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Week of Remembrance

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

NEW! S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) Available Now

Date: December 18, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal!

This blended course combines online learning with instructor-led training, designed for individuals seeking to build leadership skills and gain experience in incident management.

Students are required to complete the prerequisite trainings ICS-100, Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS), ICS-200, Basic ICS for Initial Response, and ICS-700, An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) prior to attending S-320.

References:

S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

New! Ransom Road WFSTAR Module

Date: December 16, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: NWCG Audiovisual Specialist

NWCG is excited to announce the release of the new Ransom Road Fire Module to RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR).

This module features a firsthand account from Rob Lee, official reports, and animated maps of the Ransom Road Fire which occurred on June 8, 1981, in Florida's Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The module is available now in NWCG's RT-130, WFSTAR Catalog.

References:

WFSTAR Catalog

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Call for Nominations: Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award

Date: December 11, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
 Leadership Committee 

Do you know someone working in wildland fire who strives to make positive change and is undeterred by obstacles or setbacks? Now is your chance to give that person the acknowledgment they deserve by nominating them for a Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award.

This award, is presented by the NWCG Leadership Committee to remember Paul Gleason's contributions to the wildland fire community and to recognize individuals or groups that exhibit the same spirit and dedication to leadership – those who lead by example.

Nominations can be submitted via email with an attached Lead by Example Form to BLM_FA_Leadership_Feedback@blm.gov or through the online form. 

Tips for successful nominations and more information can be found on the Lead by Example webpage. All nominations must be submitted by December 31, 2025.

References:

Paul Gleason Lead By Example Award 

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award Nomination Form 2025 

Leadership Committee 

Coming Soon! Ransom Road WFSTAR Module

Date: December 9, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: NWCG Audiovisual Specialist

On June 8, 1981, the Ransom Road Fire swept across Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, marking a defining moment in wildland fire management. This event led directly to the creation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's professional fire program.

Later this month, NWCG will release a compelling video that brings the Ransom Road Fire to life through firsthand accounts, official reports, and animated maps. Rob Lee, second on site during the deployment, shares his powerful recollections of that day. 

This video will be going live later this month in NWCG's RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) Catalogue.

References:

WFSTAR Catalogue 

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center