The EPA Emergency Response Team is a special unit of professionals who are trained to deal with a variety of natural and man-made disasters and hazards.
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The Emergency Response Program
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Emergency Response Program is designed to quickly and decisively respond to natural catastrophes and man-made emergencies, such as oil tanker discharges and train wrecks that release hazardous substances. The Environmental Protection Agency’s primary tool of success is their infrastructure that enhances their ability to implement response operations and maintain communication between internal management, external responders and communities. They provide an emergency resource support system at both the national and regional levels that support the field incident command structure. This includes the National and Regional Incident Coordination Teams (NICT-RICTs), the Regional Emergency Operations Centers (REOCs) and the Headquarters Emergency Operations Center (HQ-EOC).
Local Response Teams
There are four specially trained teams that are prepared to handle a wide range of emergencies. These include the Environmental Response Team (ERT), the National Decontamination Team (NDT), the Radiological Emergency Response Team (RERT) and the National Counterterrorism Evidence Response Team (NCERT). They provide scientific and technical support to local emergency response units. For example, the Environmental Response Team may respond to an oil spill by coordinating efforts with the Coast Guard. Together, they will remove drums and barrels, collect hazardous waste, monitor debris disposal and protect air and water quality through sampling and monitoring. In short, they are tasked with the protection of natural resources and mitigation of environmental hazards that pose threats to ecological stability and human health.
Regional Operations Support
Regional administrators provide the strategic vision for the scope of federal involvement in emergency response efforts. They accomplish this through setting objectives and priorities that are consistent with Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) mission and purpose. They Regional Emergency Operations Centers are designed to effectively support and coordinate major incidents. They serve as the official information channels between the field, state offices, law enforcement, military branches and local organizations. Regional Incident Coordinators (RIC) manage Regional Emergency Operations Centers. They serve as the primary contact point to resolve policy, resource and cross-program issues. They act as the spokesperson with the media, public and elected officials. They ensure the timeliness and effectiveness of response efforts.
National Emergency Management
FEMA’s national headquarters works with emergency response teams to handle and resolve environmental disasters and emergencies. For example, they clarify policy issues, support resource allocation and ensure the timely and effective flow of communication between many different agencies and organizations. FEMA coordinates and communicates with partner agencies to ensure that objectives are being met. If needed, they send out their own administration teams to provide multi-program policy support, resource coordination, information sharing and technical assistance. They support field employees who are tasked with conducting on-scene emergency response activities. These professional teams are usually trained through FEMA’s premier Emergency Management Institute(EMI).
Anyone interested in working on an EPA Emergency Response Team should visit their career website to learn more. This website offers career advice and internship opportunities.