Helicopter Short Haul Unit

Mission Statement

The Helicopter Short-Haul Unit (HSHU) is comprised of subject matter experts from participating agencies such as the United States Forest Service (USFS) and National Park Service (NPS) who assist IHOpS to enhance safety, effectiveness, and efficiency in helicopter short-haul operations.

Primary Objectives

wildland firefighter short haul crew ready a basket carrying a person for transport. Decorative

Exchange of best practices between partner agencies for safe short-haul operations, seeking commonalities.
Uphold safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of helicopter short-haul operations in support of achieving incident and resource management objectives.
Provide assistance with the development of new short-haul programs.
Compile annual training and operational statistics from each short-haul program.
Forward recommendations from the Working Teams to IHOpS.

Guidance Documents

Short-Haul 2020 IAP Insert

NPS Short-Haul Working Team (NPSSHWT) Business Rules

Chair: Zane Muhonen

NWCG Coordinator: Dave Schultz

Parent Committee: Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule: TBD

Page Last Modified or Reviewed: 05/08/2024

NWCG Latest Announcements

The Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL)

Date: October 16, 2024
Contact: Incident Medical Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Medical Unit Leader, PMS 350-39 and NWCG Position Task Book for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL), PMS 311-39 are now available.

The Performance Support Package, which for MEDL 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 Medical Unit Leader Position Page

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Medical Unit Leader, PMS 350-39

NWCG Position Task Book for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL), PMS 311-39

The Wildland Fire Learning Portal is Now Available

Date: October 9, 2024
Contact: Wildland Fire Learning Portal

The Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) is back online following a migration to a new learning management system (LMS) application. The WFLP team is actively addressing any issues that may arise as a result of the update, and appreciates your patience as the team works to enhance your experience. NWCG will share information from the WFLP as it is available.

Should you have any issues with accessing or using the WFLP, please use the link below to submit a ticket through the Help Center.

References:

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Wildland Fire Learning Portal Help Center

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee Releases New Equipment Bulletins

Date: September 27, 2024
Contact: Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released three new Equipment Bulletins:

ETC-EB-24-003 Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in fuel containers.
ETC-EB-24-004 Two-compartment fuel and oil container (Dolmar) unavailable in the United States (US) and reminders for upkeeping current inventories.
ETC-EB-24-005 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Inspection, Care, and Maintenance.

These bulletins remind field going personnel of important issues related to equipment for wildland firefighting efforts.