The Southeast Nebraska Incident Management Assistance Team (SEN-MAT) is getting national honors for the work it does on the region’s toughest days.
The Incident Management Teams Association (IMTA) honored SEN-MAT with the 2026 Incident Management Team Award at the beginning of the month.
Every year, the award recognizes one Incident Management Team or Incident Management Assistance Team in the nation that has gone above and beyond to support IMTA’s mission and activities.
SEN-IMAT is made up of emergency management professionals from Saline, Seward, Cass, Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Thayer and York counties.
IMTA said SEN-IMAT embodies the mission of the All-Hazards Incident Management Team Association through its steadfast commitment to advancement across disciplines.
SEN-IMAT pioneered Nebraska’s first regional Type 3 All-Hazards IMAT. In doing so, it developed comprehensive standard operating guidelines, rigorous training cycles and community-based exercise programs.
The team assists communities during hazards, such as tornadoes, active shooters and wildfires, through command, planning and logistical support. It supports elected officials, administrators and emergency managers by helping navigate complex issues and provide stabilization.
It can also help manage large, complex events.
In a press release, IMTA said SEN-MAT deployments during hazards have reduced risk to life and property and protects governance, fiscal authority and continuity at the local level, especially when those systems are under stress.
“When our team comes in, it’s because it’s a bad day,” John McKee, Saline/Jefferson County Emergency Manager, said. “We’re there looking ahead, trying to plan to stay on top of the incident and make sure we’ve got resources available.”
McKee said the team was surprised to receive the national recognition. A handful of SEN-MAT team members accepted the award at the Incident Management Assistance conference in Tacoma, Washington.
“We were very shocked,” McKee said. “For Southeast Nebraska to win when we’re up against the rest of the country, we were very surprised and very happy. We want to keep striving forward and keep advancing."
The IMTA press release said SEN-IMAT’s achievements are not the product of a single initiative or person, but represent over 15 years of persistence, ambition, mentorship and knowledge.
“What has been achieved in Southeast Nebraska is the result of grit, determination and an unwavering belief that better systems are possible,” IMTA said. “When barriers emerged, the team found solutions; when doors closed, they built new pathways forward, adapting nationally established best practices to meet local needs.”
McKee and others in the area have wanted to build this system for well over a decade, and over the past few years, they received the necessary support from the state. The team has managed thousands of dollars in grant funding and everything has come together. McKee said he loves working with everyone in the region and helping the area during crises.
McKee said SEN-IMAT is extremely thankful to its government officials, commissioners and supervisors for providing them with the resources they needed. He said the team’s success would not be possible without their support.
“SEN-IMAT reflects the very best of who we are: pragmatic, resilient, collaborative and committed to service,” IMTA said in a press release. “This team has not only elevated regional incident management capabilities but has also laid the foundation for Nebraska to define its own standard of excitement and contribute meaningfully to local, state and federal missions.”
