Management of Incident Management Teams

1. Management of Incident Management Teams Gregory Greenhoe Western Star Emergency Management Services Thayne, Wyoming

2. Introduction • ICS Qualifications • Response Experience • IMT and Position Specific Training

3. Outline • History of Incident Management Teams • Move to All Hazard • Benefits of an IMT • Keys to Success • Command or Assist? • Challenges

4. History of the IMT • Evolved after WWII • Mostly centered around Wildland Fire • Teams became formalized in the late 50’s & early 60’s • Formalized National IMT’s first organized in the late 60’s with geographic management • First All-Hazard assignments occurred in the late 80’s and early 90’s, mostly centered around hurricane response • 2000 and beyond the Type III IMT program

5. Benefits of a Organized IMT • Pre-established positions • Team members know one another in advance • Roles and Responsibilities of individuals known • Open formal and informal communication within the team • Pre-established IMT procedures • Incident within-an-incident • Rapid response of a pre-established and experienced organization

6. Benefits of a Organized IMT Tuckman Model of Group Development

7. Keys to Success in IMT Mgt. • Open participation with many agencies in a determined geographic area, including federal, state and local agencies • Include organizations such at Public Health and Public Works • Establish a Steering Committee with representation from all of the partner agencies • Draft a team management plan including financial direction, cost sharing and team rotations • Utilize an open application period for responders to apply for team membership

8. Keys to Success in IMT Mgt. • Select qualified individuals, the best people and the best skills • Select Incident Commanders first and use the IC’s to assist in selecting their teams • Control the geographic area to balance response time to the need for IMT response • Establish a culture of assistance not control • Good teams build relationships with communities • Utilize Deputy IC’s on teams to manage internal and external relationships

9. Keys to Success in IMT Mgt. • Utilize trainees, shadowing and mentoring • Have teams establish “go-kits” to be prepared to operate with minimal support for 24 to 36 hours • Establish Team Operating Plans And most important: Use the Teams! • Deploy teams for events and activities • Not utilizing teams will lead to a loss of interest • Look for ways to allow teams to shadow other teams

10. Keys to Success in IMT Mgt. • Conduct close-out and performance evaluations of teams after each incident or event • Give the team feedback on their performance

11. Command or Assist • Many areas are establishing teams to Assist local entities vs. taking command with a Delegation of Authority • Give jurisdictional agencies a choice, remind them they are bringing on an IMT under their employment • Delegation of Authority is critical

12. When to Deploy an IMT • Any community event • An incident expected to last more than one operational period • An incident that will have both a response and recovery phase • An incident that has a significant probability of expanding • Don’t delay the decision!

13. Challenges • Barriers to Interagency Cooperation • Agencies not wanting to lose “control” to an IMT • Ordering teams to late into the incident • Not recognizing what a team can do for the community • Establishing teams within functional stovepipes; i.e. a Fire IMT, LE IMT, etc. • Not using teams

14. Questions? Contact: Greg Greenhoe Western Star Emergency Management Services Thayne, WY 406-546-5425 greg.greenhoe@gmail.com