1. Emergency Management Committee:
Go Team

2. What is the IAFC? The mission of the IAFC is to provide
leadership to current and future career,
volunteer, fire-rescue and EMS chiefs, chief fire
officers, company officers and managers of
emergency service organizations throughout the
International community through vision,
information, education, services and
representation to enhance their professionalism
and capabilities.

3. What is the IAFC?
The IAFC is an international group representing Career and Volunteer Fire Chiefs throughout the United States, its territories and the World.
Lead, Educate and Serve
Began in 1873 and is located in the vicinity of Washington, DC(Fairfax County Virginia)

4. IAFC Disaster Response
IAFC’s main role until September 11, 2001 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was supportive
Following Katrina, a Task Force examined the national issues with mutual aid
The EMC was formed as a standing committee
Targeted involvement with state and federal partners

5. IAFC Disaster Response
After 9-11
Communications
Interoperability
Equipment Availability
Change of Scope of Fire Departments
Career Development Paths
Development of Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG)
NIMS Implementation

6. IAFC Disaster Response
Katrina/Rita Aftermath
Mutual Aid Agreements
Cataloging of resources
Use of the Emergency
Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)
Interoperability issues
Certification Standardization
Fire: Credentialing
EMS: National Scope of Practice

7. IAFC National Mutual Aid Program
Development and Implementation of Strategic Plan
Emergency Management Committee
Addressed Intrastate Mutual Aid and State Mutual Aid Plans (IMAS)
Further Emphasized NIMS
Concept of Response Teams

8. Intrastate Mutual Aid System IMAS
Assist the Fire Service in any state, US Territory or Tribe to develop or enhance intrastate mutual aid plans
Funded through DHS-NIMS Integration Center
Technical Advisors are provided
Working to create regional groups

9. Emergency Management Committee
EMC
Established by IAFC in 2006
Address issues of State to State Coordination; FEMA; NIMS; NRP
Oversee and coordinate with IMAS
Implementation of Go-Teams

10. What is the Go Team?
“The IAFC Go Team is comprised of highly skilled and equipped chief officers that will work with peers, allied agencies and elected officials to assist in the coordination and recovery of significant emergencies and/or catastrophic events”

11. Selection of Go Team Members
Application process
Considerations
Diversity
Geographic location to ensure national balance
Type of department; career, volunteer, combination
Prior work with IAFC mutual aid programs
Experience and department history
Activity within the state mutual aid program
Emergency management background

12. Benefits of the Go Team
The Go Team members will act as liaison between the requesting agency and the IAFC for request and/or provision of support services.
There are 42 members across the ten FEMA Regions which allow for an effective means of coordinating resources within a smaller geographic area and interaction between regions.

13. Benefits of the Go Team
By paralleling the FEMA model for response and coordination of the Go Team, this allows for a more timely response and people that may better understand the local needs and concerns.

14. Go Team Members in the FEMA Regions

15. What We Do Team Activation Normal deployment 7-10 days
Each member outfitted for up to a standard 14 day assignment
Relief crews can be deployed if necessary
Typically a 2 person team will be assigned
Multiple teams may be dispatched if the situation requires

16. What We Do Team Versatility Vast experience in areas of:
Staffing and Command
Resource Management
Incident Action Plans
Documentation, NIMS Forms
Public Information
Operations and Finance
EMAC procedures

17. What We Don’t We are not an Incident Management Team (IMT):
We can fill positions of an IMT
We can fill positions in an EOC or MAC
We can assist any special need
We are not an Incident Command Team:
We are to provide support and relief, not take over.

18. How does it work? 18

19. Requesting Assistance

20. Requesting Assistance

21. Requesting Assistance
Who can request assistance?
Local fire chief
State official
Federal official
Affected department
County or state emergency operations centers
Any federal official operating under the National Response framework as part of a local/state disaster response.
*The individual making the request, MUST be in a position of
authority as part of an emergency event.

22. Requesting Assistance
Requests for assistance may be initiated after the event occurs or prior to an anticipated event for pre-staging of Go Team resources.
There is a 24-hour call center that directs calls to the IAFC staff.
A Request For Assistance (RFA) application must be filled out by the requesting individual/agency providing detailed information of the event, the type of help needed, and the number of members needed.
All information will ensure the correct resources are allocated.

