FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Incident Management Team Has Busy 2008 Scheduled

by Larry Helmerick, Information Officer
Eastern Colorado Incident Management Team

EADS, CO—The coming year is filling up with assignments and training for the Eastern Colorado Incident Management Team (ECIMT).  Members will be serving in Command and General (C&G) Staff and teaching positions at the Colorado Wildland Fire & Incident Management Academy (CWFIMA).  Members of the Team will also expand their knowledge by taking classes at the seven-day CWFIMA in Sterling beginning on January 12th.  Over 700 students, faculty and staff from 26 states are expected to attend. 

The 20-member ECIMT goes on-call January 1st.  “It’s going to be a  busy first year of exercises, training and assignments for the team” said Incident Commander and Eastern Colorado OEM Regional Manager Chad Ray.  After the CWFIMA the group is next scheduled to participate in the Colorado Governor’s Conference in the Denver area from February 25-28.  Members will be posted to all C&G positions to assist the Conference.  Also on the horizon is the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August, 2008.  The team will be available to support the DNC and the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC).  Of course, the All-Hazard team will be available to handle emergency assignments in the 22 county area that is Eastern Colorado, or as needed by the State.

The ECIMT was formed in late 2007.  In October, 2007 the Team had their first training opportunity at the Colorado State EOC in Centennial.  The members participated in a Green Cell assessment with elements of the Colorado National Guard.

Unit members come from a multitude of disciplines including law enforcement, fire EMS and public health.  Members come from the Northeast, Southeast and South Regions which encompasses 22 counties and literally a third of the State.  Members of the ECIMT have a mixture of Type I, Type II and Type III certifications from both the State’s all-hazards certification process and the National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group (NWCG) certification process.

The team has a web-site available at: www.ecimt.info.  

				###