The Incident Management Team is “here to help”

The Incident Management Team is “here to help”

July 11, 2024

The All-Hazards Incident Management Team helped local authorities in Jackson, Minnesota, document damage, such as this flooding near Jackson City Hall.

When an emergency occurs, local safety officials have their hands full right away. But sometimes, like during the floods in Jackson County or after the devastating tornadoes in Iowa, they need extra help. That’s where the All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) comes in.

The AHIMT is a team based in Anoka County whose work is coordinated by our Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). HSEM supports the team’s missions both in Minnesota, such as when the team responded to flooding in Jackson County this summer, and outside the state, such as when the AHIMT helped Iowa respond to deadly tornadoes the last week of May.

“We know that no single community, agency, state or territory has all the resources to respond to a major event,” said Jacob Beauregard, HSEM coordinator for the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. “Teams like this allow us to help our neighbors, knowing that one day they will help us in return.”

Terry Stoltzman, Anoka County Emergency Management Director, has been a member of AHIMT since its inception in 2006. During that time, the team has been deployed 59 times to assist both in and out of state. While they sometimes assist with special events, most of their deployments are to assist local communities during emergencies such as hurricanes, floods or tornadoes.

“We’re here to help, whether in Minnesota or out of state. As public safety professionals, it’s in our blood,” said Stoltzman, who is now team leader.

Although AHIMT members work full-time at home, 16 of them took time away from their families to help residents of Greenfield, Iowa. They spent May 27 through June 8 in the community after a tornado killed five people and destroyed over 200 homes. The team was there to support local leaders and help local people get a handle on the situation. Team members were able to help with planning and logistics and provide important updates to area residents, such as where to get the resources they need and where to volunteer to help with the rebuilding effort.

Just weeks later, from June 22 to 28, the team was called to Jackson County, Minnesota, to prepare for flooding and support community response. Eleven team members brought their disaster preparedness expertise and used it to help local officials deal with the chaos surrounding the flood.

In Jackson County, the team helped plan evacuations, protect critical resources like the local grocery store, and ensured local disaster response teams documented damage, which is critical to organizing and funding reconstruction efforts.

Stoltzman describes the team’s role as “turning the unknown into the known.” They share their experience and expertise with local emergency responders, ensuring they have the information they need to keep their communities safe.​​