Governor Newsom deploys incident management resources and personnel to Tennessee amid deadly winter storm

What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom announced the deployment of a highly trained team from California to help the people of Tennessee respond and recover from the severe winter storm impacting the eastern United States.

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of a 30-member, California-based federal Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) to assist Tennessee with response and life safety efforts following a major snowstorm that caused dangerous travel conditions, thousands to lose power, and emergencies across the state that led to at least three deaths.

I'm thankful to the local firefighters, who are stepping up to help fellow Americans during their time of need. When disaster strikes, California answers the call to support our partners across the country. Deploying this Incident Management Team to Tennessee reflects a commitment to protecting lives and helping our neighbors respond and recover to extreme weather events.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The deployment comes as the eastern half of the country experienced heavy snowfall, ice accumulation, and subfreezing temperatures, resulting in hazardous road conditions, stranded motorists, and disruptions to critical infrastructure.

The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is facilitating the deployment of the California-based Complex Incident Management Team and resources to support response efforts in Tennessee. These deployments will help support Tennessee's response while maintaining California's emergency response readiness at home.

"California is proud to assist Tennessee with highly trained local government firefighters during this winter storm response," said Acting Cal OES Director Tina Curry. "Mutual aid ensures that states can rely on one another during extreme events, and California's firefighters are prepared to support life-saving operations wherever they are needed."

About Complex Incident Management Teams

Complex Incident Management Teams (CIMTs) are highly trained teams, consisting of federal and local government firefighters, designed to manage large-scale, complex emergencies that require advanced coordination, planning, and operational oversight. These teams support local and state authorities by providing incident command, operations, logistics, planning, and finance expertise during major disasters, including severe winter storms.

CIMTs help integrate incoming resources, establish effective incident management structures, and support unified command to ensure safe operations and response efforts are coordinated efficiently across jurisdictions.

Personnel deployed to support Tennessee are drawn from experienced fire agencies located in California with extensive backgrounds managing all-hazards incidents nationwide.

California's mutual aid leadership

California-based experts and resources have been deployed to a long list of state, national, and even international disasters. Last year, California resources responded to Washington, Alaska, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, Jamaica, Arizona, and Puerto Rico. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Ian, are among other events California has supported.