Emergency Management Support Teams (EMST)

Applications may be obtained by request through the applicable EMST Address, as listed below.

To facilitate the application process individuals will complete the application, provide all supporting documentation to support the application (ICS Forms, IAP, ISP, training certifications). The application and all supporting documentation must be returned to the appropriate TEMA Regional Coordination Center.

• EMST (West): TN-EMST-CC-WEST@LISTSERV.TN.GOV
• EMST (Middle): TN-EMST-CC-MIDDLE@LISTSERV.TN.GOV
• EMST (East): TN-EMST-CC-EAST@LISTSERV.TN.GOV
• EMST (Southeast): TN-EMST-CC-SOUTHEAST@LISTSERV.TN.GOV

The appropriate EMST Regional Coordinating Committee will review the application in its entirety and either approve or deny the application. The Regional Coordinating Committee may conduct interviews to establish compatibility with the EMST program. An approved application will be forwarded to the Training, Education, and Membership Committee (TEMC) for review and concurrence. Applicants approved by the TEMC will be forwarded to the Governance Committee (GC) for final concurrence. The GC Secretary will notify the applicant, the appropriate Regional Coordinating Committee, and the appropriate Regional Director of the application status.

Completed application or questions regarding the application should be submitted to the appropriate EMST Regional Coordinating Committee at the listserv address posted above.

*LISTSERV EMAIL ADDRESS NOTES

• When emailing the listserv address you will receive a response from the address, requesting you to respond "OK" to the email.  If you do not respond "OK" your communication will not be delivered.  This is a security feature for the listserv so please note all instructions given, should there be an update to those features.
• If the listserv address is not operational, please reach out directly to your EMAT VP or the TEMA Regional Office to facilitate communication

EMST Committee

The Emergency Management Support Team Committee is established to assist in the development of the EMST program, review of the program, assist Regional Coordinating Committees, and provide program recommendations to the Governance Committee.

The EMST Committee shall meet at least quarterly to:

• Review RCC team status notifications
• Approve Team Rostering
• Facilitate training and exercise scheduling with TEMA Training
• Approve team policies and procedures
• Approve RCC exercise plans
• Evaluate overall program goals and direction

Regional Coordinating Committees (RCCS)

Regional Coordinating Committees (RCCs) are committees established to assist the Sponsoring Agency of a Regional EMST in carrying out its management and administrative duties.
Each RCC shall meet at least quarterly to:

• Evaluate overall status of the team
• Review applications for new members
• Review and recommend prioritization of training courses and rostering
• Develop and/or update policies and procedures for team rostering and deployment
• Develop and/or update annual training and exercise plan
• Review requests for planned event EMST support
• Review status of members certification

West Region Coordinating Committee                                       TN-EMST-CC-WEST@LISTSERV.TN.GOV    

Middle Region Coordinating Committee                                   TN-EMST-CC-MIDDLE@LISTSERV.TN.GOV

East Region Coordinating Committee                                         TN-EMST-CC-EAST@LISTSERV.TN.GOV

Southeast Region Coordinating Committee                             TN-EMST-CC-SOUTHEAST@LISTSERV.TN.GOV

General FAQ's:

What is the difference between an All-Hazards Incident Mangement Team and an Emergency Management Support Team?

All-Hazards Incident Management Teams are Incident Command System organizations that can be deployed or activated when needed to manage an incident or event safely, effectively, and efficiently.  Team members are trained and qualified to function in their assigned positions of the NIMS Incident Command System.  Emergency Management Support Teams offer an enhancement to Emergency Operations Center (EOC) operations and augment existing capability with a standardized, scalable, deployable skillset.  Team members are trained in EOC and ICS functions to perform in their assigned positions for EOC operations that support and coordinate for the Incident Command System.

What is the National Incident Management System (NIMS)?
NIMS is a comprehensive, national approach to incident management that is applicable at all jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines. It is intended to:
• Be applicable across a full spectrum of potential incidents, hazards, and impacts, regardless of size, location or complexity.
• Improve coordination and cooperation between public and private entities in a variety of incident management activities.
• Provide a common standard for overall incident management.

Why do we need NIMS?
NIMS provides a consistent nationwide framework and approach to enable government at all levels (Federal, State, tribal, and local), the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to work together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents regardless of the incident’s cause, size, location, or complexity.  Consistent application of NIMS lays the groundwork for efficient and effective responses, from a single agency fire response to a multiagency, multijurisdictional natural disaster or terrorism response. Entities that have integrated NIMS into their planning and incident management structure can arrive at an incident with little notice and still understand the procedures and protocols governing the response, as well as the expectations for equipment and personnel. NIMS provides commonality in preparedness and response efforts that allow diverse entities to readily integrate and, if necessary, establish unified command during an incident.

