FEMA Trains San Diego Region Incident Management Team in Preparation for Disasters

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) delivered Incident Management training this week for the San Diego region’s newly formed all-hazards incident management team (IMT). The All-Hazards Incident Management Team training is part of a technical assistance program developed by the National Fire Programs Division of FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

“The goal of the IMT technical assistance program is to develop state and regional teams to function under the National Incident Management System during a large incident or a major event,” said Michael Brown, under secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. “This training is important for those state, regional, and local-level emergency response leaders who will support local incident management at major or complex emergencies and disasters, and who will interface with Federal resources responding to support those operations.”

San Diego’s IMT is comprised of incident management personnel from throughout the region. The team’s role is to support local jurisdictions and/or response agencies in managing large or complex emergency incidents or events, or to support California state response agencies during multiple major emergencies occurring simultaneously.

The team will provide support in such areas as operations, planning, resource and administration. The team may also be involved in the preparedness planning for major mass gathering or national security events in the region.

The customized All-Hazards IMT course includes numerous exercises and simulations for team members. The training was to conclude with a capstone exercise, designed to immerse the IMT members into a simulated incident they could actually face in the future.

In the months following the seven-day course, the IMT members will receive position-specific training for the individual functions they will perform at an incident, and will work with seasoned incident management personnel at major national incidents (such as wildland fires or other disasters) to gain hands-on experience.

For more information about USFA’s All-Hazards IMT Technical Assistance Program, visit the Web site or contact the program office at FEMA-AHIMT@dhs.gov or (301) 447-7888.