23. Requesting Assistance
After assistance has been requested, the IAFC will forward the RFA to the Go Team Coordinator for review and processing.
The FEMA region involved and number of members necessary will be verified by the Coordinator.
Once the team personnel and travel plans have been identified, the Coordinator will provide the information to the requestor and provide an ETA for the team.
Go Team:
Add it to your cell phone contact list

24. Activation Orders Activation orders will include:
Mission or Tasking number
Incident type and location
Contact information for requesting individual/agency
Travel plans, ETA
Directions and/or maps to the staging area or incident command post
Primary mission objectives and special instructions

25. Activation Selection “Closest, most appropriate”
FEMA Region- proximity to event
Availability
If a large scale incident (Hurricane, Tornado) send non-affected members.
Specialized training or experience

26. Local Support Local support is NOT required
Assistance securing local lodging, meals, and local travel is helpful
We arrange our own logistics as needed
We do require a designated POC to provide
Assignments
Check in location
Operational periods
Tell us how we can assist you.

27. Cost to Requestor
ZERO
Associated costs are covered through contract funding from DHS

28. Team Organization
The team members operate under the authority and direct control of the IAFC’s Emergency Management Committee (EMC) and the National Programs Department of the IAFC.
Because team members are from each FEMA region, they may be able to drive directly to the incident in a short period of time. This is helpful if other transportation methods are compromised.

29. Documentation
The Go Team members complete daily logs for each operational period or day of deployment.
The log will document:
Work day hours
Work assignments
Accomplishments
Important events
Expenses related to deployment

30. Documentation
An ICS Form 214 is used to record details of daily activity in order to provide the basic reference from which to extract information for inclusion in any after-action report.
An ICS Form 209 will be used for further details.
All forms will be returned to Go Team Coordinator at the end of deployment.

31. Communication
Go Team members keep in daily contact with the Go Team Coordinator to share information and make any requests for further assistance from the IAFC.
Upon demobilization, team members report to the Coordinator their safe arrival home and schedule a date for after-action debriefing.

32. Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct consists of the rules and standards governing the expected demeanor of the Go Team members responding on behalf of the IAFC.
Each team member is both a representative of their response team, their home agency, and the IAFC.

33. Go Team Values Go Team members adhere to the following IAFC Values:
Integrity
Professionalism
Responsiveness
Collaboration
Diversity/Inclusiveness
Safety Culture

34. Puerto Rico – Wildland Fires
Recent Activations
Puerto Rico – Wildland Fires
Increased wildland fire activity
Request for technical assistance
Assist with cause and origin determination
Region VIII team selection due to wildland and fire investigation experience
On the ground in San Juan in <36 hours

35. Recent Activations Puerto Rico 2 Go Team Members
IMAS Technical Advisor
No Cost to Puerto Rico
Assist in development of strategic plan for decreasing wildland fire incidents
12 days on the island
Identified incendiary device

36. Recent Activations
Puerto Rico: fire scenes visited

37. Recent Activations
Puerto Rico

38. Atlanta, Georgia- Severe Weather
Recent Activations
Atlanta, Georgia- Severe Weather
Request from the State ESF-4 desk
2 Team Members
Staff State Emergency Operations Center
Assisted with information gathering and resource deployment and accountability

39. Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Tornadoes
Recent Activations
Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Tornadoes
Request from the Fire Chief and Emergency Manager
2 Staff Members
Assigned to the temporary city command center (the city EOC was destroyed)
Assisted Incident Management Team

40. Recent Activations
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

41. State of Connecticut – Hurricane Irene
Recent Activations
State of Connecticut – Hurricane Irene
Request from the ESF-4 Desk
2 member team (3 personnel total)
Assigned to the ESF-4 Desk at the State Emergency Operations Center
Assisted ESF-4 Desk and other assigned tasks

42. Recent Activations
State of Connecticut

43. Stafford County, Virginia - Earthquake & Hurricane Irene
Recent Activations
Stafford County, Virginia - Earthquake & Hurricane Irene
Request from the Fire Chief
2 Member Team
Staff County EOC
Logistics/Finance
Operations
Documentation

44. Recent Activations
Stafford County, Virginia

45. State of Connecticut – Winter Storm
Recent Activations
State of Connecticut – Winter Storm
Request from the state EOC
2 Members requested, assigned
Assigned to the state ESF-4 desk
Assisted with situation reports, unit deployment status and power outage needs

46. Recent Activations
State of Connecticut

47. “Go Teams – When things are at their worst, the IAFC sends our best”

48. Questions?

49. IAFC Contacts
Bill Bullock, Program Manager or
Amber Wells, Program Specialist or
Mike Warren, Assistant Director or
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