Concreting our IntraOp radio comms training today with our staff.
Enhancing the message and now assuring our partners get the right message in a timely fashion is so important.
Train like you fight right?
“Air Branch from Ops Section Chief: I”m going to need four type two rotor-wing assets to arrive at the helistop at 1800. How do copy?”
You know our staff – we ain’t messing around.
What a morning as we kick off the FEMA ICS-402: ICS for Executives/Senior Officials!
Even got a rare class visit from Director Snow on the start today.
Suit up as we continue to explain the need for ICS and share the values a coordinated response. And yes, if you are going to ask, I once created an IAP thiiiiiiis big… 
Proud to have leadership from various organizations including our own DuPage County Board Members Dawn DeSart and Sheila Rutledge.
Great class and looking forward to more with our partners.
Initiate #Disaster #preparedness!!!!
Yep, that’s the ever popular and infamous #bread #milk #eggs 🤣
Now what the heck am I supposed to make with this stuff?!?!?
❄️
On the ready! So many things happen behind the scenes as Emergency Management Pros continue to plan and coordinate in prep for the severe cold weather inbound to our area of responsibility (AOR).
Our rock solid partnership with the National Weather Service Chicago continues to shine as we share information to our partners as well as the general public. Incorporating additional info like the Frostbite vs Hypothermia fact sheet from CDC is a bonus as we look to temps falling into the mid -20s with the windchill to reach -50 to -60.
Yikes is right.
If all predictions are correct, the forecasted temperatures are historic lows.
Our staff is currently conducting a conference call with police, fire, public works, and emergency management agencies within #DuPageCounty to discuss the extreme cold weather event tonight through Thursday.
All hands working!
Also, thanks for the briefing Ricky from the NWS Chicago!
Day-1 of our ICS-300 class at Elmhurst Hospital!
However, I am not sure about us teaching the childbirth part of the class.
I guess if you wanted to account for all resources, we would need a new T-card and check in process for the new kiddos. HA!
Great welcome message from the Elmhurst Fire Deputy Fire Chief and the Elmhurst EM Coordinator.
Great discussion from all agencies here including Fire, EMS, Police, Public Works, Hospital, EMS, Health Department, National Guard, and countless other agencies here.
Great partnerships from everyone as we discuss ongoing response and recovery efforts from various activities and incidents. Working together will increase our preparedness level and help our coordination esp when we spin up the county EOC.
Glad to see everyone here for class. And yes, don’t forget that #OnWednesdaysWeWearPink
Yeah yeah, suit up baby!
Reporting live from Elmhurst Hospital talking about NIMS and ICS~!
Second day of ICS-300 at the DuPage County OHSEM as we continue to share tools and tips to enhance response and coordination. Here’s Dave talking about some of the weather tools we use to trigger activation/response.
And yes, don’t worry, we talk a metric TON about Incident Action Plans (IAPs) as well as some event action plans.
I often share IAPs from real world disasters and events. This way, it showcases the actual use of the ICS forms as well as ways to improve them for future occurrences. Wat? Hold the phone. Don’t lie now, your IAP isn’t always perfect. You are human. Stuff happens.
I do shred some IAPs that need work, and then I show the IAPs that look pretty dang good. No shame in my game because if we don’t share what we learn, we will never prepare our future disaster peeps for success.
But more importantly, that’s right, I said it – we should share our failures with others so that we can better our profession. Rising tide raises all ships right?
Don’t be that amateur and hold all your mistakes close. Be a pro and share your errors so that others may learn. Inspire a new generation with stronger leaders.
In the end, despite the test, you can still have an ICS course where your participants are smiling.
Just gotta find the right ICS course…and instructors willing to inspire.
See you on the next big one peeps!
Another great start to our ICS-300 course! Welcome to my house – DuPage County OHSEM!
Packed class with sooooo many public safety partners here.
This class has a bunch of activities so our participants can apply what they are learning immediately to the fictitious town of Central City.
Note: Central city is a fictitious town that we use in almost all of our classes. It’s not a real place. However, if it was, I would definitely not want to live there. Or eat the Coho salmon from there. Just sayin…
Great engagement from everyone here.
Proud to be hosting this course at our house.
Looking forward to class tomorrow!
Great afternoon talking to Holly and the American Red Cross Communications Team in Chicago! 
More training for our partners!
Looking forward to the fun classes upcoming with the entire Red Cross branch that serves Illinois for emergencies and disasters
Good afternoon from the floor of the ABC7 studio here in Chicago!
A much more compact location, ABC7 does an excellent job in maximizing space in their main studio area.
Also got a chance to chat w/ a few reporters in the bullpen as we took the time to see how the TV magic (aka sausage) is made.
It was satisfying to see all the TVs and monitors in one of the control rooms. Soooooo many buttons to push….
I doubt they would let me touch anything in here.
It honestly intrigues me…isn’t the news room kinda similar to the EOC? Desk assignment is kinda like the Operations Section Chief (OSC) right?
As an example, the OSC assigns tasks to the single resources (reporters aka MMJs) and then they do stuff. The desk assignment editors listen and find out what’s going on around the area (aka situational awareness) right?
Then they send the appropriate amount of resources needed to cover their story. DUH! It IS a good example of ICS. And you know I was closely looking at what they were watching and listen into right?
Obvs!
Special thanks to the entire team at ABC7 for the tour of their crib! Great to see so many different pros at work and major kudos to those who take the time to create a great story and maintain the integrity of a journalist.
Looking forward to working together!
Morning meetings today with all the Chicago Police Department Communications Team at HQ!
Sharing some tips and news in workshop format about ongoing public safety operations as well as coordinated efforts will help all of us as PIOs. #PIAT
All the coordination enhances our ability to be a more prepared deployable asset to support other agencies of the like.
And for those wondering, the world of PIOs, PAOs, and ESF15 is very small. No matter the size of the disaster or hurricane, every good PIO knows other good PIOs.
Great to meet the team from CPD and looking forward to working with each other to support the mission of public safety for municipalities across this great country.
Special shout out to the CPD team Anthony, Tom, Michael, and Luis.
Me? Yep-proud to continue to serve so many great communities.
Where is @rusnivek? 