Incident Management Team Development

Incident Management Team (IMT) development is designed to meet the needs of the IMT and provide opportunities for application of IMT skills at the appropriate level (Local IMT - local/regional incidents, Type 3 IMT - state/regional incidents). As of September 2008, this professional development includes:

Professional development for Type 3 IMTs is part of USFA's Type 3 IMT Technical Assistance Program, available to States, Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) regions, metropolitan regions, and other areas with a high potential for incidents of national consequence or national special security events.

Training for Local IMTs is available through State fire training agencies.

Incident Command System/Incident Management Team Training Flowchart

Team Development

An important part of the IMT program is team development. This is where the members of an IMT work as a team, and learn the knowledge and skills needed to perform effectively in a learning environment under stressful, dynamic conditions. Team decision-making is a critical aspect of effective IMTs, and this skill must be developed by the team as a whole in an exercise/activity environment so that it can be applied appropriately during an emergency.

Team development for Type 3 IMTs is provided as part of the Type 3 IMT Technical Assistance Program. The six-day offering, All-Hazard IMT (O305), covers information related to major/complex incidents at the regional or state level, involving local, mutual aid, regional, state, and national resources. It also includes information on national mobilization.

ICS Position-Specific Professional Development

USFA, under the direction of the NIMS/Incident Management System Integration Division, along with NWCG, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Environmental Protection Agency, has developed ICS Type 3 position specific professional development opportunities. The performance-based position-specific development consists of thirteen classroom-based courses:

Delivery of position specific courses will be in coordination with FEMA Regional NIMS Coordinators.

Field Mentoring

Formerly called "shadowing," field mentoring is an important part of the development of Type 3 IMT members. Field mentoring consists of Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) members deployed to an incident where they will be mentored by an experienced Type 1 or Type 2 IMT. This allows the Type 3 IMT member to become actively involved in or monitor the functions, tasks, and responsibilities of the position they will be performing on their Type 3 IMT. Field mentoring provides Type 3 IMT members with hands-on experience through meaningful tasks and assignments enhancing knowledge of their position - to learn first-hand about IMT operations during major emergencies/incidents. Type 3 IMT members may have some tasks reviewed and signed off in their position task books (PTB) during these assignments. Assignments are intended to be both personal and professional development opportunities. NOTE: due to a limited number of appropriate incidents, field mentoring is only available for Type 3 IMTs developed under USFA's Type 3 IMT Technical Assistance Program.

The following rotational schedule is for established Type 3 Incident Management Teams who are available for field mentoring opportunities. Established teams are those who have participated in Phase I of the AHIMT Technical Assistance program and have stood up a team. They have provided USFA with:

  1. A letter/e-mail authorizing the team to deploy for field mentoring. Remember travel and expenses are the responsibility of the team, not USFA.
  2. Complete team list (including individual contact information) with their ICS position designation, documentation that they have completed the AHIMT course, and any position specific class (USFA or NWCG).
  3. Point of contact information for the team leader (24/7), including cell/home/office phone numbers, PDA, and e-mail.

The rotational schedule is provided to give everyone an opportunity to maintain a mission-ready status. Teams should plan on a five day deployment with travel on either end for a total of seven days. If you do not have a Go-Bag checklist, USFA can provide a "sample." Additional information is available in the AHIMT Technical Assistance Program Team Manual.

Position Task Books

USFA, in cooperation with the NIMS/Incident Management System Integration Division and NWCG, has developed position task books for Type 3 IMT members and others who may serve in those ICS roles. Similar in concept to position task books used by NWCG, the all-hazard task books are based on ICS position competencies and behaviors identified by NWCG and USFA for NIMS/IMSID.

Certification based on the task books will be done by the State or other appropriate entity.

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