What are the Components of NIMS?
NIMS Components link together and work in unison to form a comprehensive incident management system. NIMS Components include:
• Preparedness
• Communications and Information Management
• Resource Management
• Command and Management
• Ongoing Management and Maintenance

To whom does NIMS apply?
NIMS is applicable to State, tribal and local governments, private sector organizations, critical infrastructure owners and operators, nongovernmental organizations and other organizations with an active role in emergency management and incident response. Elected and appointed officials, who are responsible for jurisdictional policy decisions, must also have a clear understanding of their emergency management roles and responsibilities to better serve their constituency.

How does NIMS relate to the National Response Framework (NRF)?
The NIMS and NRF are companion documents and are designed to improve the Nation’s incident management and response capabilities. While NIMS provides the template for the management of incidents regardless of size, scope or cause, the NRF provides the structure and mechanisms for national level policy of incident response. Together, the NIMS and the NRF integrate the capabilities and resources of various governmental jurisdictions, incident management and emergency response disciplines, non-governmental organizations, and the private-sector into a cohesive, coordinated, and seamless national framework for domestic incident response.

How does NIMS relate to local incident command?
A basic premise of NIMS is that all incidents begin and end locally. NIMS does not take command away from State and local authorities. NIMS simply provides the framework to enhance the ability of responders, including the private sector and NGOs, to work together more effectively. The Federal Government supports State and local authorities when their resources are overwhelmed or anticipated to be overwhelmed. Federal departments and agencies respect the sovereignty and responsibilities of local, tribal, and State governments while rendering assistance. The intention of the Federal Government in these situations is not to command the response, but rather to support the affected local, tribal, and/or State governments.

What is Command and Management?
The Command and Management component within NIMS is designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing a flexible, standardized incident management structure. To institutionalize these activities within a formal structure, command and management includes three fundamental elements: the Incident Command System (ICS), Multiagency Coordination Systems (MACS), and Public Information. These fundamental elements provide standardization through consistent terminology and established organizational structures.

Why is ICS needed?
When an incident requires response from multiple local emergency management and response agencies, effective cross-jurisdictional coordination using common processes and systems is critical. The Incident Command System (ICS) provides a flexible, yet standardized core mechanism for coordinated and collaborative incident management, whether for incidents where additional resources are required or are provided from different organizations within a single jurisdiction or outside the jurisdiction, or for complex incidents with national implications.

What is ICS Designed To Do?
The ICS is a widely applicable management system designed to enable effective, efficient incident management by integrating a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure. ICS is a fundamental form of management established in a standard format, with the purpose of enabling incident managers to identify the key concerns associated with the incident—often under urgent conditions—without sacrificing attention to any component of the command system.
It represents organizational "best practices" and, as an element of the Command and Management Component of NIMS, has become the standard for emergency management across the country. Designers of the system recognized early that ICS must be interdisciplinary and organizationally flexible to meet the following management challenges:

• Meet the needs of incidents of any kind or size.
• Allow personnel from a variety of agencies to meld rapidly into a common management structure.
• Provide logistical and administrative support to operational staff.
• Be cost effective by avoiding duplication of efforts.

ICS consists of procedures for controlling personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications. It is a system designed to be used or applied from the time an incident occurs until the requirement for management and operations no longer exists.

Regional Team Member FAQ's:

How do I get a Position Task Book?

Position task books are in development for future EMST positional qualification.  Currently, there are no position task books for EMST.

Am I qualified if I take the position specific course?

Training courses are a valuable part of the qualification process, but taking a course alone will not qualify you in position.

What if I have the position specific course and O305?

Training courses are a valuable part of the qualification process, but taking a position specific course and O305 will not qualify you in a position. 

Can I participate without the support of my home agency?

All trainees, candidates, and team members are required to have the support of their home agency. Support of your home agency is integral to future program and team success.

What if I am not assigned the position that I want?

Each team has a limited number of positions and each position has a limited volume for rostering. While teams will often staff bench depth of at least three persons at every position, it is critical for the team to fill each of the roles on the roster. While you may not receive your preferred initial assignment, if you are an actively engaged participant on the team you may be afforded additional opportunities in the future to qualify in the role you desire.