Incident Management and
Area Command Teams
Overview:
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) are the national standard for management of emergencies and disasters. Due to their expertise in this arena, the interagency wildland fire Type 1 and 2 Interagency Incident Management Teams (IMTs) and Area Command Teams (ACTs) have become important resources in high demand for NRF mission assignments. Due to the limited number of teams, decisions on team deployment and commitment for all hazard assignments must be made with the full understanding of the competing need to maintain capability to respond to wildland fire incidents. This requires careful consideration and negotiation of the assignments to maximize the highest and best use of these resources. Alternatives to commitment of the established Type 1 and 2 IMTs should be considered. Individuals or groups of Logistics or Planning section personnel, or contracted resources, are alternatives available to meet taskings or mission assignments.
IMTs and Area Command Teams are activated in response to a Mission Assignment (MA) from FEMA and or other National Response Framework partners through the Emergency Support Function (ESF) system. The interagency wildland fire management agencies are represented through ESF4, commonly one of the first ESFs activated when FEMA calls for NRF partners to assemble in preparation or response to an emergency and/or disaster. The Forest Service is the lead agency representing the wildland fire management agencies and coordinating staffing of the ESF4 function at FEMA Regional, National, and/or state locations.
When ESF4 receives a Mission Assignment (MA) to provide assistance, IMTs and/or ACTs may be identified as part of the specific request. Typical requests for assistance are for establishing and managing logistical centers such as Incident Support Bases (formerly NLSA's or OSA's), Base Camps for emergency responders, and supporting local government in opening roads or helping with the distribution of emergency commodities.
In the Southern Area, ESF4 representatives report to the Regional Emergency Operations Specialist/Regional ESF4 Coordinator, and maintain close communication as MAs are generated. Resource orders for IMTs or Area Command Teams are placed through the ROSS system and regular coordination channels once the ESF4 representative and the Regional Emergency Operations Specialist/Regional ESF4 Coordinator have concurred and negotiated the appropriate level of expertise required to meet the need identified in the Mission Assignment. Team orders are filled under the same guidelines as the geographic and national rotation for wildland fire assignments.
IMTs or Area Command Teams may be mobilized for immediate placement on an assignment or pre-positioned for placement pending an anticipated disaster. Teams typically are mobilized through Atlanta due to the efficiency of the Marietta Mobilization Center, located at Marietta, GA, which assists teams in procuring vehicles and the supplies and equipment typically needed for an all hazard assignment in the Southern Area.
Marietta Mobilization Center also serves as a briefing center where teams can receive the latest information on their specific assignment and general conditions in the Southern Area. Teams can expect a formal in-briefing, situational update and a delegation of authority to cover the agency expectations and mission assignment information. Teams will report to and be assigned a liaison from R8 Operations unless an Area Command Team has been assigned as the representative for AHRO Operations. In this case the in-briefing, delegation of authority, and ongoing coordination of IMTs will be provided by the Area Command Team. All of these activities will be done in coordination with AHRO Operations.
Complexity considerations have been developed for determining appropriate Type IMT response for All Hazard assignments. Historically, however, due to the political nature of many all hazard assignments, the MA may specify Type 1 IMTs exclusively, regardless of complexity analysis. When possible, the Regional Emergency Operations Specialist/Regional ESF4 Coordinator and the lead ESF4 will work with FEMA to discuss the mission requirements and seek to deploy the most appropriate resource to meet the need.
The complexity trigger point for ordering an Area Command Team usually centers around span of control and the number of IMTs within the area. Typically when the number of IMTs exceeds three (3), an Area Command Team is considered to assist with coordination.
Issues and Concerns:
IMTs and Area Command Teams will be challenged in many different ways during all hazard assignments. Many issues result from the fact that teams will be working in a support role, versus the leadership role they typically fill on wildland fire assignments. Also, many emergency responders from a variety of cooperating agencies will be unfamiliar or unpracticed in ICS and NIMS practices and procedures. This combined with the disaster results in lack of information, confusion and unclear chains of command within the emergency response community. This will be frustrating for those accustomed to clarity, and requires proactivity on the part of the team to seek out information, identify key contacts and to provide information to all potentially affected interests. It also provides an opportunity for teams to mentor others in ICS and NIMS processes.
Of course safety is a primary concern with any incident assignment. All hazard assignments require aggressive risk management due to the high risk, high consequence nature of the disaster environment. Specific job hazard analyses have been developed and a chapter of this guide has been dedicated to health, safety and welfare of incident personnel. IMTs and Area Command Teams should become very familiar with this information, including the specifics related to critical incident stress.
Logistics for IMT support, as well as accomplishing the mission, can be particularly challenging in an all hazard assignment. Infrastructure and basic services will most likely be highly impacted or non-existent. Functional facilities will be in extreme demand by all entities who need shelter or are seeking locations for emergency operations. IMTs must use ingenuity and resourcefulness in locating facilities and setting up operations and be prepared to be self sufficient in supporting themselves. IMT's should order a 72 Hour Kit from the cache and take it with them on all Southern Area all hazard incidents.
Transportation to and within the disaster area will be extremely hazardous. IMTs should develop travel plans and contingencies for initial entry into the disaster area. Also, IMTs should develop evacuation plans for immediate implementation if additional events threaten the disaster area requiring the IMT to shelter in place or evacuate for the protection of personnel.
It is important to work closely with partners such as the Corps of Engineers (COE), General Services Administration (GSA) and FEMA as partners in managing Incident Support Bases and Base Camps. Wherever possible, teams should promote unified command to improve communications and coordination.
Teams will be dependent or affected by systems that do not work as effectively as what they are used to within the wildland community. It is important to understand other ordering processes, such as EMAC and FEMA orders, and to realize that resources may be brought in by states without a teams’ knowledge or request. Flexibility in working with and possibly supporting these resources is necessary.
“Hurry up and Wait” can be a concern for IMTs in staging, when decisions are not made immediately concerning team deployments. Teams should understand that conditions following disasters must be assessed to determine areas of greatest need, assignments of greatest value, and assessment of hazards and mitigations. FEMA is in charge of the disaster assessment activity which results in the decisions for team deployment.
Also, teams many times find themselves on assignments where they feel under utilized. Historically teams have had logistical assignments for single locations which results in an IMT not utilizing its full range of functional capability. In these situations, IMTs have made adjustments, changed the make-up of their teams and adapted to the assignments. More recently, through closer negotiation with FEMA, IMTs are being utilized for more diverse assignments of a geographical versus functional nature. This allows use of the full range of a team’s capabilities, including operations, planning, logistics and financial skills.
Incident Business Management will present special challenges during all hazard assignments because expenditures and purchasing are restricted by FEMA. Close coordination with R8 Incident Business Management staff is key to understanding FEMA and local procedures. Also, Interagency Buying Teams will become very important resources in terms of IMT support.
All hazard assignments require patience, understanding, diplomacy, respect and empathy for local authorities and victims. Teams must demonstrate leadership, be problem solvers and initiators who seek out key contacts, value local advice and counsel, determine the issues and make decisions based on their best judgment. There are no challenges in all risk assignments that cannot be overcome by applying our best knowledge, skills and abilities gained through wildland fire management experience.