Montana Disaster & Emergency Services — SECC Familiarization Series
Module 1: Why the SECC Uses ISM
A plain-language introduction to how Montana's State Emergency Coordination Center operates.
This short module introduces the Incident Support Model — the operating model Montana's State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC) is built around.
By the end, you'll understand what the SECC does, why it doesn't operate like a field incident command post, what the four activation levels mean, and how the SECC's work is organized. This module takes about 5 minutes.
This course is for anyone who wants to understand the SECC — DES and partner agency staff, local emergency managers evaluating their own EOC structure, and members of the public with an interest in how Montana coordinates disaster response.
The State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC) is Montana's hub for statewide disaster coordination. When a local jurisdiction, tribal nation, or state agency needs support during an emergency, the SECC is where that support gets organized.
The SECC does not respond to the scene of an incident and does not direct on-the-ground tactics. That job belongs to local incident commanders and field responders. The SECC's job is different — and that difference is the whole reason it's built on a different model than the one most emergency responders already know.
Builds and maintains a shared picture of what's happening statewide.
Helps match what's needed with what the state and its partners can provide.
Connects state agencies, tribal nations, local jurisdictions, and partner organizations.
Most people who've worked in emergency response know the Incident Command System (ICS) — the structure used to manage tactical operations at the scene of an incident. ICS is built around a chain of command: an Incident Commander directs Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Admin sections to execute a plan.
ICS works well because it's designed for exactly that job: directing people and resources at a specific incident. But the SECC isn't managing an incident scene — it's coordinating support across the whole state, often for multiple incidents or agencies at once, none of which the SECC directly commands.
The SECC doesn't run at full staffing all the time — it scales up and down to match the situation. Montana's Operations Manual defines four activation levels:
Day-to-day steady state. The Duty Officer monitors the state 24/7/365 and handles reportable incidents and requests for assistance.
A threat or situation has been identified that could escalate. Staff and select agencies are notified they may be needed; monitoring and coordination increase.
Multi-agency coordination is required. Essential SECC positions and partner agencies staff up; written products like the Incident Support Plan begin.
Significant, wide-reaching coordination is needed. Most or all SECC positions and state agency partners staff the center, sometimes around the clock.
Whatever the activation level, the SECC runs on one system of record: CORE. CORE stands for "Crisis Operations & Resource Exchange." It's where resource requests and tracking, position logs, situational awareness boards, and other incident information lives, so that everyone working in or with the SECC — regardless of section or agency — is working from the same information.
You'll see CORE referenced throughout this course and the SECC's tools and checklists. For this module, the important point is simple: the SECC's coordination work depends on a shared, current picture, not on information staying siloed within individual agencies.
Tap each item below to see why the SECC's coordination-focused design matters in practice.
Before moving on, here's what this module covered:
Statewide coordination and support — not on-scene tactical command.
Built specifically for the coordination-center role, distinct from field ICS.
Four activation levels — Normal, Enhanced Monitoring, Partial, Full — scale staffing to the situation.
Module 2 goes deeper into the ICS-vs-ISM comparison — useful whether you work in the SECC, lead a local EOC, or are simply curious how the two models differ.
These questions are just here to reinforce the key ideas from this module. There's no score and no pressure — take your best shot and read the explanation either way.
1. What is the SECC's primary role during an emergency?
2. Why does the SECC use ISM instead of a standard ICS structure?
3. Which activation level involves 24/7 Duty Officer monitoring with no additional staffing?
4. What system does the SECC use as its shared system of record for incident information?
Content in this module is drawn from the Montana DES SECC Operations Manual (2026) and related SECC tools. This is a familiarization course; it is not a substitute for position-specific training or the manual itself.