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Week of Remembrance

2022 Week of Remembrance Day 5

 Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7

 

Dutch Creek Incident (California) – July 25, 2008

Today’s topic is dedicated to all firefighters injured or killed in felling accidents.

Perspective from the Rocky Mountain National Park

 

Three wildland firefighters use a wheeled liter to transport an injured person up a grassy hill

On July 25, 2008, a radio transmission came into Iron Complex dispatch: “Man down, man down. We need help. Medical emergency. Dozer pad. Broken leg. Bleeding. Drop Point 72 and dozer line. Call 911, we need help.” While his engine crew was dropping a hazard tree, a large section of a nearby tree fell and struck firefighter Andy Palmer, shattering his femur, and severing large blood vessels. For a variety of reasons (detailed in the report), medevac of the seriously injured firefighter experienced multiple delays. Three hours and twenty-six minutes after the accident, an ER physician pronounced time of death, via radio. The coroner later determined that Palmer’s death was caused by excessive blood loss. The eighteen-year-old was on his first fire assignment.

The subsequent Dutch Creek Tree Felling Fatality (2008) Serious Accident Investigation and associated Safety Action Plan and recommendations set the stage for foundational changes to fire responses, especially in remote settings. These documents, from the Lessons Learned Center, gave us incident within an incident (IWI) plans and the Medical Incident Report, part of the Medical Plan (ICS 206 WF).

There have only been a handful incidents that have fundamentally changed the world of wildland fire management for the better. The Dutch Creek incident is one of them. The lessons and new protocols from Dutch Creek have given fire managers tools to proactively plan for the eventuality of an injury. Ask yourself these questions:

  • What will we do if someone gets hurt?
  • How will we get them out of there?
  • How long will it take to get them to a hospital (or advanced level of care)?

At Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), these tools and concepts were put to the test and saved a life on the 2012 Big Meadows Fire. Six miles into the backcountry, a hotshot crew member collapsed with sudden cardiac arrest. Because of medical emergency planning for the backcountry, a paramedic was on site and equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED). The crew member was resuscitated and is alive today as a direct result of lessons learned from the Dutch Creek incident.

Today, fire crews at RMNP keep the lessons learned from the Dutch Creek incident alive in numerous ways. These lessons learned are no longer something we have to do but have become what we do. Prior to engaging a fire, or even project work, we plan for medical emergencies through in-depth discussions and during briefings. If the questions above cannot be answered or the answers are inadequate, we strive to generate proactive solutions or alternate strategies and tactics to manage the risk. We encourage people to speak up if they are uncomfortable so that we can initiate strong dialogue at all levels regarding risk and the proper way to refuse it.

Since embracing the lessons learned from Dutch Creek, crews practice more awareness of the medical resources that are available, as well as their capabilities and equipment. EMTs and crew members train for initial patient care with advanced bleed control supplies which are added to the medical kits. Patient packaging and transport training are conducted, using multiple styles of wheeled litters and extraction training using a Traverse Rescue Stretcher. Planning for an IWI has become engrained and standard but also a continual learning process.

 

Never Forgotten

Andy Palmer

Purple Ribbon

 

 

Category
Week of Remembrance


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NWCG Latest Announcements

The Experiential Learning Subcommittee is looking for your feedback on Staff Rides

Date: September 20, 2024
Contact: Ashleigh D'Antonio and George Risko, Leadership Committee

The Experiential Learning Subcommittee needs to hear from the field about where the greatest need lies regarding staff rides and their accessibility.

  • Do you have an event you would like to turn into a learning experience?
  • Do you have a staff ride built, but are struggling to implement the delivery?
  • Do you need help building capacity?
  • What other ideas do you have to support experiential leadership training?

Fill out this short survey below to help us help you.

