Nationally, Emergency Management professionals have developed numerous specialty teams to address important response gaps. This presentation will provide an overview of some truly unique teams including the first Emergency Road Access Team (ERAT), the creation of regional Missing and Endangered Persons Search and Rescue Teams (MEPSAR), the process for Registry for Endangered, Vulnerable, and Missing Persons (REVAMP), the Anti-Vehicle Mitigation Barrier Program, a 24-hour County Watch Office, Continuous Drone Detection, developing State qualified All Hazard Incident Management Team (AHIMT) personnel, a deployable Mobile Incident Management Unit (MIMU) program, and Wildland Fire Mitigation Teams, and a robust Ground Support Unit. Each of these teams was created to meet the needs of the local response community and has immediately proven to be best practices. This presentation will include the process of achieving administrative buy-in and how necessary financial support was achieved to begin each team. Additionally, several examples of team activation will be discussed, as well as how successful these teams were in the recent responses to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole.
Speaker bio:
Dr. Todd Smith is a published executive at the forefront of government relations and community safety. With extensive training, education, and experience, Dr. Smith has provided the highest public administrator expertise for many decades, ensuring community well-being at the local, state, and national levels. With a career deeply rooted in safeguarding families and communities, he is skilled in collaborating seamlessly with elected officials and private sector leaders to develop the most effective strategies and exceptional legislative efforts for the good of all residents.
Dr. Smith’s experience includes serving as Emergency Manager, Fire and Rescue Director, Division Chief, Special Security Coordinator, and Metropolitan Statistical Area Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Administrator. Dr. Smith is credited with developing major operational outcomes.
Dr. Smith is highly accomplished academically, holding multiple advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in Public Administration with High Academic Distinction, a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA), a Graduate Executive Certificate in Public Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Science.
Dr. Smith is proud to be the only public safety executive nationwide who simultaneously and currently holds professional designations for Chief Fire Officer (CFO) from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), Florida Professional Emergency Manager (FPEM) from the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA), Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) from FEMA’s National Emergency Training Center (NETC), State of Florida Fire Officer I-IV, National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro-Board) Fire Officer I-IV, credentialed in every Incident Command (IC) and General Staff (C&G) positions by the State of Florida All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT), and certified to instruct all FEMA Incident Command (IC) and General Staff (C&G) position courses.
His public service career began in 1992, when he was promoted through the fire and rescue ranks and successfully served as the Special Operations Training Manager for the JFRD Urban Search and Rescue Team, Wildland Urban Interface Team, HAZMAT, Airport Firefighting, and Shipboard Firefighting. Dr. Smith has received numerous awards and special unit citations, including the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company’s Valor and Exceptional Service Award and the Columbia Southern University Robert G. Mayes Excellence Award.
Key Learning Objectives:
1.) Identifying response gaps for emergency management
2.) Developing specialized response teams
3.) Applying best practices and lessons learned