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Week of Remembrance

2014 WOR Day 7: Remembering those that lost their lives on Storm King Mountain 20 years ago today

Ribbon symbol for WOR next to Wildland Fire Lessons Learned logo.Week of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2014

There is no question that the loss of firefighter’s lives deeply affects us all, but when we realize just how many burnovers and deployments and aircraft accidents and felling injuries have happened, we need to ask ourselves “are we learning anything?” Are we getting better? Has anything really changed? When the wildland fire community suffered the terrible loss of 14 firefighters on the South Canyon Fire, it became the catalyst for change. It changed us and how we manage fire. Listed below are some of the changes…each one honoring the losses on Storm King Mountain 20 years ago today.

  • Safety – Fire training was reviewed to include lessons learned and greater emphasis on safety.
  • Safety – Emergence of hot shot crews as safety leaders at the field level. Right to refuse an assignment.
  • Leadership Curriculum – The accident planted the seeds for the leadership curriculum.
  • Human Factors – Recognition of the importance of attitudes and human behavior in accidents.
  • Lessons Learned Center – The 1998 Tri-Data study recommended that the wildland fire service look into building a lessons learned center. The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center was created in 2002.
  • Fire shelters – The development of a more effective fire shelter started with this incident.
  • Fire shelter training – Develop and refresh yearly on fire shelters. Clarify deployment vs safety zones.
  • Predictive Services – Recommendations to integrate fire weather meteorology with fire behavior forecasting at the geographic coordination center level evolved into the development of the predictive services units we have today.
  • Fire Weather Forecasting – Better communication of fire weather forecasts to incidents, improvements to the red flag and spot weather programs.
  • Interpretation of NFDRS products for field use: Pocket Cards and other tools for understanding the effect of fire danger and drought on firefighter safety.
  • Agency administrators – Greater involvement of agency leaders in emphasis on firefighter safety.
  • Fire policy reviews – Review of National fire policy. Media interest in fire policy and fire management.
  • Fire decision making – Changes were recommended to decision making process (the EFSA and fire complexity).
  • Qualifications standards – The 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Policy and Program Review, signed by both Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, directed Federal wildland fire agencies to establish fire management qualifications standards to improve firefighter safety and increase professionalism in fire management programs.

Discussion Questions:

What changes would you like to see in the wake of the Yarnell Hill Fire?

Based on events like Yarnell Hill and South Canyon, what can you and your crew do differently?

 

Category
Week of Remembrance
References
New WFSTAR Video: Released in honor of the 20th anniversary of the South Canyon…
This Day in History: The South Canyon Fire, 1994, Colorado. A special edition f…
Link to the accident report, staff ride, and other South Canyon Fire information
Video Collection about the South Canyon Fire from the Wildland Fire Lessons Lea…
Video: theTri-Data Study
Subscribe to "What's New" from the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center


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NWCG Latest Announcements

Updated NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1 and NWCG Training Course Completion Certificate, PMS 921-1

Date: July 17, 2024
Contact: Training Delivery Committee 

The Training Delivery Committee (TDC) has updated the NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1 to reflect changes in the standards for course management and delivery. These changes have been reviewed and approved by the members of TDC over the past year. Significant updates include additional delivery methods, updated definitions, and instructions for the use of digital signatures on training certificates. The NWCG Training Course Completion Certificate, PMS 921-1 has been updated to lock after an electronic signature has been applied.

References:

NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1

NWCG Training Course Completion Certificate, PMS 921-1

IBC Memo 24-01: OF 297 Signature Order and 2024 Fire Season Use IBC Memo 24-02: Summary of Changes for SIIBM, PMS 902

Date: July 15, 2024
Contact: Incident Business Committee 

The NWCG Incident Business Committee (IBC) has recently released two memorandums. The first provides direction on the use of the Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297 for the 2024 fire season. Due to delays in hard copy printing, both the 2024 revision and the older version of the Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297 are acceptable for use during the 2024 fire season.

The second memorandum documents the updates of the newly revised NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management (SIIBM), PMS 902. The summary of changes attached to the memo covers the major updates and process changes from the 2022 version.

References:

IBC Memorandum 24-01: OF 297 Signature Order and 2024 Fire Season Use

IBC Memorandum 24-02: Summary of Changes for the NWCG Standards of Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902

IBC Memorandum 24-02 Attachment: Summary of Changes

NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552

Date: July 10, 2024
Contact: Incident Medical Unit Subcommittee 

A new publication from the Incident Medical Unit Subcommittee is now available. The NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552 will be used as a guide and as an opportunity to begin to build out Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) modules for the remainder of Fire Year 2024. These standards will be fully implemented as the minimum standard starting in January 2025.

NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support outlines the roles, duties, qualifications, and equipment pertinent to REMS. A REMS team, strategically stationed at wildland fires, plays a pivotal role in prioritizing swift access and medical treatment to injured or ill firefighters for safe and efficient egress off the fireline. This ensures their rapid transport to definitive medical care in cases of emergency during firefighting operations, highlighting the invaluable contribution of the REMS team to firefighter safety and well-being.

References:

NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552

National Wildland Firefighter Day

Date: July 2, 2024
Contact: National Interagency Fire Center 

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) would like to recognize July 2, 2024, as National Wildland Firefighter Day (NWFFD). Established in 2022, NWFFD honors the dedication of wildland firefighters and support personnel. This day falls within the 2024 Week of Remembrance (June 30 - July 6), providing an opportunity to renew our commitment to wildland firefighter safety while remembering those who have fallen in the line of duty.

NWCG continues to provide leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. NWCG standards and training establish common practices to contribute to safe, effective, and coordinated national interagency wildland fire operations.

References:

NWCG.gov

Week of Remembrance

National Wildland Firefighter Day