Area Command Teams (ACT) are professional senior-level Management Teams available to assist local agencies when the complexity or magnitude of an emergency situation, hazardous incident, or wildland fire exceeds the capacity and span of control for the local unit.

When a wildland fire starts, initial resources are dispatched from the local, State, and/or Federal agency.  As the incident grows in size and complexity, an Incident Management Team (IMT) (i.e. Type 1 or 2 or other) may be ordered to oversee management of the incident.  At anytime, there could be a lightning episode starting additional fires in the same general area requiring assignment of additional IMT's.  Before you know it, the local unit is overseeing several large incidents, each with their own IMT.  It may be time to order an Area Command Team.

In the case of a hurricane or other hazardous incident, the sheer size of the area involved may require the covered area to be divided and subsequently managed by multiple IMT's.  It may be time to order an Area Command Team.

In general, when an Agency Administrator (AA) (i.e. Forest Supervisor, Park Superintendent, State Forester, Area Manager, etc) is overseeing multiple incidents with IMT's assigned, an Area Command Team can provide the leadership needed to get through the life of the incident(s).  ACT's will assist the AA in setting overall strategy and priorities, allocating critical resources, ensuring incidents are properly managed, and ensuring objectives are met and strategies followed.

Area Command Teams (ACT) provide strategic leadership by setting the standard for safe, cost effective incident management. A primary role of Area Command is to coordinate the determination and implementation of overall objectives and strategies for incidents, set priorities for the allocation of critical resources within an area, and facilitate the effective use of resources within the area.

Specifically, Area Command Teams manage multiple complex incidents with three or more Type 1, or a combination including Type 2 or Type 3 Incident Management Teams in a geographic or sub-geographic area. Area Command are generally mobilized when the magnitude of the emergency situation exceeds the capacity of the local unit.

Area Command Teams are organized and managed by the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID.  Currently, there are three (Land Management) Area Command Teams in the United States:

• Area Command Team 1

• Area Command Team 2

• Area Command Team 3

Each Area Command Team consists of

• Area Commander

• Assistant Area Commander, Plans

• Assistant Area Commander, Logistics

• Area Command Aviation Coordinator

• Additional positions, as deemed necessary at the time, may include:
  Facilities Unit Leader (Logistics)
  Information Officer (Command)
  Resource Unit Leader (Plans)
  Situation Unit Leader (Plans)

Experience 

• Years of senior leadership and incident management experience

• Former Type 1 Incident Commanders

• Managed project fires in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington

• In addition to wildland fire, Area Command Teams have also managed various FEMA assignments including Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, and Rita