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Driving Safety

Driving is one of the most hazardous things we do because we perform the task hundreds of times in the course of our daily lives. We tend to take it for granted. Based on recent accident trends, vehicle accidents are the source of more deaths and serious injuries to wildland firefighters than any other single cause.

To be a safe driver you have to want to be one. Take a good, hard look at your driving habits. Are you training yourself to do the right things the right way, like fastening your seat belt, checking your mirrors, and maintaining safe following distances?

Inattentiveness is a major contributing factor in motor vehicle accidents within the wildland firefighting community. Since the average adult attention span is 15 to 20 minutes, we must develop techniques that allow us to refocus our attention on our driving.

Many things can lure our attention away from our driving, such as fatigue, eating and drinking, reading directions and maps, writing, cell phone and radio use, conversation within the vehicle, and music.

  • Drive only when you are well-rested and alert, and avoid driving during the hours from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Take a 10- to 15-minute break after every 2 hours.
  • Practice situational awareness; be aware of what is happening in front, behind, and on both sides of your vehicle.
  • Never drive when taking medications that make you drowsy.
  • Delegate navigation and communication to a passenger, or pull over.
  • By constantly moving your vision, checking mirrors and distant road conditions, you can avoid highway hypnosis and daydreaming.
  • Avoid eating or drinking while driving.
  • When talking with passengers, keep your eyes on the road and both hands on the steering wheel. Avoid serious or argumentative conversations.
  • Switch off driving with others if multiple people are in the vehicle.
  • Do not be in a hurry; be patient.
  • Safe driving starts with a safe vehicle. Something as simple as underinflated tires can have serious consequences. Before operating any vehicle, do a walk-around to look for potential problems, make sure the lights and blinkers work, and adjust your seat and mirrors. If it is the first time you have driven the vehicle, make yourself aware of where everything is.

References:

Category
Vehicles - Roads

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NWCG Latest Announcements

Leadership Committee IAP Flyer Now Available

Date:  May 8, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee promotes and enables leadership development across the wildland fire service. The committee provides education, training opportunities, and support for leadership innovation and best practices throughout the community.

A new IAP flyer is now available on the committee website, offering an overview of the products, curriculum, and learning opportunities the Leadership Committee develops. This resource is ideal for posting in your office, sharing with new employees, or distributing through your incident management teams to engage new voices in the leadership journey and reinforce a culture of self‑reflection, development, and growth.

References:

Leadership Committee 2026 IAP Flyer

Incident Operations Subcommittee Updates the Next Generation Position Task Book for FFT1

Date:  May 7, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

The NWCG Incident Operations Subcommittee (IOSC) has updated the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14. The FFT1 Position Task Book transitioned to the Next Generation (Next Gen PTB) format in June 2025 through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. Since then, IOSC has received feedback from the wildland fire community regarding coding for one of the tasks. Task #13 has been updated to include the option of evaluation in a simulation.

See IOSC Memorandum 26‑01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14 for more information.

References:

IOSC Memorandum 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Postion Task Book for Firefighter Type 1

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page 

NEW! S-212, Intermediate Faller (Online) Course Available Now 

Date:  April 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce that the new S‑212, Intermediate Faller (Online), course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). This second course in the series provides students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of an Intermediate Faller (FAL2), as described in the FAL2 Incident Position Description. This course is intended for individuals seeking to advance from Basic Faller (FAL3) to FAL2.

S‑212, Intermediate Faller is a fully online, self‑paced training program consisting of 13 units. Learners will engage with interactive, scenario‑based content designed to progressively build foundational skills and knowledge essential for the FAL2 role.

Students must be qualified as a Basic Faller (FAL3) prior to enrolling in S‑212, Intermediate Faller course.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2027.

References:

S-212 Intermediate Faller (Online)

RMC Memo 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementing Updates to Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Qualifications

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

New Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

Date:  April 17, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: National Coordination System Committee

A new publication from the National Coordination System Committee (NCSC) is now available. The NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249, will be used for aviation crews and dispatch to share flight information that is needed for resource tracking, and if needed, for emergency procedures.

For further details, please contact your NCSC representative. 

References:

NCSC Memo 26-01: Implementation of NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249