References:

Staff Rides: Feedback

Staff Rides

Updated NWCG Single Resource Casual Hire Information, PMS 934

Date: September 19, 2024
Contact: Incident Business Committee

The Incident Business Committee has updated the NWCG Single Resource Casual Hire Information, PMS 934. This update expands the provisions for hiring emergency personnel.

References:

NWCG Single Resource Casual Hire Information, PMS 934

IBC Memorandum 24-03

NWCG 2024 Spring/Summer Highlights

Date: September 13, 2024

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Welcome to our latest highlights from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, where we explore the latest updates, insights, and efforts that develop interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners.

The Performance Support Package, which for ABRO includes the Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book were developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. The Performance Support Package will support trainees, those qualified in the position, and evaluators.
 

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NASA JOINS NWCG!

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is officially an associate member of NWCG. As such, NASA is beginning to collaborate with wildland fire management agencies with the goal of increasing collaboration across agencies and leveraging NASA data, technology, and innovation for nation-wide efforts in wildland fire management. NASA has a rich history of research, development, and technology transfer in the areas of Earth science, space technologies, and aeronautics that support the NWCG mission.

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NWCG new website look.

WWW.NWCG.GOV HAS A NEW LOOK AND DESIGN

The NWCG web team dedicated the past two years to making a significant upgrade to the www.nwcg.gov site. This upgrade involved a comprehensive redesign of over 7,700 web pages.

The modernization of NWCG’s website involved migrating to Drupal 10, a cutting—edge content management system, and leveraging Amazon Web Service GovCloud for secure and efficient hosting. These upgrades help ensure that the NWCG website remains current in content management practices, offering enhanced customization, improved performance, and an overall superior user experience.

NWCG Leadership Committee

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The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program announced the Professional Reading Program’s 2024 list!

The years books include:

  • Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean
  • The Wisdom of the Bullfrog by William H. McRaven
  • The Art of Clear Thinking by Hasard Lee
  • Emotional Agility by Susan David
  • Writing to Persuade by Trish Hall

Learn more at the NWCG Leadership Committee

INCIDENT PERFORMANCE AND TRAINING MODERNIZATION

In 2023, NWCG kicked off the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. A training system overhaul focused on developing a performance-based training system designed to shift training to on-the-job when appropriate.

Over the next five years, NWCG intends to analyze all positions within the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1. To date we are currently working on 30 incident positions, and planning for 20+ in calendar year 2025.

Subject Matter Experts from a variety of geographical areas and agencies recently completed the position analysis for 16 positions. From this analysis, Incident Positions Standards and a Next Generation Position Task Book will be developed for each position.

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Incident Performance and Training Modernization

NEXT GENERATION POSITION TASK BOOK

In April 2024, NWCG launched the new Next Generation Position Task Book (Next Gen PTB) which is a key component of the IPTM effort. This revised evaluation tool is designed to work in conjunction with the newly developed Incident Position Standards.

Major Next Gen PTB changes:

  • Structured to improve constructive conversations between evaluators and trainees.
  • Reference new Incident Position Standards.
  • Include only tasks required to be evaluated for successful performance.
  • Trainees will be rated on their performance vs. initialing whether a task was completed.
  • Must include written feedback when trainee does not meet the standard.
  • Will be position specific (no combined PTBs).
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NWCG’s training course catalog is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP).

To access the training course catalog, visit WFLP and either set up an account or login as a guest.

 

 

The Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Aircraft Base Radio Operator (ABRO)

Date: September 12, 2024
Contact: Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Aircraft Base Radio Operator, PMS 350-87 and NWCG Position Task Book for Aircraft Base Radio Operator (ABRO), PMS 311-87 are now available.

The Performance Support Package, which for ABRO includes the Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book were developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. The Performance Support Package will support trainees, those qualified in the position, and evaluators.

References:

NWCG Aircraft Base Radio Operator Position Page

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Aircraft Base Radio Operator, PMS 350-87

NWCG Position Task Book for Aircraft Base Radio Operator, PMS 311-87