In addition to providing assistance before, during, and after disasters or emergencies, for such tasks as performing damage assessments, removing debris and other recovery efforts, volunteers can be utilized for various other events/support tasks throughout the year.
The National Incident Management System (NIMS)
The National Incident Management System (NIMS), is a program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is a comprehensive approach to incident management that can apply to emergencies of all types and sizes. NIMS is intended to be used by the whole community.
Incident Command System (ICS)
The NIMS model for incident management is the Incident Command System (ICS). The ICS model is used by jurisdictions and agencies, both public and private, to organize field- level incident-management operations. The ICS command structure provides an orderly chain of command that is consistent across responding organizations. This chain of command may have either a single person, the Incident Commander (IC), at its head, or a multi-agency team, which is referred to as Unified Command. Below are the five major functional areas of incident command:
- Command
Develops incident objectives and approves resource orders - Operations
Identifies, assigns, and supervises the resources needed to accomplish the incident objectives - Planning
Tracks resources - Logistics
Orders resources - Finance/Administration
Procures and pays for resources
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
In 2007, Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and a group of dedicated volunteers formed our first CERT Team. The purpose and mission of the CERT Team is to aid and support the people of Fort Bend County preparing for, responding to, recovering from, or mitigating the effects of natural and Man-Made disasters.
Citizen Support Team (CST)
In 2005, Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and a group of dedicated volunteers formed the Citizens Support Team. The purpose and mission of the Support Team is to aid and support the OEM and the Emergency Operations Center in the mission of preparing for, responding to, recovering from, or mitigating the effects of natural and technological disasters.
Emergency Management Radio Operators Group (EMROG)
The EMROG Provide Amateur Radio communications to our served agencies when all other electronic mechanisms fail. Our primary served agency is the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management. To join, visit the FBC EMROG Credentialing Requirements page.
Exercise Support Team (EST)
Highly trained and qualified volunteers will be invited to serve as exercise support to OEM and will aide in various capacities.
Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management is always looking for volunteers to serve the community. We have many opportunities to engage and train volunteers in multiple capacities from Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to Emergency Operations Center (EOC) support. We also provide community educational presentations by request.
The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment.