Incident Management for IT Operations & Security - Level 1
Level 1 Certification for Incident Commanders and Key Responders
This training program equips IT incident responders, leaders and subject matter experts with the tools, frameworks, and mindset to lead and manage incidents as efficiently and strategically as possible. Built around the concepts of fire department incident operations, this course emphasizes efficiency, clarity, and high-speed collaboration and communication under pressure.
"The training content effectively reinforced key soft skills, such as communication, decision-making, and leadership. The scenarios and exercises provided practical applications that helped in understanding and applying these skills in real-world situations." - Parima
Duration: Four 2-hour Sprints
Delivery: Virtual live
Course objectives
- Transform reactive incident handling into a proactive, strategic discipline
- Reduce Mean Time to Assemble (MTTA) and Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR)
- Strengthen team communication under operational stress
- Build command presence and lead with clarity
- Identify and address common human behavior challenges during incidents
- Establish and optimize command structures for scalable operations
Key features
- Sprint-based format: Each session builds on the previous session, emphasizing applied practice and active participation.
- Core tools: CAN Reports, IMS Briefings, and the Operational Maturity Model.
- Behavioral insight: Practical strategies for managing disruptive team dynamics and personalities under stress.
- Live simulations: Each sprint includes small group exercises designed to simulate real world incident conditions and command decision-making.
- Cross-functional role play: Participants practice the key roles including Incident Commander, Liaison Officer [communications], and incident documentation to build a comprehensive skill set.
The curriculum blends technical best practices, leadership development, communication strategies, and human behavior insights to build high-performing incident response teams.
“The training was very well paced and informative. It sets a baseline of what is expected of each position and how they should communicate and work together effectively.” – Dustin
Who should attend?
IT and DevOps professionals, Incident Response team members, Technical Leads and Engineering managers, Business Continuity and Crisis management personnel, anyone seeking to improve communication, coordination, and leadership during operational incidents
This course is also available as a custom offering. Please contact us at cstudies@unbc.ca to set up a course date that works for you and your organization.
Learning Outcomes
- Lead and coordinate incident responses confidently using structured roles and protocols
- Communicate effectively with both technical teams and executive stakeholders
- Evaluate and improve their organization’s incident maturity level
- Navigate difficult personalities and maintain team engagement in high-pressure environments
- Apply a measurable, improvement-focused mindset to incident response
Course Requirements
Students must have a computer with a webcam in order to attend class and participate in exercises and knowledge checks. Attendance is mandatory.
Course Prerequisites
No prerequisites for Level 1. This course fulfills the prerequisite requirement for enrollment in any Incident Management for IT Operations Level 2 training.
Details
Course Format
The Level 1 certification course is organized into four Sprints of two hours each conducted over Zoom. All Sprints are led by Blackrock 3 Partners personnel, with a lead instructor providing instructional content, coaching, and immediate feedback on participant engagement.
Each Sprint will combine lecture and small-group exercises using Breakout Rooms, so that participants can practice the roles, skills and tactics discussed during the lecture.
About Our Partner - Blackrock 3
Blackrock 3 Partners maximize uptime during high severity IT incidents by assessing, training, evaluating and exercising incident response teams. With deep global experience in Incident Management and Critical Infrastructure, we combine a unique mix of expertise and ingenuity to maximize IT Uptime in your organization. We’ll show your team how to respond to IT emergencies more efficiently, more predictably and more confidently with strong incident leadership.
Instructors
Rob Schnepp
Rob's emergency response career spans 30 years in international public safety as a Special Operations Fire Chief, Incident Commander, consultant and published author. Rob is on the curriculum development team and teaches Special Operations at the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Academy.
Rob authored Hazardous Materials: Awareness and Operations and serves on the Fire Engineering magazine editorial advisory board, and the Fire Department Instructors Conference executive advisory board. Rob has developed risk assessment, incident management and incident command training for Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments, and US national laboratories.
Ron Vidal
Ron’s corporate career spans 35 years as a senior executive in critical infrastructure disciplines of metro/long haul/subsea fiber optic networks, data centers, oil & gas, power systems and capital markets. Ron has advocated technology public policy to Members and staff of United States Congress, Commissioners and staff of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Commissioners and staff of the California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York Public Utility Commissions (PUC).
Ron is a volunteer firefighter, and former Chair of the Emergency Preparedness Commission in Mill Valley, California and a technical peer reviewer for FEMA’s Assistance for Firefighter Grant (AFG) program.
Course Cancellations
Please note that courses may be cancelled at any time due to low enrolment. Upon cancellation, registrants will receive a full refund.
