Unit 4B – Fire Preparedness

1. Unit 4B – Fire Preparedness

2. Objectives • List responsibilities which define • levels of pre-suppression preparedness. • Describe the steps necessary to hire, train, equip and staff a fire organization. • Describe the fire prevention planning • process and how it is integrated into • the fire management program.

3. Introduction • All positions in the fire organization have an inherent level of responsibility and accountability • As a Fire Program Manager, your primary responsibility is the……… Safety of your Employees and to insure that your fire organization is in a high state of preparedness and readiness.

4. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary • Prepare: • To make ready beforehand for some purpose, use or activity. • 2. To workout the details of: plan in advance. • 3. To put into written form. Preparedness: The quality or state of being prepared.

5. National Wildfire Coordinating Group definition of Preparedness: • Condition or degree of being completely ready • to cope with a potential fire situation. • Mental readiness to recognize changes in fire • danger and act promptly when actions are • appropriate.

6. Three Subunits of theFire Preparedness Module 1.The Fire Organization 2. Pre-Season Risk Analysis and the Fire Transition Package 3. Prevention

7. The Fire Organization A Fire Organization is made up of two general types of resources (personnel): • The Initial Attack Personnel • (Firefighters in the Fire Organization) 2. Incident Support Personnel (The Militia from other functions)

8. Hiring and Recruitment • Career Firefighters • (Permanent Full Time and Career Seasonal (18/25, 13/25) Appointments 2. Temporary Firefighters (Seasonal for less than 6 months)

9. Career Firefighters • Following the 2000 fire season, there were significant increases in the career fire organizations in the Federal Wildland Firefighting Agencies. Why? • How were these new career firefighting positions filled? • If you are utilizing local recruitment plans, outreach programs, job fairs, etc., what should you be considering?

10. Selection and Hiring Procedures • Each agency fire manager needs to work • with their personnel staff in order to meet • critical timeframes. 2. The hiring process will be cumbersome, so start early. 3. Know your agency’s regulations and authorities regarding employee hiring.

11. Administratively Determined (AD) orCasual Hiring Program • Supplementing the fire organization with ADs • The sponsoring agency is responsible for providing training and certification. • The hiring agency is responsible for providing PPE, equipment, and direction

12. Staffing • Ways to stretch fire budget for adequate fire protection? • Scheduling of Resources • Shared Resources • Overtime Authorizations • Preparedness Memo • Incident Support Personnel • Incident Management Teams (Type 1, 2, and 3) • Pre-planned Assignment List

13. Detection • Aerial • Lookouts

14. Fire TrainingFire Qualifications Review Committee (FQRC)(Red Card Committee) • The Fire Program Manager is a key individual on the FQRC • Fire Program Managers must insure that only individuals that meet NWCG and agency specific qualification standards are utilized in ICS fire positions (Includes faller qualifications…. and a little horse sense)

15. Mandatory Fire Training • Required minimum of 32 hours of basic training for wildland firefighters • Required annual fireline refresher training for all wildland firefighters must include? • www.nifc.gov.wfstar/topics.html • Hot Topics FY09 • Hazard Trees and Tree Felling • Fire Whirls, Lightning, and Other Extreme Weather • Driving Safety and Situational Awareness • High Reliability Organizing

16. Physical Fitness Testing Health Screening Questionnaire (FS) Medical Standards (DOI) • Individuals with Red Card Qualifications requiring Moderate or Low physical fitness requirements? • Individuals over 45 with Red Card Qualifications requiring the High fitness level must pass a medical standards exam.

17. Physical Fitness TestingContinued Work Capacity Testing-“The Pack Test” • The Pack Test refers to work capacity tests used to qualify individuals for the three levels of wildland firefighting duty: • Arduous:involves field work calling for above-average endurance. • Moderate: involves field work requiring walking, standing and lifting 25-50 pounds. • Light: involves mainly office-type work with occasional field activity. • Share most recent message from the FS Regional Office

18. Preparedness Reviews • Scheduling of Fire Preparedness Review • Agency Administrator Involvement • Other Agency Involvement • What testing needs to be completed? • Be sure to know your state requirements and follow them Question: Should all seasonals be issued a government drivers license or permitted to drive a government vehicle?

19. Pre-Planned Preparedness Checklist

20. Pre-Planned Preparedness ChecklistContinued • Preparedness Review Checklists: • www.blm.gov/nifc 01 Unit Agency Administrator 10 Dispatch 02 Fire Mgmt Administration 11 Engine Module 03 G A Coordination Center 12 Hotshot Crew (IHC) 04 Aviation Management 13 Lookout 05 Fire Business (Under Development) 14 Smokejumper 06 Safety Officer 15 Helicopter Module 07 Training Officer 16 Dozer/Tractor Plow Module 08 Aviation Base Review 17 Hand Crew/Non-IHC 09 Individual FF Evaluation 18 Cache (Under Development)

21. Risk Analysis Seasonal Risk Analysis Anticipated Risk Analysis Actual Conditions • What is the importance of a pre-season risk analysis to the Fire Manager?

22. Geographic Coordination Centershttp://www.nifc.gov/nicc/index.htm

23. NICC Website • Incident Information • Situation Report • National Fire News • Predictive Services • Logistics and Dispatch Information • Administrative • MAC Group Decisions • NWCG • Safety

24. Okanogan-Wenatchee NFPocket Card

25. Agency Administrator’s Fire Transition Package It is the Fire Program Manager’s responsibility to have an updated and complete Briefing Package for the Agency Administrator to brief incoming Incident Management Teams. What should be part of the package?

26. AA Transition Package • Delegation of Authority • Land Management Guides for the Incident Area- (WFSA/WFDSS?) • Transition Instructions or Objectives –(Line Officer (Leaders) Intent and WFSA/WFDSS Current IAP) • Maps to Brief incoming team. • Line Officers Expectations. (Leaders Intent) • Appropriate Suppression Tactics- MIST, Contain, Confine etc..- (Line Officer Briefing Package) • Key Contacts List and Numbers (LOB Package) • Political Issues (LOB Package) • Wilderness Information (LOB Package) • Medical Information (Current IAP) • Information on Hazards (Current IAP, LOB Package) • Local Media Information (LOB Package, Leaders Intent) • Financial Considerations (Leaders Intent, LOB Package) • WFSA / WFDSS • Large Fire Cost reduction concerns (Leaders Intent, LOB Package) • Camp Locations (LOB Package)

27. Seven Critical Items • Delegation of Authority • Agency Administrator Expectations (Leaders Intent) • WFSA / WFDSS • Line Officer Briefing Package • Current Incident Action Plan (IAP) • Maps for briefing (Big briefing map, Fireman’s Maps, Travel Maps)

28. Fire Prevention • Fire prevention, to meet today’s needs, is more appropriately termed “Fire Education”. • Today’s fire education programs should include? • Prevention Objectives • Fire Prevention Logic was largely subjective in the past. • Today we determine where our risk, hazards, and values are the highest and then develop a “specific” action plan to mitigate loss from undesirable fire.

29. Objectives • List responsibilities which define • levels of presuppression preparedness. • Describe steps necessary to hire, train, • equip and staff a fire organization. • Describe the fire prevention planning • process and how it is integrated into • the fire management program.