Oct

04-06

Incident Command System Immersive (Oct 04-06)

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Incident Command System Immersive is a training program aimed at providing gas and electric utilities with additional exposure to the ICS framework. Participants will network with other utilities that utilize ICS and get to see how the framework is applied at other companies as well as share successes and lessons learned. This program will include tours, speakers from utilities and municipal bodies, discussion-based exercises, and other takeaways to bring back to your company. It is recommended that participants have completed at least the FEMA IS-100, IS-200, and IS-700 modules and is intended as a supplement to existing training programs.

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Meet

The Program Development Team

General Details

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  • Program Location
  • Seattle City Light - North Service Center
  • 1300 N 97th St, Seattle, WA 98103
  • Who Should Attend

  • Section leaders, command, and general staff, as well as group supervisors.

  • Registration Options

  • Member: $599 USD

    Registration price increases $100 after September 13, 2022. Registration includes comprehensive program materials, breakfast and lunch each day, and the welcome reception on Tuesday.

  • General Cancellation Policy
  • Due to contractual obligations, cancellations received 15 business days prior to the program will receive a full refund. Cancellations received 6 to 14 business days prior to the event will receive a refund, less a $100 administrative fee. No shows and last minute cancellations, 5 business days prior to the event or less, will be responsible for the full registration fee. Substitutions from your organization for the same event are always welcome.
  • Participation Policy
  • Western Energy Institute programs and events are open to energy companies (including gas production and electric generation, gas and electric transmission and gas and electric distribution utilities). Select programs and events are open to energy industry product and service suppliers. Programs and events are closed to all media representatives and to the general public. Recording is not permitted for any portion of the event.
  • For more information contact Christopher Lee, Director of Program Development at (971) 303-2111.

Agenda

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Tuesday, October 4, 2022

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Breakfast + Registration

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Welcome, Introductions, Goals
Facilitator(s): Terry Knight, Business Continuity Specialist, Avista Utilities
Speaker(s): Brittany Barnwell, Emergency Manager, City of Seattle

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

An Overview of Seattle City Light’s Key Initiatives
Speaker(s): Michelle Vargo, Chief Operating Officer, Seattle City Light

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Break

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Role of ICS in the Utility Industry
Speaker(s): Michelle Vargo, Chief Operating Officer, Seattle City Light

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Position-Specific Best Practices
Speaker(s): Scott Holmquist, Associate Partner, Utility Response Training Associates, LLC, Michael Sandwick, Managing Partner, Utility Response Training Associates, LLC

Learn “best practices” on how ICS positions have been used in the utility industry.
Providing an emphasis on:

  • Incident Commander-focus on objectives and leadership (not tactics)
  • Use of a Liaison Officer to connect to outside agencies
  • Operations Section-Structure during changing incidents
  • Planning Section-Responsibilities in the planning process
  • Incorporating Business Continuity in ICS structure

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Break

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Incident Planning

This session will describe how the Incident Action Planning cycle works and why each step is important.

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Welcome Reception

Location TBA

Reception is sponsored by Utility Response Training Associates, LLC

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Breakfast

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Welcome to Day 2
Speaker(s): Terry Knight, Business Continuity Specialist, Avista Utilities

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Emergency Response Plans

How to make plans more useable (so they don’t sit on a shelf), and how to structure them into Base Plan, Annexes, Appendices, etc.
 

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Break

10:45 AM - 12:30 PM

Developing and Conducting ICS Training
Speaker(s): Scott Holmquist, Associate Partner, Utility Response Training Associates, LLC, Michael Sandwick, Managing Partner, Utility Response Training Associates, LLC

Discuss best-practices for conducting ICS training. How to build position checklists, job aids, and other templates/resources for building out a plan.

