The importance of empowering incident managers to identify key concerns during an incident

RENO, Nevada – Safety expert Bret Brooks explained a basic form of emergency management and explained the importance of developing an emergency management mentality in order to respond properly.

“In emergencies, common sense is not as prevalent,” said Brooks, chief operating officer and senior advisor at Gray Ram Tactical, at the start of his meeting Monday morning.

Participants learned the importance of taking control of a school bus incident to minimize loss of life and damage, the importance of training to respond to emergencies, and how to develop an emergency management mentality.

Some of these incidents or emergencies can be either man-made or a natural phenomenon, such as a tornado, a school bus fire, or a school shooting.

Brooks explained key concepts such as a six-step planning process. These six steps include forming collaborative planning teams, understanding the situation, setting goals and objectives, developing plans, preparing plans (review and approval), and implementing and maintaining plans.

He stressed the importance of training themselves, as drivers must take control until police arrive at the scene. “If we don’t train or talk about how to respond, we won’t be ready,” he said.

In addition, Brooks provided overviews of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS). Both NIMS and ICS are part of the National Preparedness System. They provide a systematic approach to a holistic “all hazards” response.

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Later, Brooks, who is also a Missouri State Police officer, held another session focusing on relationships between police officers and school transporters. He spoke about the importance of maintaining a good relationship with law enforcement and discussed steps professionals can take to foster those relationships.

Identifying agencies, communicating with them, addressing concerns, and managing expectations were some of the different steps Brooks mentioned during the session. He stressed the importance of introducing yourself and being honest, clear, accurate, and consistent in communication.

Participants learned more about the importance of the three Cs (Collaborate, Coordinate and Cooperate) and the impact that effective collaboration, working together toward the same goal and achieving joint results can have when dealing with law enforcement.

Brooks highlighted ways that school districts or transportation departments can engage with police. Some of the topics discussed were community events, interaction between police and students, building trust and open-mindedness.