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Area Command Aviation Coordinator

Position Description

Duties

  • Coordinates with local unit(s) aviation managers, dispatch centers, and aviation facility managers.
  • Monitors incident(s) aviation cost, efficiency, and safety. Ensures agency rules, regulations, and safety procedures are followed.
  • Provides incidents, local Initial Attack forces and other interested parties with an area aviation plan that outlines Area Command aviation procedures and specifics of the area aviation operation.
  • Allocates air and ground-based aviation resources according to Area Command priorities and objectives.
  • Ensures inter-incident movement of aircraft is planned and coordinated.
  • Coordinates with local and adjacent initial attack aircraft bases and local dispatch to ensure that procedures for transiting incident area and corridors are in place. Ensures flight following procedures, entry/exit routes and corridors, hazards, frequencies and incident air space are known to all affected.
  • Coordinates with incident Air Operations Branch Directors, dispatch, FAA, DID, and local aviation authorities and administrators to ensure that Temporary Flight Restrictions are in place, coordinated, and do not overlap. Ensures that potential risks of operation on, near, or within Military Training Routes and Special Use Airspace have been mitigated.
  • Ensures that a process in place for timely transmittal of incident reports and oversees the process to ensure corrective action is taken.
  • Coordinates with incident, dispatch, and coordination centers to determine availability and status of committed and uncommitted aviation resources, and to give status reports and situation appraisals for aviation assets and resources.
  • Coordinates with incident Air Operations Branch Directors, Communication Unitl Leaders, frequency coordinators, coordination centers and initial attack dispatch to establish coordinated aviation communications plans to ensure aviation frequency management.
  • Coordinates and manages aviation program and operations if aviation assets are assigned to Area Command.
  • Coordinates the scheduling and movement of aviation safety assistance teams among incidents.
  • Assists incidents by coordinating with Contracting Officers, local aviation managers, and vendors concerning a variety of issues (fueling, contract modifications, contract extensions, etc.).
  • Coordinates with military officials and agency representative concerning the assignment, utilization, status, and disposition of military aviation assets.

Position Knowledge and/or Requirements

  • Area Command S-620
  • Satisfactory performance as an Air Operations Branch Director on a National Type 1 IMT and
  • Satisfactory position performance as an Area Command Aviation Coordinator on a wildland fire incident.

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