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“We are very excited to have been selected to participate in this program.  This is a unique opportunity for Yuma County to gain a level of preparedness in emergency response that is not available to every community,” Pickels said. 

The training center is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is the premier emergency management training center in the country for key decision-makers and policy makers across all levels of government. FEMA’s National Emergency Training Center places public official and emergency personnel in a realistic crisis situation within a structured learning environment.

Leaders from across the nation have participated in this intense training course. “We all understand that this is going to be a week of very hard work, and that a lot of training will need to occur locally before we attend the program so that we will be able to take full advantage of what is being offered,” said Pickels.  The federal government is paying the full cost of travel, housing, course instruction and for the reserving training facilities for the duration of the Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC).

As the course progresses, scenario-related events of increasing complexity, threat, and pressure occur. Participants will develop emergency policies, plans, and procedures to ensure an effective response. The range of exercises will trigger delegation members to enact their own corresponding plans in the event of an emergency.

“This training is designed to ensure this county’s emergency response skills are at their peak,” explains Miranda. “It will allow us to see how we work as a team in a crisis and help us to become more secure and prepared in the future.”

“The scenarios we will undergo will focus on earthquake response, but the training we will receive is applicable to all other types of emergency response situations,” said Miranda. “Throughout the course, participants employ not only new ideas, skills, and abilities but also their own knowledge and experience. In this way, the integrated emergency management course allows individuals to rehearse their real-life roles in a realistic emergency situation.”

The IEMC places public officials and other key community leaders in a disaster simulation. The course methodologies of class-room instruction, planning sessions, and exercises, allow for structured decision making in a learning environment that is realistic. A key outcome of the IEMC is that additional planning needs are identified, providing the opportunity to enhance overall preparedness. The course will conclude with an emergency exercise designed to test participants’ knowledge, awareness, flexibility, leadership, and interpersonal skills under extreme pressure.