| Alert IC to severity escalations | First Responder / SMEs |
| Page additional responders | First Responder / Internal Liaison |
| Take over command if needed | IC Fallback (see above) |
Training#
If you want to be prepared to serve as an IC fallback, follow the Incident Commander Training. The IC fallback should be as qualified as the primary IC.
Transfer of Command#
See the Transfer of Command section in the IC training guide for the procedure on handing over command.