Emergency management and response at the local level relies on volunteers and partnerships among departments, especially in rural areas. MEMA supports the training and exercise of several types of Emergency Management Response Teams (EMRTs). In larger towns, these teams may be entirely from one department, but far more common are the teams made up volunteers, or of representatives from several different regional departments.
Community Emergency Response Teams
Teams receive basic CERT training as a base before moving to various specialties. MEMA also provides periodic CERT Academy weekend specialty training. Specialties include:
- Search and Rescue
- ARES/RACES (amateur radio)
- Animal Sheltering and Disaster Care
Incident Management Assistance Teams
MEMA Provides ICS 300/400 support to County EMAs for training local IMATs.
Regional Teams provide Incident Management Support at the Type 4 Level with specialized vehicle/equipment capability.
MEMA also fields Type 4 ICS Position Specific training for IMAT support
- Planning Section Chief (PSC)
- Situation Unit Leader (STL)
- Resource Unit Leader (RSL)
- Logistics Section Chief (LSC)
- Communication Unit Leader (COML)
A “Rapid Tag” check-in/credentialing system (RTS) is available for accountability at exercises and extended events
Hazardous Materials Response Teams
MEMA also supports Hazardous Materials response teams, both Regional Response Teams and Decontamination Strike teams. For more information about hazardous materials response training, visit the State Emergency Response Commission website.