12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

Lunch

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM

Exercise Development and Conduct
Speaker(s): Courtney Rose, Emergency Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities

An overview of different types of exercises (e.g. tabletop, functional, full-scale, etc.) and what each is used for. Will also address incorporating outside agencies in exercises as well as how to use of scripting, MSEL’s, Controllers, and the HSEEP program.

2:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Break

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM

The After-Action Review and Report
Speaker(s): Eli King, Energy Emergency Management Director, Washington State Department of Commerce

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Emergency Management Program Evaluation

5:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Dinner

Dinner is on your own.

Thursday, October 6, 2022

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

Breakfast

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Review of Day 1 + Day 2
Facilitator(s): Terry Knight, Business Continuity Specialist, Avista Utilities

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Scenario Driven Exercise, Workshop, and AAR/HSEEP Evaluation
Speaker(s): Eli King, Energy Emergency Management Director, Washington State Department of Commerce

Participants discuss how they would activate their emergency response using the ICS framework, focusing on each section and how each section plans for and executes their plan.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Roundtable Discussion

Recent incident responses, lessons learned, sharing of additional brest practices.

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Review of Workshop/Closing Remarks
Facilitator(s): Terry Knight, Business Continuity Specialist, Avista Utilities

2:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Program Adjourns

Hotel + Travel

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  • Reservation Instructions

  • Please use the reservation link to receive the special rate of $149USD/night and a discounted parking rate of $8/night per vehicle. This rate is guaranteed until September 12, 2022 or until the WEI room block is full.

Sponsors

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Thank you to our sponsors!

Onsite Safety + Health Info

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Effective August 18, 2022, proof of vaccination status or results of a negative COVID-19 test will not be required for admittance into most WEI-hosted programs.

WEI continues to monitor all federal level CDC, Canadian government and public health agency recommendations, as well as local ordinances, as a policy baseline for in-person programs. We encourage all attendees to review the current guidelines related to isolation and precautions prior to traveling to a WEI event, as well as guidance for traveling to and from Canada, which may differ from guidance for traveling to or from the United States.

Some WEI-hosted programs may require proof of vaccination status, if essential for participation, in which case WEI will communicate this requirement in advance of the program start date.

Please refer to WEI’s Safety + Health Code of Conduct for other important considerations.

Meet The Speakers

Brittany Barnwell

City of Seattle

Emergency Manager

Terry Knight

Avista Utilities

Business Continuity Specialist

Courtney Rose

Tacoma Public Utilities

Emergency Manager
Learn More

As an Emergency Management Professional, Courtney Rose joined Tacoma Public Utilities in summer of 2019 (right before the pandemic) as the Emergency Manager supporting all utilities within TPU (Power, Rail, and Water).

Courtney started her Emergency Management career working for a county in Kentucky as a volunteer during a FEMA Declared Disaster, eventually becoming their Deputy Director. From there she moved one state south to lead the State of Tennessee Emergency Management as the State Exercise Officer and then across the country to Washington Emergency management in the same State Exercise Officer capacity.

Courtney has responded to and coordinated natural and human-caused disasters and planned events ranging from search and rescues, civil disobedience, tornados, gubernatorial inaugurations, high path avian influence and the largest firestorm in Tennessee’s (and East Coast) history (2016 Sevier County, Gatlinburg wildfire).

Courtney enjoys her spare time with her family (husband, 2 year old son, and their dog) hiking and exploring.

Eli King

Washington State Department of Commerce

Energy Emergency Management Director
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Elizabeth “Eli” King is the Director of Energy Emergency Management for Washington State and the lead for the state fuel action and emergency energy assurance plans. Mrs King is an internationally Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) and Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP). In addition to her daily responsibilities, Eli is an Instructor for FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, and the Washington State Emergency Management Division. She is certified to teach FEMA’s Incident Command System (ICS), Master Exercise Practitioner Program, Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Situational Awareness and Common Operating Picture (SA-COP), and the Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC). Mrs. King is also a co-founder of the Cascadia Virtual Operations Support Team (VOST), a cross-disciplinary initiative that provides social media monitoring and analysis to government agencies. In 2022 she was appointed to the national Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. The Commission plays a key role in recommending how federal agencies can better prevent, manage and suppress wildland fires.

