By Ron Clayton
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
Copyright 2007 Chattanooga Publishing Company
ATHENS, Tenn. — The city of Athens is the first local government in Tennessee to complete a federally mandated National Incident Management System course. City officials say the training has brought different departments together and helped employees understand how other departments work.
Department heads, secondary supervisors and others who could wind up managing an emergency incident took the training. It included a four-hour online course and a pair of two-day courses taught by Municipal Technical Advisory Service trainer Gary West.
“Athens was the first city that MTAS has assisted to meet the full compliance,” City Manager Mitchell Moore said. “The two courses were conducted in February and March of this year at the city Municipal Building.”
The class included representatives from the fire and police departments, public works, parks and recreation, human resources, finance, community development and administration.
Fire Chief Bob Miller said he was familiar with the system before the training.
“Our fire department has used the incident command system for years,” Chief Miller said.
At a fire or emergency scene, he said, one person heads up the operation and is the main contact for responders. The incident manager could be him, Chief Miller said, but it also could be a captain or lieutenant from the department.
The training ensures everyone knows how a command system will work, what role each agency or department will play and to whom they will report in a multiagency incident.
If state or federal agencies are involved, local responders are trained on how their command systems work, which makes it easier for the agencies to work together in an emergency, Chief Miller said.
Public Works Director Shawn Lindsey said his workers don’t usually have to deal with incident command structures. But he said his foremen and supervisors learned a lot from the course. He said he hopes some tests can be run in the city to help them use their training.
Human Resources Director Rita Brown said the training came out of a staff meeting where discussion showed many city workers didn’t know how an incident command works.
“One we got through these classes, it was amazing how everyone had a role,” Ms. Brown said. Her department has set up files and plans to schedule more classes, she said.
New Finance Director Brad Harris came to work after the training classes were completed. He is taking the online course and will attend the other classes as soon as it can be arranged, he said.
Mayor John Proffitt said council members can take park of the course to learn how the system works.
Chief Miller said incidents may include everything from fires to vehicle accidents, hazardous materials spills, weather-related situations and even crime events or terrorist situations.
He said wherever a command structure is needed, city employees will be aware of their roles and how to operate within the structure.