MISSION

Leadership

William Hanlon Director Q

Erik Neilsen Deputy Director Q

The Coast Guard Incident Command System (ICS) is designed to bring order to response operations. As a federally designated maritime first responder, the Coast Guard provides personnel with knowledge and expertise during national emergency responses such as search and rescue, oil spills, hazardous substance releases, terrorism, marine fires, natural disasters, and multi-casualty incidents.

The Auxiliary supports the U.S. Coast Guard in its emergency management role via the Q-Directorate. The Emergency Management and Disaster Response Directorate is responsible for administering Auxiliary preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation of natural and man-made disasters. We assist in the training and qualification of members who wish to work in the field, manage and support deployed personnel, develop training materials, plan response drills, and provide emergency response resources. The Auxiliary performs these roles via emergency management professionals at District and National staff levels. 

AUXILIARY POSITIONS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Emergency Management (EM) is the general field name for the practice of organizing efforts to mitigate and respond to emergencies and disasters. The District Staff Officer for Emergency Management (DSO-EM) and Assistant District Staff Officers for Emergency Management (ADSO-EM) coordinate EM programs at the district level. At the national staff level, the Emergency Management and Disaster Response Directorate (Q-Directorate) supports the districts by providing procedural oversight for Auxiliary emergency management functions.

Staff positions are available at the national level in the Q-Directorate for qualified Auxiliarists interested in serving in this capacity. Some do not require emergency management experience. If interested in the emergency management career field, working in the Q-Directorate is a great opportunity to develop skills while supporting Coast Guard missions.

Some ICS positions directly support Coast Guard units. The Coast Guard Agency Representative (CG-AREP) represents a Coast Guard Sector while serving in a local or county Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

During incident command system activation, there is a hierarchy command structure for the individuals who manage the response to an incident. Lead by an Incident Commander (IC) or Area Commander for large-scale events, support is provided by command staff, general staff, section chiefs & unit leaders. Each of these roles requires successful completion of Personal Qualification Standards (PQS) for each level. Most higher positions require qualification in positions supervised, advanced management training, and real-world experience.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Auxiliarists interested in becoming involved in emergency management (EM) are encouraged to start with the Emergency Management Career Progression Guide. This guide provides members seeking to advance in the field with a general understanding of emergency management functions and the Incident Command System (ICS). Extensive references and an overview of how EM roles interact are included, demonstrating an organized path for building the knowledge and proficiency needed to support Coast Guard efforts in restoring order following emergency incidents.

An Auxiliary member interested in a specific ICS position starts at the entry level and follows a defined emergency management career progression. Prior career knowledge or experience may be helpful in picking a course of training.

There are four primary ICS paths:
• Operations
• Logistics
• Planning
• Finance/Administration.

The first step is to get a copy of the current U.S. Coast Guard ICS Training Job Aid. This is the authoritative source for gaining qualifications and it must be reviewed before you begin the ICS training process. It details the four basic ICS competencies and how to progress from one level to the next.

Clicking EM Career Options in the menu on the left of this page will provide links to EM/ICS training and qualification materials.

The DSO-EM is a good resource for determining which ICS positions are needed locally. When disaster strikes, qualified individuals are urgently needed to provide emergency response and support. Those known to be trained, experienced, and readily available are most often called upon to serve in these roles.