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Airtanker Base Training and Qualifications Working Group

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ABTQWG decorative banner. On left a large airtanker flying straight on. In the center an overhead aerial view of an airtanker base. On right a picture of an airtanker sitting on the tarmac.
Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The Airtanker Base Training and Qualifications Working Group (ABTQWG) establishes and disseminates training and qualification standards and requirements in support of airtanker base operations standards developed by the Airtanker Base Operations Unit( (ABOU).

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Primary Objectives

Two tanker base ground crew refuel a single engine airtanker. Decorative

  • Establish minimum training standards, qualification requirements, and currency requirements for interagency airtanker base personnel.
  • Provide a forum for interagency coordination in the development and implementation of airtanker base training, and qualification standards.
  • Establish and maintain interagency standards for airtanker base personnel qualification, certification, and documentation.

Chair: James Snell

NWCG Coordinator: Dave Schultz

Parent Committee: Airtanker Base Operations Unit

Meeting Schedule: TBD

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NWCG Latest Announcements

WFSTAR 2025 Core Component Module Package and 2024 Fire Year in Review Now Available

Date: March 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Joe Schindel at mschindel@blm.gov
 

The 2025 Core Component Module Package for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) and the 2024 Fire Year in Review are now available on the NWCG website. The 2025 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

References:

2025 Core Component Module Package

2024 Fire Year in Review Module

NEW! NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053

Date: March 12, 2025
Contact: Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Committee

The NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 provides mitigation practitioners at all experience levels with recommendations on the most effective and efficient ways to accomplish mitigation work in communities at risk to wildfire damage or destruction. The content in this guide was written in coordination with the NWCG Standards for Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface, PMS 052.

References:

NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 

Updated, NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

Date: March 11, 2025
Contact: Fire Use Subcommittee
Wildland Fire Module Unit

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430 standardizes procedures and expectations for Wildland Fire Modules (WFMs). These standards are to be used by staff, supervisors, specialists, and technicians for planning, administering, and conducting WFM operations. These standards will also be used as a measure of WFM qualifications, capabilities, and expected performance, for both Type 1 and Type 2 WFMs.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

NEW! NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514

Date: March 7, 2025
Contact: National Interagency Aviation Committee

The NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514 establishes the standards for dispatching, utilizing, and coordinating airtankers on interagency wildland fires. These standards should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision (SAS), PMS 505, NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations (SABO), PMS 508, and any applicable agency plans.

References:

NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514