I would agree that there might be some non-wildland fire elements on a wildland fire. Sure, evacuation and repopulation is a common theme. There might be a hint of donation management, or even Points Of Distribution (PODs). But PODs are not Commodity Distribution, and short term evacuation usually doesn’t include dealing with Family Assistance Centers and Family Reunification Centers, or if they do it’s because they can rely on the AHJs EOC to implement those plans and you just refer folks to them. This type of an incident is different. The EOC is completely overloaded and it will probably be up to the IMT to pull the plan off the shelf (if they have one) update it, if needed, and then implement it – while the increasingly impatient and understandably irritated victims are waiting for you to “do something.” The situation can be exacerbated by AAs and AHJs who are not up to speed (I did not say that is true in this example) on all the plans policies and procedures necessary for effective management of a disaster.
Yup - very true and I forgot to mention that.
EMAC, That is a whole other subject area that most wildland fire teams have not had to experience or deal with…
"It is important that Type 3 AHIMTs understand how the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) process works in the event the deployment is in response to an EMAC request.
EMAC is a State-to-State sharing of resources, including AHIMTs. Coordinating requests and providing resources between two States is primarily, if not exclusively, accomplished at the State level, usually performed by the requesting State’s State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).
- an EMAC broadcast is a request that is simultaneously sent to multiple States for consideration. This might reresult in multiple responses from those States
- The EMAC process should include negotiations between the requestor and receiver
- Often times the cost estimate of the AHIMT is a major driving factor
It is essential that the AHIMT leadership and members understand this arrangement because in most instances, the requesting State or their designee (EMAC A-Team representative) will not have an adequate “on the ground” perspective of the situation your AHIMT will face. It is even possible that the primary individual(s) with whom the IC or the AHIMT may be interfacing for an EMAC assignment in a State EOC does not or do not know or understand what an AHIMT is or why the AHIMT feels the need to speak with someone in authority at the incident level or location where the AHIMT is coming to assist and work. This is very different from a wildfire deployment, where the ICT3 negotiates directly with the Agency Administrator who has requested an IMT/AHIMT.
There are many examples of AHIMTs being deployed through EMAC on National-level incidents in which the assignment, location, situation, etc., the AHIMT was given at the time of request and/or deployment turned out to be completely different than what they were told on arrival.
Once the AHIMT is informed of the actual or intended assignment for the team, it is critical that the ICT3 or leadership of the AHIMT request to speak with the AA, or at the very least with someone in a position of authority at the incident level.
During major/complex incidents in which an AHIMT is being requested for a National Tier assignment, most jurisdictions, including at the State level, are overwhelmed, or have never before experienced an incident of this scope and magnitude. Individuals who are coordinating the request for your AHIMT typically have several other active resource orders they are working on, so the ICT3 or leadership of the AHIMT needs to establish a good relationship with these individuals or entities so the ICT3 can obtain the contact information for the AA or their representative. The ICT3 may need to communicate, firmly but professionally, the importance of being able to speak with someone at the local incident level where the AHIMT is being assigned.
In most cases all of the items you listed are handled by NGO’s or at the state level or federal level with regard to POD"s or the long termed recovery. CF deployed a team to assist the team who was doing debris removal in 2017… in establishing a process.
Usually we backslide into the recovery process and when it comes time for the team to leave the AHJ is reluctant to have them go. CF teams have been deployed to multiple non fire incidents in both IMT form and IMAT form. One of them even built a road…
Haha! That just means you are doing a great job! I’ll keep my post short since I don’t want to stray from the actual Lahaina topic, but the AHJ not wanting the AHIMT to leave is not something you usually see in a wildland fire - because there is a specific end point - when you are done you are done. In a recovery deployment they’ll keep you as long as they can because like Lahaina, this will continue years down the road and the AHJ would love to have a great team to help them through it.
Saw a similar article here:
In Lahaina it will probably be different. It’s why I included "This type of an incident is different. The EOC is completely overloaded and it will probably be up to the IMT to pull the plan off the shelf (if they have one) update it, if needed, and then implement it" That is the test of a good team. When we did the R-5 IMT training in the Big Island we quickly learned what finite meant. In Lahaina it would be the same - finite comes more quickly that you really anticipated. In the Federal world, the whole reason for the SRT program is because even the FEMA IMATs are seeing burnout and learning what finite means. So they are looking for assistance from the Type 3 AHIMTs with a National Tier designation.
Why did this become a “discussion” about what agency has a better IMT? Just curious. Seems irrelevant to the subject.
Everyone: Let’s please migrate this back to the topic at hand, which is the Maui recovery effort. If we need a separate discussion surrounding the roles of IMT’s in differing missions we can certainly do that, but this thread needs to be constrained to specifics about the Maui incident. Thank you for everyone’s posting and information, which I find very informative, but let’s not hijack this thread into something other than the Maui recovery efforts.
I’m sorry about the impression it is about an agency. It wasn’t and isn’t intended to be that way. It is about the Lahaina disaster and the request for a team. It has morphed and I’ll refrain further. However, this isn’t about CalFire. They are only one of the agencies, or AHJs who has All-Hazards teams. Many states have them and dozens of AHJs across the country sponsor them. I’ll leave it at that and like you asked - let’s get back to Lahaina. If we want or need, it could be moved over to the IMT versus AHIMT discussion.
Can everyone stop with the this team or that team. If is not about the Incident is doesn’t belong here at this time
I felt the information was germane to the topic… no preferences… just facts about the challenges facing all the IMT’s that will be dealing with the recovery efforts.
Last time I was on Maui, there was no other industry except for tourism. While I totally understand the messaging and importance of staying out of Lahaina, I don’t see the long-term wisdom in closing the island and choking off the only way that most people there are earning a living.
The Old Fire started in Waterman Canyon above San Bernardino and was determined to be an arson set fire.
Mods please move the IMT discussion to a separate thread. Second the governor ask that people please come to Maui ( except the west shore ) because the locals need tourism to support the economy
He made NO SUCH INFERENCE!
I’m sorry, but opened this Q&A for help on info for the people in this terrible tragedy, not most of the last few days worth of information/comments. Yes, the island needs tourism. My family member’s livelihood is based on that very industry. However, THAT IS NOT WHAT HE AND THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS LIVING HELL ARE WORRIED ABOUT!!!
They are worried about their friends, loved ones, coworkers who are either missing, burned out of their homes or worse and are just in need of ANY HELP.
Please let’s just try to keep them I our thoughts and prayers. All the other stuff will be of concern later.
Thank you
We hear you. Any way we can to get help to the people.
Sometimes stuff gets muddied up on here, but it gets sorted out. No disrespect to residents of Maui intended, everybody only wants what helps you. My heart is out to you all.
A lot of you have been through somethings like this on a personal and professional level and can offer that experience you have whether you are going there or not. No matter what teams go the only thing that matters is if the needs of the community are being properly met.
Heres some of the local volunteers putting on a hula dance.
No news from me, just personal experience, this is a tough one for anyone who visited there or live on the islands. No need to point fingers, nature has tremendous power, more power than us. We’re part of nature, it’s our job to adapt.
Part of our islands’ charm is their remoteness, clean water and beaches. There’s also a wealth gap. Fuel or fire trucks, they’re expensive,. It’s not like California calling Idaho for help, we’re talking big boats.
It will never be the same, history was lost. But maybe they’ll build it back better than ever. One can hope.
It is safe to say that the entire fire community mourns the great loss that the islands are and will continue to endure. And the community is hoping for, many are out there pulling for, a better future for Lahaina, Maui, and Hawai’i.