Oregon's law enforcement, fire, EMS, and emergency management personnel manage a wide-variety of incidents on a daily basis. Some of these incidents (sports events, community gatherings, wildfires, floods, etc.) may require several public safety resources/agencies and may draw large audiences that require a dedicated incident management team.
To help develop personnel who may be called upon to manage large incidents, the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is hosting a week-long FEMA class, All Hazards Incident Commander, at the City of Salem Fire Department Training Center.
This course provides local- and state- level emergency responders with a robust understanding of the duties, responsibilities, and capabilities of an effective Incident Commander (IC) on an All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT). These responsibilities fall into two categories:1) Responding to the incident and command needs of the incident and 2) Effectively fulfilling the position responsibilities of an IC on an All-Hazards ICS IMT
This course is an instructor-led training that supports learning through discussion, lecture, and active participation in multiple exercises that provides a realistic, scenario-driven approach to mastering the skills required of an IC. Exercises, simulations, discussions, and a final exam enable participants to process and apply their new knowledge.
More than a dozen public safety leaders from law enforcement, emergency management, fire and EMS agencies around the state will complete the class tomorrow.
DPSST Director Eriks Gabliks said "DPSST is pleased to offer this week-long training class to prepare men and women from our public safety community that may be called upon to help manage a large incident created by either a natural or man-made event. Oregon experiences a number of large events each year ranging from wildfires and floods to national sporting events and other gatherings that attract thousands of spectators and participants. With hundreds of public safety personnel retiring over the next few years we need to ensure we are offering all-hazard/all-risk professional development opportunities to develop those who will be moving into incident commander roles."
## Background Information on the DPSST ##
The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Sheriff Jason Myers of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 45,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.
DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem: certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.