Emergency Management

and Tactical Response

Operations:
Bridging the Gap
Tom Phelan, Ed.D., President
Strategic Teaching Associates, Inc.

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 Emergency Management Positions
 Administrator
 Coordinator
 Planner
 Communicator
 Budget Director
 Grant Writer
 Exercise Designer
 Supervisor
 Political Appointee/Public Servant
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 Tactical Responder Positions
 Firefighter
 Law Enforcement Officer
 Emergency Medical Technician
 Crime Scene Investigator
 Fire Investigator
 SWAT Team
 Hostage Negotiator
 Search & Rescue Team
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There never used to be a gap.
“The skill sets possessed by those in
tactical response operations, whether in
fire service, law enforcement, emergency
medical service, or another specialty, are
technical in nature. Such skill sets do not
include the skills of emergency
management such as planning, liaison,
public information, logistics, purchasing,
finance, administration, or gathering
information or intelligence.”
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Early Technology

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 Things were simpler.
“The need for skilled administrative personnel
has grown as emergency response has become
more regional, and in some cases, national.”

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 What is changed?

Why is it we say,
“Every emergency is
a local emergency,”
when, in fact, few of
them are?

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 Expansion Required New Systems
As the systems for fire protection and law
enforcement expanded to serve a more
distributed population, the need for mutual aid
systems developed.

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Mutual Aid

Santa Rosa County

Florida

Fire District Map

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 EM Supports Tactical Operations
 Many of the activities in an emergency
response have nothing to do with fire
suppression, apprehension of a suspect, or
caring for the injured.
 Emergency managers can offer the support
that chiefs need, or for that matter, support for
anyone responsible for tactical operations.

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Emergency Managers Support Chiefs
 A major difference between the role of the
chief of a first responder unit and the role of
an emergency manager is the duty related to
preparedness or protection.

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 Adjustments in Business & the
Military
 If business, industry, and the military have
adjusted to the leadership of those trained
outside the tactical operations generally
associated with their manufacturing or combat
environments, so may the fire service, law
enforcement, emergency medical services, and
others involved in responding to disasters and
other emergencies.

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 Roles Have Changed
 The role of the emergency manager has
become increasingly crucial as incidents and
response capabilities have grown in complexity.
First responders may be dispatched from
multiple departments and disciplines.
 Fire and police chiefs must concentrate their
efforts on tactical operations, often as Operations
Section Chiefs under the Incident Command
System.
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 Expansion Requires Coordination
 As support is requested by Operations Section
Chiefs, the activities in public information,
liaison, planning, logistics, finance,
administration, information, and intelligence,
often from multiple agencies, must be
coordinated.
 Since the expansion of incident response staff
has occurred over time, the need for specially
trained emergency managers has increased.
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 Incident
Commander

Safety
Officer

Public
Information
Officer

Liaison
Officer

Information &
Operations Planning Logistics Finance/Adm
Intelligence
Section Chief Section Chief Section Chief Section Chief
Function

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 The ICS Model Command &
General Staff

Ops
Chief

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 Support for Operations
Incident
Manager

Safety
Officer

Needs… PIO
Personnel?
Equipment?
Parts? Liaison
Officer

OPS Planning Logistics Finance Infor/

CHIEF Chief Chief Chief Intel Chief

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 Active Involvement
 Emergency  Tactical Responder
Manager  Training
 Mitigation Planning  Apparatus
 Prevention Maintenance
 Preparedness  First Responder

 Exercise Role
Development  PPE

 EOC Operation  Rescue

 Declarations  HAZMAT

 FEMA Forms  Weapons

 Budget Prep/Mgmt.  Apprehension 22

 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
 Emergency Managers
 Managerial Skills
 Administrative Skills
 Knowledge of Systems, Methods
 Planning

 Tactical Responders
 Operations
 Tactical Procedures
 Hands-on Fire Suppression
 Face-to-Face Law Enforcement

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 EM is NOT Tactical Operations
 Those involved in tactical operations are on
scene to “fix the problem.”
 Emergency management personnel have skill
sets for addressing managerial tasks.
 Their jobs are administrative and often require
administrative training and education to
acquire the necessary skill sets.

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 Firefighter Basic Training
Orientation 1.5 Hours
National Incident Management System 1
Personal Safety/Special Hazards 2.5
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus 2.5
Search and Rescue 2
Extrication 2
Hose Loads 4
Fire Streams 4
Forcible Entry 2
Ladders 4
Ventilation 3
Apparatus Familiarization 1
Driver Awareness Level 2
Hazardous Materials – Awareness 8
Hazardous Materials – Operations 16
EMS Awareness** 2
Mandatory Curriculum Hours 31.5
Basic Curriculum Hours for HazMat 26
∗∗Does not include CPR training2

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Police Skills: 262 0f 562 Hour
A. First Aid
Training
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B. Firearms 84
1. Laws and Knowledge Related to Firearms Use 16
2. Firearm Skills 48
3. Firearms Range Assessment 8
4. Patrol Rifle 12
C. Police Physical Skills 77
1. Mechanics of Arrest and Search 8
2. Police Tactical Techniques 5
3. Application of Subject Control 4
4. Subject Control 60
D. Emergency Vehicle Operation 32
1. Emergency Vehicle Operation: Legalities,
Policies and Procedures 18
2. Emergency Vehicle Operation Techniques 24
E. Fitness and Wellness 44
1. Physical Fitness 36
2. Health and Wellness 8

