Who is primarily responsible for ensuring exit doors and slides are ready during an evacuation?

• A. The lead cabin attendant.
• B. The flight engineer.
• C. A passenger volunteer.
• D. The purser.

Answer: (A)

During an evacuation, the lead cabin attendant directs the cabin crew and is responsible for making sure each exit is ready. This includes verifying doors are properly secured, ensuring the appropriate slide is armed or disarmed as required, and confirming that crew at each exit know their duties and the exit path is clear for passengers to move quickly and safely. The flight engineer handles aircraft systems, not cabin exit readiness, and a passenger volunteer has no authority to manage safety-critical procedures. The purser is a senior crew member who may oversee service and overall cabin coordination, but the person in charge of exit readiness and evacuation actions is the lead cabin attendant.