An international consultant with 40 years of experience in emergency response, I retired from the USDA Forest Service in September, 2002, and formed JER Consulting LLC. In addition to my consulting work for corporate, state, federal and international entities and NGOs, I still work part-time for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. I began conducting Incident Command System (ICS) training in the mid 1980s when the ICS was first introduced. During the final years of Government service, I served 8 years as Director the Federal Government’s National Interagency Center in Arizona specializing in NIMS/ICS Training and Advanced Incident Management.
My career began as a firefighter in 1972 prior to graduation from Oklahoma State University in 1973 with a BS degree in Forestry. I began serving on National Incident Management Teams in the early 1980s. I became certified in Area Command in 1987 and served with National Area Command Teams through 2005. My pre-requisite experience came from qualifications as Incident Commander Type 1, Operations Chief Type 1 and Planning Section Chief Type 1. My most recent experience was serving as Incident Commander for an NGO providing orphan relief in Haiti that included a combination of delivering relief supplies and mapping locations with GPS coordinates for orphanages and churches providing orphan care.
As a consultant specializing in building capacity for emergency response, I have crafted ICS training courses with practical exercises geared directly to common and non-traditional client challenges in dealing with foreign animal disease, plant or pest control/eradication issues, public health, food safety, beef or poultry industry issues, and pet evacuation and sheltering. To further understand client needs in response and coordination, I have personally completed training in Emergency Support Functions ESF #4, ESF #8, ESF #11 plus the Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Training and Toolkit Training courses. As a training developer, I created one of the first ESF #11 orientation courses and I have developed and implemented both HSEEP compliant discussion-based exercises and HSEEP compliant operational exercises.
John is fully certified as a lead instructor for NIMS/ICS courses (100 through 400 levels) as well as All Hazard Position Specific courses in Command, Planning and Operations. He holds instructor certifications with USDA, NWCG, DHS, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security and OSU Fire Service Training (OSU-FST). Additionally, he has completed the HSEEP Exercise Design training requirements for compliant HSEEP exercise development. The partial list below highlights the variety of experience and courses conducted. Please contact JER Consulting LLC with queries about modifications or special subjects.
John is current on both the basic and advanced recommended training required for UN consultants and he has completed the State Department’s Private Sector Security Overseas seminar (PSOS). John’s qualifications, his early access to critical alert data and his extensive network with key public agencies insure that he can quickly marshal the data and resources required to address even non-traditional emergency response challenges.
As a consultant specializing in building capacity for emergency response, I have crafted ICS training courses with practical exercises geared directly to common and non-traditional client challenges in dealing with foreign animal disease, plant or pest control/eradication issues, public health, food safety, beef or poultry industry issues, and pet evacuation and sheltering. To further understand client needs in response and coordination, I have personally completed training in Emergency Support Functions ESF #4, ESF #8, ESF #11 plus the Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Training and Toolkit Training courses. As a training developer, I created one of the first ESF #11 orientation courses and I have developed and implemented both HSEEP compliant discussion-based exercises and HSEEP compliant operational exercises.
Instructor Experience
- DHS/NWCG: NIMS/ICS All levels – Advanced
- Lead/mentor: All Hazard Incident Management Team Training
- All Hazard Position Specific Training: Command, Plans, and Operations
- USDA – National Level Instructor
- OSU Fire Service Training certified
- Oklahoma Homeland Security – Advanced ICS
- NWCG Certified Instructor
U.S. Experience
- SME: Dept of State, Anti-Terrorism Assistance, 2013: Curriculum Development; Crisis Management Exercise Design.
- Response Team Member: Moore, OK, 2013: Member/Consultant, Moore Tornado Ag. IMT; Planning & EOC operations.
- University of Hawaii; 2013: TTX Exercise Design & Delivery.
- Consultant: Langston University; 2012-2013: Developmental tactics: disease response & organization for small/underserved producers and Native Americans.
- Planner/Exercise Director: National Level FMD functional exercise 2012: (14) States + APHIS HQ.
- Trainer: USDA MAC training, 2012.
- Consultant: APHIS-Animal Care response teams.
- Coach/Evaluator: USDA MAC Group (Multi-agency response Coordination for the 29 USDA agencies). Dept. of Homeland Security 2011 National Exercise.
- Consultant: Arkansas Livestock & Poultry Commission HSEEP compliant functional exercise 2011.
- Consultant: North Carolina Dept of Ag & Consumer Services, 2010. Project involving state and industry participants to design state incident cmd structure; develop & deliver workshop, seminar & tabletop series.
- Consultant: APHIS, 2010. Design, develop & deliver ESF #11 training academy for Desk Officers.
- Development/Lead Instructor: HSEEP Compliant Exercises 2009-2010; Discussion-based and Ops-based; State & Federal; Command/General Staff.