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 EM Knowledge Requirements
1. Relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and
strategies to promote effective local, state, or
national emergency management operations for the
protection of people, data, property, and
institutions.
2. Principles of situational analysis and planning.
3. Principles and methods for curriculum and training
design, teaching, and instruction for individuals
and groups.
4. Business and management principles involved in
strategic planning, resource allocation, human
resources modeling, leadership technique,
production methods, and coordination of people
and resources. 27
5. and the tools involved in the construction or repair of
houses, buildings, or other structures such as
highways and roads.
7. The structure and Principles and methods for moving
people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the
relative costs and benefits.
6. Materials, methods content of the English language
including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of
composition, and grammar.

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 EM Skills &
Abilities
1. Collaborate with other officials in order to prepare
and analyze damage assessments following disasters
or emergencies.
2. Conduct surveys to determine the types of emergency-
related needs that will need to be addressed in disaster
planning, or provide technical support to others
conducting such surveys.
3. Consult with officials of local and area governments,
schools, hospitals, and other institutions in order to
determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a
natural disaster or other emergency.
4. Coordinate disaster response or crisis management
activities such as ordering evacuations, opening public
shelters, and implementing special needs plans and
programs.
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5. Direct emergency response teams and
provides on-site investigations.
6. Design and administer emergency/disaster
preparedness training courses that teach
people how to effectively respond to major
emergencies and disasters.
7. Develop and maintain liaisons with
municipalities, county departments, and
similar entities in order to facilitate plan
development, response effort coordination,
and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
8. Develop and perform tests and evaluations of
emergency management plans in accordance
with state and federal regulations.

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9. Inspect facilities and equipment such as
emergency management centers and
communications equipment in order to determine
their operational and functional capabilities in
emergency situations.
10.Keep informed of activities or changes that could
affect the likelihood of an emergency, as well as
those that could affect response
efforts and details of plan implementation.
11.Keep informed of federal, state, and local
regulations affecting emergency plans, and ensure
that plans adhere to these regulations.
12.Administers public emergency recovery assistance
programs.

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 Coordination and Communication
“When several specialists are dispatched to a
single incident, which is often the case,
coordination and communication can become a
crucial problem demanding the important role
of the emergency manager.”

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College for Emergency Managers?

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 College Curriculum Topics
 Introduction to Emergency Management
 Emergency Response Planning
 Exercise Program Management
 NIMS and ICS
 Public Information in Disaster Response
 Mental Health Issues in Disaster Response
 Mitigation Planning
 Hazardous Materials Incident Management
 Weapons of Mass Destruction
 Public Health Emergency Management
 Homeland Security.
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Advantages of College Study

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 Managerial Studies
 Project Planning
 Personnel Issues
 Management
 Communication Skills
 Grant Writing
 Government Relations
 Business Continuity
 Budget and Finance

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 Expanding College Opportunities
 143 College Programs in Emergency
Management & Homeland Security
 Many On-line Degree Programs
 Ideal for Practicing First Responders
 Attractive Graduate Programs for Grads
 Careers Requiring Degrees
 Collaboration with IAEM, DRI, and ACP
 Transferable Credentials

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 Best of Both Worlds
 First Responders Seeking Degrees
 College Grads Entering Emergency
Management
 Geology
 Technology
 Health
 Human Resources
 Government Relations/Administration
 Biology, Chemistry

 Experienced Military
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 The Challenge: Overcoming
Resistance
 First Responders and Emergency Managers
Need to Work Together
 Tactical Response Benefits from Management
and Coordination
 Managerial Skills Best Learned in College
 First Responder/Military Experience Provides
a Strong Foundation
 Managers, Not Commanders

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 Dr. Tom Phelan
6385 Willson Road,
Vernon Center, NY 13477
(315) 829-4199
www.drpwithdrtom.com
 Dr. Tom Phelan, President, Strategic Teaching Associates, Inc., is a Founding
Member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a member of the IBM
Crisis Response Team, responding to Katrina, and the Indian Ocean Tsunami. He
has served on the Board of PPBI and the Editorial Advisory Boards for Disaster
Recovery Journal; continues to serve on the Advisor Boards of the Canadian
Centre for Emergency Preparedness, and Disaster Management Canada, and is an
IAEM member. Tom teaches at American Public University, Elmira College, the
Onondaga Community College, Empire State College, and consults for IT Crisis,
Virtual Corporation, the American Institutes for Research, and Vantage HRS.
 Tom served with DMORT in St. Gabriel, Louisiana (2005), at the World Trade
Center (2001), and received the New York State Senate Liberty Award for his
service at Ground Zero. His clients include several corporations and government
agencies.
 Tom earned a Doctorate from Syracuse University, and has consulted and
presented in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, India, Sri Lanka, and
Singapore.
 His new book, Emergency Management and Tactical Response Operations:
Bridging the Gap, is available from www.elsevier.com . 40