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Proper Use of Trigger Points

 

A poster with individual line art drawings of the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and 18 Watch Out Situations used to educate wildland firefighters of the dangers and situations to be aware of.

The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and the 18 Watch Out Situations, as referenced in the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461, provide wildland firefighters with a set of consistent best practices and a series of scenarios to be mindful of when responding to a wildland fire.

View the 10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18.

Accurate situation awareness (SA) requires a constant reassessment of conditions (existing and potential) that may impact the safety and effectiveness of tactics. Monitor for the 18 Watch Out Situations and establish trigger points (in the form of operational or environmental limits) ahead of time.

Remember, trigger points are not decision-makers but serve as predetermined cues to prompt you to re-evaluate the current and potential situation and its associated risks. They help you to determine and implement the proper course of action.

The following items are considerations in your planning and discussion.

  • Use trigger points for preplanning. Do not wait until you are in the wrong place at the wrong time – with no time.
  • Trigger points should be based on measurable factors such as: ​
    • Relative Humidity (RH).
    • Winds.
    • Fire behavior.
    • Topographical boundaries.
    • Time constraints/time of day.
    • Time/distance to safety zones.
    • Loss of suppression resources.
    • Other operational considerations (e.g., firefighter fatigue, loss of lookouts or communication, weather change).
  • As you approach predetermined trigger points, go through the Risk Management Process to help you decide if a change in tactics is required:
    • Identify hazards.
    • Assess hazards.
    • Develop controls and make risk decisions.
    • Implement controls.
    • Supervise and evaluate. ​
  • Consider the following command/leadership responsibilities when changing tactics:
    • Communicate the changes to your subordinates, as well as to adjacent forces and up the chain of command.
    • Account for all your people.
    • Make sure everyone knows and follows the new plan. ​

 

 

Category
Weather Fire Behavior
References
10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18
10 Standard Firefighting Orders, PMS 110
18 Watch Out Situations, PMS 118
Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461, Risk Management Process, Operat…


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NWCG Latest Announcements

2024 Week of Remembrance

Date: June 27, 2024
Contact: 6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee 

As we approach the 2024 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30 to July 6, we dedicate this time to thoughtfully reviewing and recognizing the events of the 2018 Mendocino Complex. As such, this year’s theme of “Learning From the Mendocino Complex” embodies a longstanding hallmark of WOR, honoring through learning.

Throughout the week, our energy will be directed toward fostering generative conversations in briefing rooms and at tailgates.

References:

6 Minutes for Safety - 2024 Week of Remembrance

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Updated NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236

Date: June 24, 2024
Contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee 

The June 2024 update of the NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236, is now available to meet the current needs for incident management typing.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment should be used to evaluate firefighter safety issues, assess risk, and identify the appropriate incident management organization based on incident complexity. Assessing risk, determining incident complexity, and identifying an appropriate incident management organization is a subjective process based on examining a combination of indicators or factors, which can change over time.

References:

NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236

Operations Branch Director (OPBD) Next Gen PTB Available

Date: June 10, 2024
Contact: NWCG Feedback 

The NWCG Position Task Book for Operations Branch Director (OPBD), PMS 311-109 is now available for use within the OPBD position qualification pathway. As part of the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), the OPBD Next Gen PTB was developed and the position qualification pathway updated.

More information about the Next Gen PTB format can be found on the NWCG Position Task Book webpage.

References:

Operations Branch Director Position Page

Operations Branch Director Next Gen PTB

NWCG Position Task Books

Updated NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902

Date: June 5, 2024
Contact: NWCG Incident Business Committee 

The 2024 revision of the NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902 is now available. The uniform application of interagency incident business management standards is critical to interagency fire operations. PMS 902 assists NWCG agencies in constructively working together to provide effective execution of each agency's incident business management program.

References:

PMS 902