Thursday, November 1, 2012

The Blue Cell Intel Summary Vol.2 Issue 11


Blue Cell Formalizes Deployments Services Group Processes and Capabilities

The Blue Cell, LLC is proud to announce the operational timeline for the official launch of its Deployment Services Group (DSG). Under conceptual development for the past year, the official launch was delayed by the acquisition of Command School TTX. However, that particular delay created the catalyst; in the development process, the decision was made to add logistic and planning support capabilities to the deployment packages. The packages are designed in 2 to 6 person elements to support incident command posts, emergency operations centers and private industry locations in real world incidents.
From a system perspective, the state-to-state mutual aid agreement that would be used is called the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. This national system has been ratified by Congress in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, because the sending state makes the decision as to whom to offer up and send to the requesting state, the wrong tool has often been sent to do the job. States lacking credentialing systems or with other leadership and or management flaws have had a tendency to make incorrect decisions on whom they deploy.
To best serve our customers from a deployment services perspective, The Blue Cell, LLC has taken the following steps. All Blue Cell, LLC contracts and agreements from its other service groups (training, exercise, consulting and technical) now automatically includes a clause allowing customers to access the Blue Cells deployments services in a real world emergency. The Blue Cell, LLC now carries its own errors and omission, liability and workman compensation insurance package specific to deployment situations. The Blue Cells updated website will include, on its deployment services page, short dossiers on its deployment personnel. Those personnel effective January 1st will carry a Blue Cell issued credential that is QR bar coded. That bar code can be read by any smart phone and takes the reader to a password protected long dossier page for the resource. This page will include additional information on the resource and a scanned pdf copy of every certification and credential the resource has that can be downloaded and printed.
To enhance the DSG capabilities The Blue Cell is pursuing “Pro”contracts with an independent communications company, several companies with private jets to support getting the DSG to disaster areas, additional aerial photography capabilities and the top tactical gear supplier to keep the DSG outfitted.
The last step the DSG will employ is called check down. The process is how The Blue Cell, LLC will quickly assess the readiness status of DSG members, make direct contact with specific clients and, in event of a deployment, decide whether the direct contract clause is appropriate, a secondary contract is needed or if EMAC is the route to take to get the DSG moving to the client. In support of this new capability, the technical services group is making upgrades to The Blue Cell app. The company is working with the leading custom trailer manufacturers and Reeves ICP on a 35 foot deployment trailer to support its specific operational needs. The trailer will adorn a new DSG logo upon completion.
Like many things, the public sector needs private enterprise to enhance its efforts. The world of incident command and emergency management is no different. This endeavour for the company is a huge step in making our other service groups stronger, because there is no substitute for real world experience.