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Seminole first responders, employees complete FEMA training

Tribal employees learn about using the Advanced Incident Command System for complex incidents in the Big Cypress public safety building Sept. 12 and work together in small groups to devise plans for various scenarios. (Beverly Bidney)

BIG CYPRESS — The Office of Emergency Management has been holding Federal Emergency Management Agency courses on the importance of emergency management during incidents and events. An advanced course was given September 12 and 13 at the Big Cypress public safety building.

The course, Advanced Incident Command System (ICS) for Complex Incidents, was for participants who previously took more basic training classes. The course covered the details of implementing ICS and was geared toward those who are expected to perform in a management capacity during an event. It is the highest level training in complex incidents- the first response aspect of them.

ICS is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazard incident management concept. The purpose is to provide a common hierarchy and structure for managing incidents efficiently and effectively.

Twelve participants from the fire rescue department, police department and the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum learned what it takes to manage incidents of various intensities by staying organized; all had previously taken lower-level courses on ICS.

“The course is about organizing and scalable training for any incidents from a one-car accident to a kids party to a 9/11 type disaster,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Jonathan Urtecho. “We will be thinking through what we need to control chaos. We can use ICS for any event.”

The class took a 30-minute pre-test to gauge their knowledge of the objective, structure, context and organization of ICS. Urtecho, who led the class, told them to do their realistic best. They were given a final test at the end of the two-day course.

During the course, students were given scenarios and applied FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) doctrine concepts to determine the management of a complex incident or event. For each scenario they also developed a command organization and identified management issues that can result from lack of multiagency coordination.

During the course, the students learned different types of agencies and their policies, guidelines and agreements that influence incident management; issues that influence incident complexity and the tools available to analyze complexity; the process for transfer of command; and the primary guidelines and responsibilities of the command and general staff positions.

“Planning is the key to ICS. We want to know everything that will or can happen,” Urtecho said. “The more we use it and think that way, the more comfortable we will be with it and the easier it will be to use it when it is needed for complex incidents, even in multiple locations.”

Beverly Bidney
Beverly Bidney has been a reporter and photographer for The Seminole Tribune since 2012. During her career, she has worked at various newspapers around the country including the Muskogee Phoenix in Oklahoma, Miami Herald, Associated Press, USA Today and other publications nationwide. A NAJA award winning journalist, she has covered just about everything over the years and is an advocate for a strong press. Contact her at beverlybidney@semtribe.com.
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