Incident Response Group, LLC

30+ Years of Marine
& All-Hazard
Incident Management

When every second counts, you need a partner you can trust.

Serving businesses and government entities in Alaska & the “lower 48”

Unplanned incidents can cost time, money, and important relationships, often leaving organizations with long-term impact to their bottom line. With over 30 years of hands-on incident management experience, we provide critical support and training to address immediate needs, protect your reputation, and ensure a coordinated, effective response.

How We Can Help You

Incident Response Services Address incidents

We supply qualified personnel to fill Command and General staff positions during critical incidents.

Program Design
and Development Prevent Incidents

We help build sustainable in-house incident command programs so your team is prepared for the future — and whatever comes with it.

Incident
Response Training Leverage our experience into your organization

Build qualified leaders within your team as our technical experts mentor your staff. We reinforce effective incident management through tailored drills and exercises.

Incident OPA 90 Management
Compliance Analysis Prepare in advance of your incident

Stay compliant and prepare for incidents before they occur. We conduct thorough evaluations of your OPA 90 compliance to ensure your incident management programs meet performance and regulatory standards.

We’ve Seen It All. We Can Guide You Through It All

30+ Years of Experience

While many firms offer a wide range of services, they often lack the specialized expertise that defines our approach. With over three decades of incident management experience, we deliver the focused knowledge necessary for successful incident outcomes.

Third-Party Expertise

Unexpected incidents can magnify risks, escalate costs, and expose vulnerabilities. Our consulting bridges those gaps, delivering support to navigate complex incidents while managing critical stakeholder outreach. With us at your side, you can address, prevent, and be prepared for your next unplanned incident.

Experience When It Matters Most

We understand that unplanned incidents carry significant costs — not just financial, but to the well-being of your and your organization's reputation. We act fast and draw upon our real-world experience to minimize damage, identify clear incident objectives, and prioritize first things first.

Incident Response Group –
Training and Qualifications

Marine Environments

All-Hazard & Incident Management

U.S. Department of Homeland Security: WMD Incident Complexities, Command and General Staff Functions in National Incident Management System
U.S. National Fire Academy: All Hazard Incident Management Team
National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group: Advanced Incident Management Team
National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group: Advanced Incident Information
NIMS Intermediate and Advanced Incident Management Team
National Qualifications: Type 1 Information Officer, Liaison Officer
NIMS Qualified Instructor: ICS Command and General Staff Position-Specific Training

Expertise Found in Experience

Jim Butler's leadership and decades of first-hand experience in incident management supports your team and response organization and sets the industry standard. His extensive experience managing complex events, from oil spill, floods, and volcanoes to wildfires, speaks for his commitment and resilience in adversity.

M/V Genius Star XI lithium-ion battery cargo fire. January 2024. Unified Command Liaison Officer

AK Type-1 National Team August Complex, North CA, August 2020 / Liaison Officer

Swan Lake Fire, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, June to Oct 2019 / Agency Representative

AK Type-1 National Team Sobrannes Fire, Monterey CA, August 2016 / Liaison Officer

AK Type-1 National Team Kiniksu Fire Complex, ID/WA Border, August 2015 / Liaison Officer

Kirby Marine Barge DBL 106 Grounding 2014

Funny River Wildland Fire, Kenai Peninsula AK, May 2014 / Agency Representative

AK Type-1 National Team Mississippi Fire, Delta AK, August 2013 / Liaison Officer

MDU Kulluk Debris Salvage, Jan to May 2013 / Liaison Officer

F/V Lone Star Sinking 2013

AK Type-1 National Team Trinity Ridge Fire, Idaho City, ID, August 2012 / Liaison Officer

Tug Polar Wind and Barge Unimak Trader Grounding 2012

Tug Aries Sinking, Cargo Barge Recovery, Bering Sea, June 2011 / Dep. Incident Commander

Tsunami Response, Crescent City CA, 2011 / Plans Chief

Tug Pathfinder Grounding Valdez, AK, December 2009 / Public Information, Liaison Officer

OSV Monarch Sinking, Cook Inlet, AK, January 2009 / Dep. Incident Commander, Liaison Officer

AK Type-1 National Team (LOFR) Siskiyou / Blue Complex, August 2008 / Liaison Officer

T/V Seabulk Pride Grounding, Cook Inlet, AK, January 2006 / Public Information / Liaison Officer

M/V Selendang Ayu Oil Spill Dutch Harbor, AK, November 2004 / Contract Administration

Fall Flood / Wind Disaster Southcentral AK, October 2002 / Agency Liaison

F/V Windy Bay Sinking, Prince William Sound, AK, August 2001 / Contract Administration

Icicle Seafood Plant Explosion / Evacuation Homer AK, July 1998 / Plans Section Agency Liaison

M/V Kuroshima Oil Spill, Dutch Harbor, AK, November 1997 / Contract Administration

M/V Fortuna Reefer Grounding 1997 / Puerto Rico

Crowley Barge Oregon Capsize 1997

Millers Reach Wildland Fire, Wasilla AK, June 1996 / Alaska Special Counsel for FEMA issues

Barge Boxer Grounding 1996 / Western Alaska

Southcentral Flood Southcentral AK, October 1995 / Special Counsel for FEMA issues

Mt. Redoubt Volcano Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK, December 1989 / Plans Section Chief

T/V Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK, April 1989 / Local on scene coordinator

James N. Butler, III

A Leader in Incident Command Training & Crisis Management

Jim Butler has spent over 30 years developing and delivering incident command staff training and ICS program implementation advice. Jim provides essential training for local governments and multinational oil companies in Alaska and the “Lower 48”, focusing on your incident management team dynamics and effective communications during incidents.

When he’s not training teams, you’ll find Jim on the front lines during manmade and natural disasters. He plays key roles on incident management teams, serving as an information officer, liaison officer, and incident commander support functions when it matters most.

He’s been engaged firsthand on Presidential Presidential and state-declared disasters, hazardous materials incidents, and wildfires that require evacuations, as well as complex marine casualty and oil pollution incidents in oil pollution responses in tough, remote areas.

Education:

Why Clients Trust Incident Response Group

“I have worked with Jim in his capacity as a member of the Command Staff on large complex Type-1 incidents as well as an instructor during incident command training programs. When on an assignment, he consistently leverages his unique experience and qualifications in a manner that advances the mission of his IMT members. In the classroom, he shares his insights and expertise in the application of ICS with various incident scenarios in his friendly style that regularly gets high marks from his students. Jim’s expertise in the incident command system coupled with his legal background makes him a valuable addition to any high functioning IMT.”

Type 1 NWCG & FEMA Public Information Officer, Retired Municipal Deputy Fire Chief, Tom Kempton

Senior Project Manager, National Salvage and Diving Company, Kerry Walsh

“Jim served as our lead Liaison Officer on numerous types of fire assignments in Alaska and throughout the Western U.S. His diplomacy in coordinating outreach with agencies brought cooperation and local knowledge into the management framework. Jim’s expertise in addressing specific concerns of local government and public interests proved valuable to the overall success of our complex and challenging assignments.”

Type 1 Interagency Incident Management Team Incident Commander, Tom Kurth

30+ Years of Marine & All-Hazard Incident Management