- Lead Instructor: All-Hazard position training 2009-2011; Command, Ops, Plans.
- Consultant: 2008 Louisiana + APHIS. Animal care, pet sheltering / evacuation exercise & plan.
- Consultant: 2008 Multi-State Partnership for Security in Agriculture. Agricultural support in disaster response – ESF#11 orientation.
- Consultant/Training: 2008 Athens Regional Med. Ctr., GA Public Health, St. Mary’s Hosp. & Univ. of GA. Specialized I-300 training.
- Consultant: 2006-2008, Hawaii Dept. of Ag. Plant/Pest & Ag. Organization Mgmt./ Emergency Response.
- Consultant: General Mills Inc. ICS planning and organization.
- Consultant: Poultry Corporation w 65% US market share product. Company emergency poultry disease response planning.
- Incident Commander: Oklahoma State-wide Wildfire Response 2006.
- Area Command Plans Chief: Hurricane Katrina; assisting FEMA Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge, La. 2005. + (Served AC Plans on Hurricanes Georges/Floyd.)
- World Trade Center Disaster: Sept/Oct 2001. Served with Incident Mgt. Team responsible for support to Search & Rescue efforts.
- Emergency Planning & Training with multi-state Poultry Industry Corporations.”]
Training/Simulation Development
- Joint Special Operations Task Force – Trans-Sahara: Developed Nigeria tabletop joint civil-military exercise.
- APHIS + Hawaii DOA – ESF#11 Orientation.
- Developed USDA APHIS Cmd & General Staff Training.
- Developed USDA APHIS Cmd & General Staff Field Operations Guide.
- USDA International Coordination Group: High Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Adaptionion – Incident Command Systems in the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
- APHIS PPQICS plant/pest exercises.
International Experience
- Rabat, Morocco, 2014: DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Security; Ant-Terrorism, Train the Trainer.
- Kabul, Afghanistan, 2014: DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Seucrity, Anti-Terrorism, Crisis Mgt Exercise Design, Lead Instructor.
- Nairobi, Kenya, 2014: DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Security; Anti-Terrorism; Pilot delivery, Crisis Mgt. Exercise Design.
- Amman, Jordan, 2013: DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Security; Anti-Terrorism Exercise Design, Lead Instructor.
- General Santos, Philippines & Tblisi, Georgia (2 sessions), 2013: DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Security; Anti-Terrorism Assistance Training + Emergency Mgt Exercise Design.
- Burkina Faso & Panama, 2012: DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Security; Anti-Terrorism Assistance Training/Exercise.
- Rome, Italy, 2012: UN – Specialized ICS training & exercise applications for UN-FAO
- Cananeia, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2011: S. American Countries (12) Training / Exercise, trans-boundary disease response and inter-country coordination.
- Guantanamo, Cuba, 2011: DOD – US Naval Hospital; Specialized ICS training & exercise applications.
- Blue Creek, Beliz, 2011: Assist Beliz Poultry Assoc. during “Fowl Typhoid“ outbreak – response.
- London, England, 2010: England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland: one of three American representatives; EU compliant Foot & Mouth Disease international exercise.
- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2010: OIE, FAO, PAHO, CaribVet, IICA, CIRAD: Avian Influenza/ICS +exercises for multi-national organizations representing 32 countries/territories.
- Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2010, World Orphans (NGO): Incident Commander and Strategic Planning for the Haiti Orphans Relief Team (HORT).
- Accra/Kumasi/Tamale, Ghana, 2009, Dept. of State/USAID (3 sessions): ICS & On-Farm Biosecurity Training for poultry farmers, Customs, Police, Immigration, Ministry of Ag. – Vet. Services & Nat’l Disaster Mgt. Organization participants.
- Kololi, Gambia, 2008: 5 countries, ICS & Multi-agency coordination training & exercises. Ag + Security Forces, UN Disaster Planning, CDC,in Nigeria & Ghana.
- Belize, C.A., 2008: Multi-agency Coordination & ICS workshop & exercises. International/National/ District/Village level emergency on-scene response and off-site coordination structure.
- Bamako, Mali, 2008, W. African Countries Coalition: 16 countries, emergency response country planning & development; ICS training / exercise.
- Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), 2007: ICS/Response Planning – Avian Influenza. Caribbean/Central America.
- Rome, Italy, 2007, UN/FAO Crisis Mgt. Center: Avian Influenza Response; ICS for Executives & organizational planning.
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2007, Ministry of Ag & US Aid for International Disasters (USAID): Avian Influenza ICS / Response Planning and tabletop exercise.
- San Juan, PR., USDA & Puerto Rico: ICS Ag. response planning and training.
In his free time, John E. Roberts runs non-profit Serving Christ Ministries — a faith-based evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical nourishment to suffering children, demonstrating God’s love for them and improving their quality of life.