Emergency manager urges clear declaration rules, message discipline in wildfire tabletop

Rich Oakes, Teton County emergency manager, told the Jackson town council and Teton County commission that clear lines of authority and consistent public messaging are key in fast-breaking disasters.

"The incident commander is the person that is on scene that's managing the tactics and the life safety issues," Oakes said, describing how the NIMS/ICS structure separates on-scene command from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). He said the EOC's role is to "facilitate resource requests" and synthesize information for elected officials rather than manage tactical operations.

The presentation laid out three planning documents — the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), the all-hazards recovery plan and the hazard mitigation plan — and explained how emergency and disaster declarations cascade from town to county to state and, if needed, to a presidential (Stafford Act) declaration. Oakes stressed that declarations matter not only for authority but for reimbursement: "The declaration is the town or the county saying this is when the problem started," he said, noting that spending before a declaration may not be eligible for federal reimbursement.

During a scenario inject about a fast-moving Crystal Butte wildfire, officials discussed whether the hypothetical conditions warranted an emergency or a disaster declaration. Several commissioners said they would favor delegation of authority so professional incident commanders could act quickly; one commissioner summarized the exercise as a direction to "ratify things as quickly as we can so that the professionals get the keys." Oakes said declarations can be ratified later if circumstances require.

The seminar also focused on public messaging. Oakes described the joint information system (ESF-15) led by county and town public information officers and urged elected officials to rely on coordinated talking points to avoid mixed messages. "We want our partners at the state, with the nonprofits, sharing the message that they're specifically putting out," he said.

On recovery, Oakes recommended elected officials start recovery planning during response, prioritizing public infrastructure and community needs. He warned that individual assistance from FEMA is rare in Wyoming and said a disaster declaration strengthens requests for public assistance.

The seminar closed with a promise to compile an after-action report and a request for participating officials to submit feedback via an exercise form that staff will use to refine plans and processes.

Next steps: staff will synthesize exercise feedback into an after-action report and may return annually to refresh elected officials on roles, authorities and communications protocols.