O-305 | AHIMT

USFA Type 3 Incident Management Team (AHIMT O-305)

The overall goal of USFA's Incident Management Team (IMT) program is to develop state and regional IMTs to function under the National Incident Management System (NIMS) during a large and/or complex incident or a major event. This course is designed for those who are assigned to function in a Type 3 IMT during a large/complex incident, typically extending into the second operational period. The Type 3 IMT can either support an existing ICS structure, or can assume command of an incident if requested to do so. The Type 3 IMT can ease the transition to a Type 2 or Type 1 IMT for incidents of national significance.

The Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) course consists of five days of team-specific training designed to prepare its members to better serve their local communities with the capability to manage large scale or complex emergency incidents. The course consists of interactive lessons and exercises covering training in accordance with FEMA’s NIMS National Integration Center, and USFA Emergency Response Support Branch, revised in 2012 with topics such as:

• Introduction to IMT Training Foundation
• Command and General Staff functions
• Incident Management Team dynamics
• Unified Command and Major Incident Management
• Deployment Factors
• Transfer of Command and Integration with Local Jurisdiction
• Coordination of Onsite Resources
• Planning Processes and Documentation
• Demobilization 
• Simulated On-Scene IMT Operations

Students attending the course represent many different incident management disciplines including fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, public works, public health and industry.

Course Agenda:

Day 1: Course Overview and Introduction
Day 1: Leadership and Team Dynamics
Day 2: Introduction to an Incident
Day 2: The Planning Cycle (pt. 1)
Day 3: The Planning Cycle (pt. 2)
Day 4: The Planning Cycle (pt. 3)
Day 5: Simulation

This 5-day course serves as a basic introduction to the activities and processes of a USFA Type 3 IMT. The ideal number of participants is between 24 (divided into 4 teams of 8) and 40 (divided into 4 teams of 10). Multiple facilitators are recommended for this course and are referred to as instructors and mentors. The intent is to have students assigned/designated for each of the 8 Command and General Staff positions within an IMT, plus appropriate deputies in Command, Operations Section, and Planning Section. Some students for specific unit positions are also acceptable.

Instructional Cadre:
Due to the duration of the course, it is recommended that multiple course instructors be involved in delivery. A minimum of two instructors is recommended. Instructors may elect to handle individual units or portions of units. The instructor to participant ratio for this unit should be two instructors to 40 participants. It is recommended that at least one mentor be available for every student team (usually four teams). In some cases, it may be possible for instructors to also serve as mentors.

Target Audience:
This course is intended to be taught at a basic level. Participants in this course should include emergency response personnel, such as fire protection and law enforcement personnel, emergency medical services (EMS) responders, Department of Public Works, Department of Public Health, Emergency Management, Mass Care, Non-Governmental agencies, and members of various community and tribal groups offering critical emergency response services.