Which of the following is not a task that the unified command must complete in order to fulfill its objectives?

The concept of unified command is essential in emergency management and involves the collaboration of various agencies to ensure an effective response to incidents. Completing initial response efforts is indeed a significant responsibility of the unified command, as it focuses on the immediate actions necessary to address the emergency situation.

In contrast, long-term recovery planning is not typically part of the immediate objectives that unified command must complete. While long-term recovery is a critical phase of incident management, it usually falls under the purview of different organizations or departments that manage recovery efforts after the immediate response phase has transitioned. The unified command primarily concentrates on the initial and operational phases of disaster response, such as situation assessment and resource coordination, which are critical for managing the incident in real-time.

Thus, the aspect of long-term recovery planning sets it apart as a task that is not usually encompassed within the core objectives of the unified command during the response phase.