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Air Tactical Group Supervisor

Position Description

Duties

  • Provides oversight, supervision, direction to and is responsible for safety and coordination of all aerial resources assigned to incident(s) when they are in flight.
  • Provides leadership, information, and coordination with management and ground-based personnel regarding incident tactical aircraft operations, performance and safety.
  • Serves as airborne IC until qualified ground personnel assume responsibility.
  • Coordinates strategy and tactics with management or IMT.
  • Determines and recommends resource needs while over incidents.
  • Maintains communication with ground forces, assigned aircraft, and dispatching organization.
  • Recommends and defines boundaries of Temporary Flight Restriction.
  • Evaluates fuel types, terrain, fire weather, current and expected fire behavior for effective aerial size-up, suppression, and coordination with ground or management personnel.
  • Coordinates with fire managers identifying priorities, values at risk, ground and aerial restrictions on incident assignments.
  • Provides risk assessment and mitigates unacceptable safety risks for aerial and ground personnel.
  • Provides input to IMT for current and future cost effective performance, utilization, mobilization and demobilization of aerial resources.
  • Coordinates with incident and agencies for scheduling briefings, and debriefings of assigned flight crews.
  • Assures flight crews receive briefing on incident objectives prior to implementing operations.

Position Knowledge and/or Requirements

  • S-378 ATGS
  • Qualified DIVS
  • Fire Behavior training
  • Fire Operations training
  • Communicate verbally and in writing, to relay critical incident information
  • Function coherently during stressful situations

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