The 1- to 3-day Functional Exercise (IMTX) provides Incident Command System (ICS) Incident Management Team (IMT) members an opportunity to practice and improve their collective ability to function as a team to manage a simulated incident response, as well as refresh and extend their individual ICS position-specific functional skills.

This course is intended for U.S. EPA and U.S. Coast Guard personnel that have successfully completed Key Leadership Position training and who will be called upon to assume those positions within an ICS organization.  Command Post support staff, such as GIS specialists, Community Involvement Coordinators and Information Technology specialists may also be involved to improve the realism and efficiency of exercise play.

Each 1-day exercise session simulates one operational period, usually 24 hours, with a particular focus on the production of a Situation Report (SitRep) and conduct of planning cycle (Planning ‘P’) activities that are needed to produce an Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the next Operational Period. 

Additional activities and accomplishments that are typically exercised include: 

• Develop, approve and issue press releases and other public information work products 
• Conduct simulated press briefings 
• Process, interpret and internally disseminate (simulated) environmental monitoring data 
• Gather (simulated) situational data and process it to produce situational intelligence work products, such as maps, for internal and (simulated) external customers 
• Perform check-in of Command and General Staff and track all resources 
• Develop, process, and approve resource requests 
• Order and assign resources (simulated) Coordinate with the Regional Emergency Operational Center (usually, this is simulated, but sometimes, with planning, the REOC is staffed and participates in exercise play) 
• Process cost information to develop a daily Burn Rate 
• Receive and process Funding Documentation 
• Manage resources to accomplish tactical operations (simulated) 

The exercises are designed to be conducted in a no-fault atmosphere with senior IMT members present for mentoring purposes. The actual exercise is scheduled for 8 hours or until the Exercise Director determines the exercise objectives have been met.

Course evaluation will consist of a Hot Wash and participant-completed feedback forms.  Additional evaluation tools, such as Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs) may be developed and utilized, if requested in advance.

IMT Exercises are ordered and scheduled by Regions through the ERTP Contracting Officer Representative (COR) 

The virtual version of this course is delivered via MS TEAMs, one day per Incident Management Team.

Variations in exercise design scope and complexity may be negotiated with the COR.
Continuing Education Units: 0.8 to 2.4
Unless otherwise specified, THIS COURSE, AND OTHER ERTP COURSES, IS NOT OPEN TO CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.

*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

IMPORTANT NOTICES – Applicable to all ERTP courses :

1. ERTP’s receipt of a Trainex course registration is a Registration Request, it is not a Guaranteed Enrollment in the Course. All ERTP training courses require applicant registration thru the Trainex system. Last minute course arrivals without prior ERTP Trainex course registration approval is not permitted. Before ERTP issues final approval to deliver any course and/or any EPA offices incurring expenses for the training event (including but not limited to EPA staff travel TA’s and/or ERTP training contractor expenses incurred), all EPA mandatory pre-approvals must all be met. The pre-approvals include (but are not limited to) the following:
   
   • Training location’s availability;
   • COVID status and/or other COVID Guidelines in effect for the location, as well as staff;
   • Agency limitations, scrutiny, and approvals of ‘Conference Spending Requirements (known as the “5170”)’ for the specific training course(s) scheduled delivery timeframe;
   • Weather (blizzard, hurricane, etc);
   • Contractual number of available course training slots;
   • EPA training location staff having priority registration over all other registrations; and/or
   • Hosting site Training Coordinator approval.
   
   In the event a course is subsequently postponed or canceled, or notification of registration cancellation is received, all EPA travel arrangements (airline/car rental/hotel) should be canceled in a timely manner. Registered students will receive a notification via email if/when a course is postponed and/or cancelled.
2. For in-person course deliveries, confirmed course registered participants must abide by all facility physical access requirements for the location (examples: check-in at the security gate, Federal ID, Government PIV/CAC cards, photo id’s, etc.). If applicable for the course or location, restrictions may apply to non-citizens and acceptable identification may be required for facility entry.