Core Services
The Operations Team is the response arm of the agency and, while not responding to an incident, spends its efforts in preparation for emergencies and disasters.  The response functions within the agency include:

Incident Management
The Operations Team devotes most of its energies to incident management. Staff are deeply trained in ICS, position-specific responsibilities, and overall incident coordination. The Operations Team assists incidents commanders and local responders in any areas of incident management requested.

Search and Rescue
The Search and Rescue team is a specialized sub-team within the Operations Team that trains and prepares for ground search and rescue operations, search management and technical search planning for inland missing person missions. The team also performs above-water recovery operations for drowning victims. This team is one of the state's most respected and requested assets for mutual aid. Team members have provided ground assets, search managers and search planners at the Lisa Stebic search, the Stacey Peterson search and other regional incidents.

Managed Incident Communications
Reporting to Logistics, Managed Incident Communications is charged with developing an incident communications plan, obtaining approval for the plan, and implementing the plan at the scene of significant incidents. Incident communicators spend some time on the radio, but devote much of their efforts to developing a managed communications plan, scribing major developments, scribing command staff decisions, issuing radios, and developing primary and redundant modes of communications between incident responders, the command post and the appropriate PSAPs.

Mass Casualty Incidents
The Operations Team manages the county's Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) trailer. The trailer has BLS, ILS, and ALS supplies to support up to 100 victims.  The Operations Team works with local hospitals to rotate consumable supplies and participates in regional and county disaster drills.

Severe Storm Coordination
McLean County EMA is charged with coordinating the county's severe storm spotter network. Managed at the County EOC, Operations Team members operate radio communications between the EOC and spotters and other elements of public safety. The EOC staff also coordinate with neighboring county EMAs and the National Weather Service.

Damage Assessment
The Operations Team is the lead damage assessment team in the county. McLean County is required to report storm damage to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Operations Team performs much of the structured damage assessment activities. The Operations Team also liaises with municipal EMAs and ESDAs who perform their own damage assessment activities. At the conclusion of all Damage Assessment activities, the McLean County EMA prepares a consolidated report for IEMA and the National Weather Service.

Winter Weather
In the event of significant inclimate winter weather, the Operations Team offers transportation services for critical employees, medicines and public safety responders. The agency can also check on the welfare of stranded motorists and arrange for a tow or transport the stranded motorists to aid stations. The Operations Team can also assist municipal EMAs, ESDAs and the American Red Cross of the Heartland on the staffing and supplying of shelters.

Supplemental Lighting & Power
The Operations Team maintains a number of generators and portable lighting units that can be utilized to power and light critical infrastructure and incident scenes.