Support the Mission of the Department of Emergency Services (DES); to promote and assist in providing safety and security to Chester County citizens so they can work, live, and grow in a healthy and safe community.
The Training & Exercise Coordinator works in close coordination with numerous County, regional, state, municipal, community groups, private sector, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force (SEPA RTF) partners to develop, coordinate, and execute community-wide disaster drills, exercises and training programs to enhance the county’s preparedness.
Under the direction of the Deputy Director for Emergency Management, the Training & Exercise Coordinator is responsible for the oversight of the County’s Emergency Management Training and Exercise Program, DES Exercise Design Team as well as the Department’s continuous improvement and corrective action planning, and Integrated Preparedness Plan.
This position requires availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This is an Essential Employee position.
All Department of Emergency Services employees are essential personnel and may be required to work during non-business hours for extended periods of time. Essential employee duties may involve assignments within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), deployment to a field location, or other duties as required during periods of emergencies or training/exercise. Emergency assignments may be performed under adverse conditions, continue for periods ranging from a few hours to several weeks, and may require travel.
• Lead the Chester County DES Training and Exercise Program
• Develop, maintain and execute a three-year integrated Preparedness Plan and conduct annual training workshops that correlate with the plan
• Identify needed emergency management training paths for stakeholders
• Develop, plan, conduct, coordinate and evaluate emergency management training programs for local emergency management organizations, emergency response agencies, County departments, and private organizations in accordance with the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) methodology
• Coordinate trainings alongside Southeastern Regional Task Force (SEPA RTF) partners as well as the Eastern Area Training Committee, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), when applicable
• Coordinate quarterly emergency management trainings
• Maintain records for all training and exercises
• Develop agendas, handouts, and presentation materials for discussion-based and operations-based exercises
• Coordinate the After-Action Review sessions and complete an After-Action Report/Improvement Plan for all exercises and real-event incident responses
• Update the Issue Resolution Tracker by assigning tasks to responsible team members, conducting status checks on recommended actions, and identifying and navigating risks to completion of recommended actions
• Coordinate grant and budget usage as it relates to training and exercises
• Liaison with the SEPA RTF by participating in the SEPA RTF Training and Exercise Subcommittee
• Create and disseminate training and exercise information through various methods such as email, social media, and the DES training website
• Assist with EOC activations and drills
• Participate in the on-call Watch Officer program
• Perform all other duties, tasks, and special projects, as assigned
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, in communications, Emergency Management/Public Safety, Public Administration or Adult Education, or the equivalent experience, training and/or education
• Five or more years of experience in emergency management, training and exercising, business continuity, or education
• All DES employees must successfully complete the following Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) courses within 6 months of hire:
• IS100 – Introduction to the Incident Command System
• IS200 – ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
• IS700– National Incident Management System, An Introduction
• IS800 – National Response Framework, An Introduction
• IS2200 – Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions
• Experience working with Pennsylvania Emergency Management laws and rules, for example, Title 35 PA CS and Title 6 US Code 313
• Completion of PEMA County Basic and/or Advanced Certification within the first 12 months of employment
• Understanding of the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP)
• Experience as an evaluator and/or facilitator using HSEEP methodology and terminology
• Knowledge and ability to communicate and implement ideas that lead to cooperative plans with multiple and diverse organizations, groups, and individuals
• Strong public speaking abilities in various environments
• Experience with creating presentations
• Accurate and detail oriented with strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to interface effectively with all levels of county government, public safety agencies, and stakeholders
• Strong time management and organizational skills with an ability to establish priorities
• Experience in disaster preparedness is preferred
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team and proceed with objectives
• Able to use common sense understanding to follow written and verbal instruction
• Flexible, with an ability to carry multiple tasks to completion within tight deadlines
• Exhibits a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn new tasks
• Ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and at all levels
• Professionalism, integrity, and honesty with an ability to handle confidential matters
• A valid driver's license is required
Preferred Skills, Knowledge & Experience:
• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Communications, Emergency Management/Public Safety, Public Administration or Adult Education or equivalent experience, training and/or education
• Five or more years of public safety/first responder experience
• Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) certification
• HSEEP Train-the-Trainer certification
• Completion of the FEMA Basic or Advanced Academy
• Experience with incident management and mass communication systems
• General knowledge and understanding of County of Chester policies and procedures
• General knowledge and understanding of Emergency Services policies and procedures
• Strong working knowledge of Chester County public safety agencies, their mission, vision, and goals as well as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
Relevant background checks, clearances, physicals, drug tests, and any other assessments or evaluations will be conducted after an offer of employment is given per County policy.
Computer Skills:
To perform this job successfully, an individual should have:
• Basic to Intermediate Office Suite Skills, (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Intermediate knowledge of records management systems
• Ability to learn County payroll system and onboarding database
• Ability to quickly learn internal software used by DES and the Emergency Management Division (Everbridge, Juvare/WebEOC, Guardian, DES Training, etc.)
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, lift 25 pounds to a height of up to 30 inches, carry 25 pounds for a distance of up to 300 feet, drive a vehicle, and talk or hear. Occasionally, the employee will need to reach or work with arms above shoulder height; bend at the waist while working; kneel, stoop, crouch or squat; and work with an uncommon level of noise. On rare occasions, the employee will need to climb or work on ladders, push items, twist or rotate at the waist while working, and taste or smell.
The special requirements for this position are:
• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less)
• Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)
• Ability to recognize and identify audible and visual signals
Work Environment:
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate depending on the assignment. Work assignments can change rapidly.
• Will occasionally be exposed to outside weather and adverse weather conditions
• Will be required to operate a motor vehicle; at times this may include hazardous driving conditions
Other:
• A valid driver’s license is required. May need to drive to remote locations.
• Ability to work extended hours during emergencies
• Will occasionally be required to work extended hours, nights, weekends, and holidays
• Ability to attend meetings on site and off site (various hours)
• Ability to travel to fire companies, municipalities, and facilities, transporting supplies in bad weather
• On-call time which may require working remotely
• Be part of the established on-call rotation for EOC activations