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Incident Business Advisor

Position Description

Duties

  • Establishes and maintains positive internal and external interpersonal working relationships.
  • Gathers information necessary to assess incident assignment and determine immediate needs and actions.
  • Attends Agency Administrator or outgoing Incident Commander briefing.  Obtains available incident information and incident agency guidelines and policies.
  • Collects information from outgoing Finance/Administration Section Chief, outgoing Incident Commander or other personnel responsible for incident prior to your arrival.
  • Evaluates and shares with IMT pertinent information with them, which may affect Incident Management Team operations.
  • Ensures reports and forms are complete, accurate and timely.  Checks periodically.
  • Reviews contracts, memoranda of understanding and cooperative agreements to ascertain their impact and application.
  • Provides financial summary information on current incident operations.
  • Participates in the operational period briefing, emphasizing the needs of the agency you represent.
  • Interacts and coordinates with all command and general staff.  Receives and provides current information.
  • Updates Incident Commander on current accomplishments and/or problems.
  • Ensures that performance is documented and provided to Agency and IMT.
  • Transitions with incident agency and/or other incident management team members to determine that final finance package is complete/accurate and presented with follow-up items.
  • Interacts with Agency and IMT to ensure agency policies are being followed.
  • Coordinates with Buying Team, Expanded Dispatch and IMT to ensure all areas are functioning and problems are resolved timely.
  • Coordinates with Regional/Agency Incident Business Management Specialist.

Position Knowledge and/or Requirements

  • Interpersonal skill level to communicate, verbally or in writing with local, state and national politicians or the private sector
  • Ability to deal with complex incidents i.e. Multiple Agency Coordinating Centers, Area Command, high resource value and cost, urban interface, and multiple incidents
  • ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents (ICS-200)
  • Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents (ICS-300)
  • NIMS: An Introduction (IS-700)
  • NRF: An Introduction (IS-800B)

NWCG Latest Announcements

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee Releases Safety Warning: 25-001 Non-specification fire shelters

Date: January 15, 2025
Contact: Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released Safety Warning: 25-001 Non-specification fire shelters. Non-specification fire shelters claiming to meet Forest Service (FS) fire shelter specification 5100-606 were first found in February of 2023. As of September 2024, non-specification shelters are again being advertised and sold on the open market.

This Safety Warning outlines details and recommended procedures to purchase FS specification shelters made with materials and components that meet performance criteria and toxicity testing requirements outlined in FS Specification 5100-606. 

For additional information on identifying non-specification shelters, please view ETC Safety Warning 23-01.

References:

ETC Safety Warning 25-001: Non-specification fire shelters

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee

ETC Safety Warning 23-01

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Awards

Date: January 14, 2025
Contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee has awarded the 2023 Paul Gleason “Lead By Example” awards to individuals in the categories of Initiative and Innovation, Mentoring and Teamwork, and Motivation and Vision, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations to the awardees:

  • Sam Bowen, Superintendent of the Mark Twain Veteran Crew with the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Greg Titus, Zone Fire Management Officer for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  • Renae Crippen, Manager of the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center with the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Eric Carlson, Instructor with OMNA International.

References:

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Interview with Paul Gleason

Updated NWCG Standards for Water Scooping Operations, PMS 518

Date: December 19, 2024
Contact: Water Scooper Operations Unit

The NWCG Standards for Water Scooping Operations, PMS 518 establishes the standards for dispatching, utilizing, and coordinating water scooping aircraft on interagency wildland fires. These standards should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision (SAS), PMS 505, and any local, state, or geographic/regional water scooping plans.

References:

NWCG Standards for Water Scooping Operations, PMS 518

Updated NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505

Date: December 19, 2024
Contact: Interagency Aerial Supervision Subcommittee

The Interagency Aerial Supervision Subcommittee has updated the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505. PMS 505 establishes standards for aerial supervision operations for national interagency wildland fire operations. 

References:

NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505