P a ge 16 t opside V olume 114 , I s s u e 3
IMAST Article and photos by Auxiliarist Barbara Sama
Once again , we have been fortunate enough to team up with the Active duty and Reservists with the goal of supporting our team through Incident Management Auxiliary Support Team . Sector Delaware Bay was the site of intense training as 30 volunteers gathered to learn and qualify when an Incident Command Post becomes necessary during any event . We were invited to participate in the morning briefing with the Reservists as well as meet our fellow team . Our volunteer efforts during these types of operations will be invaluable .
Auxiliarists had actual hands on exercises with IMSS software that is used for actual events . The team proved to be strong as we helped each other to learn the system .
Tom Roberson ( Right ) lead the training on March 18 , 2017 in the General Green Conference room at Sector Delaware Bay . Tom was well supported by several volunteers who were there to help us connect with the new software .
Current world situations demand that we be prepared to act in any situation . Prior incidents have shown us that we must be able to communicate quickly and efficiently . Incident Command Posts has proven to be a vital force . As Auxiliarists , we have the ability to support our fellow shipmates in time of need . The training that we are receiving will free up our fellow team members for other duties . After all , no job is finished till the paper work gets done !
Incident Command Posts are used not only for emergency situations , but also for various other events . A simple event as a football game or a political convention cannot happen without the coordination ’ s of various organizations . The average consumer will never be aware of the behind the scene activities and they never will if the event goes smoothly . The simple act of having all participating groups such Police , EMTs , etc . coordinate is a monumental task . Having a command post where all the agencies can communicate on the same wave length and know where each other are could save a life .
We will be the starting point . Knowing who is here is just as vital as knowing where they are . The ability to account for all participants can save time , money and worry .
Kaitlyn Wojtanowksi ( Left ) was one of the five volunteers that assisted us . Kaitlyn certainly has unbelievable knowledge of the system that enabled us to continue forward in our training . The left photo was taken at the beginning of our training . She never faulted as two to three of us would call her over for help . Enthusiastically she would resolve all the problems we had ! The photo to the right , was after the training was over . Kaitlyn was a bit overwhelmed but she never showed it .
Our training will continue with on line assignments . The class was just the beginning of many more to come . Our goal is to be a vital force and assist our active duty fellow shipmates , so we will continue our training efforts . Tom Gorman and Ernest Stevens ( Left ) hit the keyboards as fast as the instructor gives out the commands .
Homework is going to be a challenge !