FEMA is launching a pilot program to expand their Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs) and is seeking candidates for three new IMATs. IMATs are a component of the FEMA disaster workforce and are deployed within hours of a disaster to support local, tribal, territorial and state partners, according to FEMA.
IMATs are full-time, rapid-response teams with dedicated staff able to deploy within two hours and arrive at an incident within 12 hours. The teams support the initial establishment of a unified command and provide situational awareness for federal and state decision-makers to determine the level and type of immediate federal support required. Teams were developed from an expanded concept of the former emergency response teams at the national and regional levels.
Currently, two Type I national teams are being created in Sacramento, Calif., and Washington, D.C., and one Type II regional team is being created in Oakland, Calif. Applications for the IMAT positions are being accepted today through Tuesday, Feb. 12.
Read the official memo from FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, including a description of duties, positions available, requirements, and application and selection process.
