WSEMA

Long time WSEMA member, John Unfred has been a member of the Pierce County All Hazard IMT since 2006 and served as a Planning Section Chief before becoming one of the Incident Commanders. He has deployed to wildfires in Okanogan County (2014 & 2015), the SR-530 Landslide (2014), Amtrak derailment in DuPont (2017), several different areas for Covid, as well as North Carolina for Hurricanes Florence (2018) and Helene (2024). He has also had the honor of helping plan 16 Line of Duty Death (LODD) memorials. According to John, being a member of an IMT has given him some of the most rewarding, yet challenging, experiences of his career. John’s recommendations and process for becoming an IMT member are detailed below.

One of the strengths of All Hazards IMTs is their interoperability. Because they are trained to handle a wide range of incidents, they can quickly adapt to the needs of different kinds of disasters and work seamlessly with various stakeholders. While they have been around for decades, there has been a growing interest in Incident Management Teams (IMT) lately. Hopefully, this information gives you a better idea of how you can become qualified as an IMT member. The first requirement is to join an IMT. Today, there are a wide range of IMTs in the state. These range from pure wildland fire only teams, to all-hazard teams, and “industry specific” teams such as for public health, private sector or utilities.

There are two basic pathways to becoming qualified in an ICS position on IMT: NWCG (wildland fire) or All Hazards. The NWCG pathway is very difficult if you are not a wildland firefighter as there are some specific firefighting related requirements. All Hazards, however, does not have discipline specific requirements and has recently become a valid pathway in WA, now that State EMD and the Washington IMT Coalition have adopted the “Washington State Incident Management Qualification Program” (WIMQP). In this system, to be fully qualified, you need to 1) complete the mandatory training for your ICS position, 2) complete your Position Task Book (PTB), and then 3) submit all of your documentation to the State Peer Review Committee. Let’s take a look at these three steps:

Step One: Complete the Mandatory and Position Specific training for your position:

Training for your ICS Position:

• FEMA Position Specific Course for your ICS position
• For example: E/L 950: NIMS ICS All-Hazards Incident Commander

Step Two: The WIMQP uses Position Task Books for each ICS position on the IMT.

A PTB is a list of specific skills or abilities that must be demonstrated and observed by a qualified Evaluator. The tasks in a PTB can be demonstrated during exercises and pre-planned events but must include at least one emergent incident. The PTBs and WIMQP Guide are located on the EMD’s website, located at: https://mil.wa.gov/credentialing-program.

Position Task Book Steps:

1. Complete the Position Specific and Mandatory Training
2. Open a PTB. This is done by printing off the book from the EMD website above and then having your Training Officer or Agency head sign on the front page of your PTB.
3. Start attending incidents and getting qualified people to sign off on tasks.
4. Once all tasks have been signed off, the “Final Evaluator” should indicate that your PTB is complete.
5. Then, your Agency Head should sign off as the “Certifying Official”
6. Your PTB is complete.

Step Three: Now it’s time for the final step, the Peer Review.

This is done by submitting all of the documentation showing you have completed this process to the State Peer Review Committee. This is a group of qualified All-Hazard Incident Commanders who independently review all of your materials and ensure that you have completed all of the requirements, according to the WIMQP. This generally consists of:

• A cover letter
• Your completed PTB
• Copies of your relevant training certificates
• Incident Performance Evaluations (ICS 225)
• Copies of Incident Action Plans showing that you were assigned in the position you’re applying for

One option to gain experience and get your PTB signed off, is to go out and “Shadow” or fill a “Trainee” slot with a team during a deployment. In a ‘Shadow’ assignment, you pay your own way (salary, travel, housing) and get to observe a qualified person. You usually get to perform at least some duties as allowed. A ‘Trainee’ assignment means a team puts you on their roster and you perform the full duties under the supervision of a qualified person. Generally, these assignments are fully reimbursed.

Navigating this process can take several years within the All-Hazard realm. I remained proactive by seeking deployment opportunities and maintaining my focus on achieving my PTB. Persistence and motivation are key and there are lots of people who are eager to support your journey. Along the way, you’ll acquire invaluable experience, collaborate with exceptional colleagues, and find deep fulfillment in your work.

Overall, All Hazards IMTs provide a crucial capability to manage large-scale, complex emergencies and ensure that the appropriate resources, expertise, and coordination are in place to effectively respond to any type of incident.

Feel free to reach out to John if you have any questions, junfred@ahimta.org or on LinkedIn

John Unfred, Type 3 IMT Incident Commander