The role of IMT

[bittenyakka]

I am not trying to complain about IMT but i do have a few questions.

for example
I wasn't there but it sounds like at mt bold there was an oversupply of trucks. is this because the IMT was worried or someone at SHQ heard smoke sighting at MT Bold near Kitpo so he or she sent the world?

Is it the IMT that chooses if they need more resources and where they come from?

And other than that when does a fire get assigned an IMT and is it mainly people from the group that the fire is in?


thanks

[Baxter]

Having been apart of the strike teams now for a while and now playing a small role on IMT's. I feel that even though a fire will reach a level 3 as per the description in Op Guidelines 2006 those that have participated in AIIMS training and an AIIM's workshop will receive a page directly to find out if they are available for an IMT. With the IMT's that I have now been part of members have come from all over the state. I have not been a part of the actual sourcing of crews / teams for incident yet but at least we are sharing the workload rather than placing the burden on the shoulders of one Brigade alone.

[CaptCom]

bittenyakka,

the role and decisions of IMT are the hardest...probably would be made a whole lot easier if they had funcitioning crystal balls...

An IMT is established at particular trigger points, eg level of alarm. Even a single appliance response has an IMT in that there is an Incident controller, it just expands as the number of resources do.

I have been part of an IMT where we had to make a call for strike teams in the middle of the night, working on possible outcomes...I hate bringing strike teams in and not have them do much...as nearly all the discussion has indicate.

I was surprised that a strike team from R6 was called, I didn't think that the situation was that bad...it is also a knee jerk reaction to Black Tuesday and having enough resources for the "what if"...

hope this helps..

[Darius]

I wasn't there but it sounds like at mt bold there was an oversupply of trucks. is this because the IMT was worried or someone at SHQ heard smoke sighting at MT Bold near Kitpo so he or she sent the world?

Is it the IMT that chooses if they need more resources and where they come from?

It should be the IMT that asks for more resources (not necessarily where they come from though).

I too would like to know if it was the IMT/IC who asked for all the strike teams from miles away (eg. mid-north, south-east etc) or did it come from R1/SHQ?

[Pipster]

I don't know who organised the strike teams for Mt Bold, but generally speaking, an IMT would request a certain number of strike teams.  The request would be sent to the Region, who action that request - so it would generally be who arrange the strike teams.

Having said that, I have been at fires where Region has
arranged several strike teams to respond to an incident, without the request of the IMT / Incident Controller, and the Incident Controller had no idea they were coming, until they went screaming past the fire station, lights & sirens, going to call.... thing was, fire was under control, no more resources required, and it had just started to rain....   

Pip

[bittenyakka]

Thanks

[SA Firey]

That would be when the right hand dont talk to the left hand.

Only words to describe that event is"communication breakdown"

It is not an isolated case and Region need to tell the IMT team what they are doing as well in regards to resources responded/deployed

[Alan (Big Al)]

Apparantly Mundoo group was accidentally overlooked for the first night strike teams to Mount Bold, but thats not an uncommon thing down here!!!

[aust_fire1]

Funny  about that Mund. Ever other Group around us went. Maybe it was our BEE OH

[JC]

I was under the impression that when strike teams are called for they respond the closest groups first, then if more are required they leap frog groups after that so as not to pull to many resources from certain areas. ie from mt bold heading south, they would have left 1-2 groups untouched to respond to other major incidents. I could be wrong but i think thats how its meant to work. Someone correct me if im wrong.

[Alan (Big Al)]

No, from our GO who spoke to region apparantly they forgot about us otherwise we would have been there.

[medevac]

oh well build a bridge

[aust_fire1]

Hey Mund...We were doing asset protection...again.

[Alan (Big Al)]

Mundoo Mopup group

eh anyways scheiße happens

[5271rescue]

IMT is only as good as(a) information from the fire ground (b) information flow up the ladder... Having said that  I have spoken to a number of people from across the state that went to MOUNT BOLD and they all say the same thing IMT was not that good,when crews arrived there where all asked what are you doing here we did not know you where coming?? In one case the strike team was about to turn around and go home but staging area found a job for them.. So why are we still getting it wrong??? who is really running the show IMT or the region H/Q who may be many KMS away from all the action?? The other problem that does come up is that the IC in IMT is always on the filtered phone to this and that and that IMT personnel have had to wait long periods to get hold of that person.....MY VIEW ONLY

[CaptCom]

that's where they should have a deputy IC bill...I've seen this happen before too....

I can see how the RO could have been making decisions regarding strike teams over the top of the IMT...it isn't a problem...except if they aren't needed and they don't tell them they are coming...I've seen some serious over reactions at times...all a spin off from Black Tuesday I believe...