Michelle Vargo

Seattle City Light

Chief Operating Officer

Michael Sandwick

Utility Response Training Associates, LLC

Managing Partner
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Michael Sandwick began his career in Emergency Services at the age of 19, working for the Los Angeles County Fire Department in their Wildland Division. After 4 years with Los Angeles County, Michael tested and was accepted into the Ventura County Fire Department, where he would enjoy a rewarding 36-year career.

During Michael’s 36 years at the Ventura County Fire Department, he would hold the position of Firefighter, Engineer, Captain, and Battalion Chief, including being the Training Chief. Michael has always felt fortunate in a career that allowed him to work on and command Rescue Squads, Truck Companies, Structural Fire Apparatus, Hazardous Materials Teams, Urban Search and Rescue, and Wildland Hand Crews and oversee a large Training Division.

Michael became involved with Federal Incident Command Teams in 1998 and felt honored to serve as a Division Section Chief, Operations Section Chief, and ultimately as an Incident Commander for over 18 years. Some of Michael’s highlights on the incident command teams include responding during the Space Shuttle recovery in Texas, Hurricane Katrina, and responding to fires throughout the United States as a command team member.

After retiring from the Ventura County Fire Department in 2016, Michael accepted a position with Southern California Edison, where he taught both FEMA Incident Command classes and Utility-specific Incident Command Classes to 28 Incident Command Teams. Michael would also act as a coach for the Southern California Edison teams when activated, along with serving as an Agency Representative at local Emergency Operations Centers.

Michael is a FEMA Certified Instructor for a number of All-Hazards Position Specific Courses and State Certified Instructor for the ICS 100-400 courses. He has presented courses in multiple states.

Michael became a Managing Partner with URTALLC in March of 2020 and has continued to instruct FEMA and utility-related courses. Michael also has worked with a local Type 3 Incident Management Team as a coach and mentor during their Covid 19 response.

Education has always played a part in Michael’s career. Michael has attended and instructed over 35 Incident Command System classes as the Training Chief for Ventura County Fire Department and for the Electrical Utilities. Michael also obtained his Bachelor of Science degree and a Master’s Degree in emergency management.

Michael is married to his wife Olivia, and they are the proud parents to 4 boys, including triplet sons. Michael has been active with his sons, coaching baseball, track, basketball, and football. Michael and his family enjoy the outdoors, including water skiing, sports, and traveling both in the United States and abroad.

Scott Holmquist

Utility Response Training Associates, LLC

Associate Partner
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Scott retired from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) as the Assistant Deputy Director of Fire Protection Operations, with over 40 years of experience in All-Hazard Emergency Incident Management response and training. Scott was certified as a Type 1 Incident Commander for CAL FIRE’s Incident Management Teams.

Scott founded Pursue It Consulting, providing incident management training and designing fire apparatus for a wide range of public and private sector clients across the United States and internationally. This has included providing fire prevention and fire mitigation services to several utility service providers, their contractors, and well as commercial and residential clients.

Scott worked four years for Pacific Gas & Electric Company as a Public Safety Specialist, which included serving as an Agency Representative/Company Representative on several All Hazard incidents and planned events, developing and/or being involved in workshops/seminars, and in tabletop and full-scale functional exercises, and serving as a Subject Matter Expert in developing incident management courses.

Scott is a FEMA Certified Instructor for a number of All-Hazards Position Specific Courses and State Certified Instructor for the ICS 100-400 courses. He has presented courses in multiple states.

Scott is a certified instructor for Emergency Operations Center training courses and FEMA All Hazards Position-Specific courses, including Incident Commander, Liaison Officer, and Operations Section Chief.

Scott has been an Associate Partner with URTA since January 2020.

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