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Week of Remembrance

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2015 WOR: Margin – A Trigger for Sensemaking

Ribbon symbol for WOR next to Wildland Fire Lessons Learned logo.Week of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2015

“We are in a universe from which we cannot exclude risk, uncertainty, and disorder.  We have to live and deal with disorder.” – Morin, 2008

Our environment is complex and dynamic, realistically this means there are a lot of conditions to pay attention to and those conditions are constantly changing.  Conditions like RH, crew dynamics, blood sugar, where you are, where the fire is, budgets…you get the idea.  The tricky part is that risk changes as conditions change, but all those conditions change at different rates and mean different things depending on the context.  An RH that moves from 45-40 is different than one that moves from 20-15.  A fire that moves a half-mile in an hour, but is 10 miles from your position is different from one that does the same and is a half-mile from you.  Traditionally this is the role of trigger points.  Set a trigger point and when the indicator reaches the preset value, reassess or take some preset action.  Trigger points are intended to move us out of “autopilot” and into a more deliberate way of thinking.


What about the stuff that can’t be predicted or measured? In our complex environment, it is often the interaction of multiple, seeming unrelated, conditions that align and affect risk.  This is the gap that margin was developed to fill.

Line art of a man in a hard hat holding a radio while looking at an object above and sweating. Butterflies float on his stomach.
“It gives language to that uneasy feeling when the environment is changing, but you can’t quite put your finger on exactly what is changing.”
  • Take a moment to share a short story (remember this is 6 Minutes for Safety, not 60 Minutes for Safety) about a time when lots of seemingly unrelated things were aligning to increase risk.
    1. Could you assign trigger points to all these conditions, and even if you could would it be helpful to set so many?
    2. How does it change if we use a change in margin as a trigger point for reassessment and deliberate thinking? 

We are not suggesting that we do away with traditional trigger points; rather we suggest it is important to think of, and talk about, the environment as a whole.   By giving “language to that uneasy feeling,” margin provides a way of thinking and talking about all the thousands of conditions that exist and interact in our environment without having to name each one.  In this way, a change in margin can itself be a trigger point for reassessment and deliberate sensemaking.

 

The “Take 5@2” safety messages are a cooperative project of 6 Minutes for Safety, the Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR), NIFC External Affairs, the NWCG Leadership Committee, the NWCG Risk Management Committee, and the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center.

References:

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Week of Remembrance

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2025/2026 Leadership Campaign Quarter 2 Now Available!

Date: February 13, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that the Quarter Two materials for the 2025/2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign are now available! This annual initiative invites all leadership and wildland fire management students to engage with essential skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in dynamic environments.

This quarter focuses on Leadership Level 2: New Leader (Conveying Intent). Conveying intent is a crucial leadership competency in the high-risk, dynamic environment of wildland firefighting. Months 4 - 6 will concentrate on how successfully conveying intent enhances situational awareness, promotes shared understanding, and empowers firefighters to exercise initiative and adapt to changing conditions.

References:

2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign - Leadership Levels

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Leadership Committee

Opportunity to Serve the Wildland Fire Community as an IPTM SME!

Date: February 10, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: NWCG SME Specialist

NWCG is seeking experienced wildland firefighters and support personnel to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) initiative. The intent of IPTM is to transition NWCG’s training and qualification system to a performance-based model through updated position descriptions, Incident Position Standards, Next Generation Position Task Books (Next Gen PTBs), and updates to training where needed.

NWCG is currently recruiting SMEs for the following positions:

  • Aircraft Timekeeper (ATIM)
  • Compensation/Claims Unit Leader (COMP)
  • Cost Unit Leader (COST)
  • Crew Representative (CREP)
  • Deck Coordinator (DECK)
  • Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO)
  • Field Observer (FOBS)
  • Geographic Information System Specialist (GISS)
  • Ordering Manager (ORDM)
  • Receiving/Distribution Manager (RCDM)
  • Staging Area Manager (STAM)

Projects begin April/May 2026 and require 15–20 hours per month for 6–8 months, including a five-day workshop in Boise, Idaho this May. Apply by February 27, 2026, at the link below and review the attached document for details.

References:

NWCG SME Interest Sign-up

IPTM Subject Matter Expert Duties and Expectations Document

Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM)

NEW! M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) Course Available Now

Date: January 29, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Resource Advisor Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce the new M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) course is now available. This training supports individuals working towards Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) incident qualifications.

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) training prepares students to serve as a Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) as defined in NWCG Incident Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112. This course presents scenarios that reflect the diverse challenges a REAF may encounter during an incident. Through these scenarios, participants gain hands-on experience and an understanding of REAF responsibilities in a controlled learning environment.

References:

Resource Advisor, Fireline Position Page

NWCG Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Date: January 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

The Incident and Position Standards Committee has updated the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

These updates address changes to incident position names and requirements for qualification, training, and experience. Updates related to the implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) and Incident Performance Training Modernization (IPTM) are also included.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308 has also been updated to reflect the recent changes.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308

IPSC Memo 26-01: January 2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Positions Qualifications, PMS 310-1