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Incident and Position Standards Committee

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Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The Incident and Position Standards Committee (IPSC) provides national leadership in the development of wildland fire incident management standards and incident position standards that all NWCG agencies utilize for national mobilization while maintaining a long term strategic perspective.

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Primary Objectives

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  • Provide oversight and direction to ensure the consistent development, implementation and maintenance of incident management standards. These standards may include guidelines, procedures, processes, best practices, specifications, techniques, and methods.
  • Provide oversight and direction to ensure the consistent development, implementation and maintenance of incident position standards. These standards include incident position descriptions (duties and responsibilities) and position qualification requirements for training, experience, physical fitness, and position currency.
  • Coordinate with NIMSIC on wildland fire endorsements to NIMS NQS positions.
  • Establish, implement, maintain and communicate business processes and criteria to assist NWCG committees and subgroups in performing this work.
  • Collaborate with the NWCG committees, NWCG staff and other stakeholders to prioritize development and maintenance of incident management standards, incident position standards, publications, training materials, and other position performance support content.
  • Ensure position standards and requirements are consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
  • Coordinate implementation of incident position standards with the Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS) and Incident Qualifications System (IQS) system managers.
  • Identify and address strategic opportunities for incident management and incident positions standards improvement, sustainability and efficiency.
  • Contribute to the standardization of information technology systems (such as FireNet, IROC, etc.) to collect and distribute data, processes, forms, and other operational elements.

A Request for Change (RFC) provides an avenue for NWCG committees or subgroups and the field to submit recommended changes to incident position qualification standards, including the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, Position Task Books, and Training Catalog updates. The Incident and Position Standards Committee (IPSC) will review, discuss, vet amongst agencies, and make a support/no support decision on the RFC. This is a transparent process intended to engage all related NWCG members in reaching a consensus decision.

An RFC is not the mechanism for providing feedback on other publications, including the NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461. Instead, utilize the Publication Review Form.

Submitting a Request for Change

  • A request can be submitted from the field or an NWCG committee. Requests from NWCG subgroups must be submitted through their parent committee.
  • All requests will be issued an IPSC RFC tracking number.
  • The requestor will receive an email identifying receipt of the RFC, and an IPSC representative will contact them within 30 days.
  • An IPSC representative will be assigned to each RFC.
    • If the request is from the field, it will be assigned to the corresponding agency representative on IPSC to ensure the agency supports the request before proceeding. If not supported, the RFC will not move forward, and the requestor will be notified by the agency representative.
    • The role of the IPSC representative is to work with the requestor to produce all of the required elements for an RFC package.

RFC Package Requirements

  • An RFC Package will contain the following elements:
    • Description of the issue, proposal, proposed solution, and rationale.
    • Description of the interagency nature of the request.
    • If the RFC is intended for the PMS 310-1, ensure the RFC package contains all the required documents listed in the PMS 310-1 Review and Change Process For Position Standards.

The Review Process

  • The RFC package will be presented to IPSC to evaluate for a formal acceptance of the RFC. This is not a decision to accept/approve the RFC but an agreement to review, evaluate, and make a final decision on the request.
  • If accepted, IPSC will coordinate with relevant NWCG committees, subgroups, NWCG Training Program, and/or others to review the request. If not accepted, the requestor will be notified.
  • The assigned IPSC representative will facilitate any communication during the review process.

Final Decision

  • The IPSC representative is responsible for consolidating recommendations and/or alternatives into a final decision document for IPSC members to use in discussions with their agencies.
  • After IPSC representatives gather agency support/not support, a final decision will be made by IPSC.
  • The IPSC chair will send a decision memo to the requestor and copy all IPSC members.

Request for Change (RFC) Form

Training and Qualifications

Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS)

Incident Qualification System (IQS)

FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI)

National Wildland Fire Training

NWCG Position Task Books (PTBs)

Agency Specific Position Task Books (PTBs)

FEMA National Preparedness Information

Changes to Safety Zone Calculation

 

Chair: Michael Froelich

NWCG Coordinator: Erica Lamb

Parent Committee:

Meeting Schedule: Monthly on the second Wednesday

Page Last Modified or Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212, and Next Generation Position Task Book for Basic Faller Are Now Available

Date: April 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

The updated NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212, and NWCG Position Task Book for Basic Faller (FAL3), PMS 311-19 are now available.

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212 includes position standards designed to be used in conjunction with the Next Generation Position Task Book (Next Gen PTB). The Next Gen PTB for Basic Faller (FAL3) includes an evaluation guide with suggested rating elements to consider when assessing trainees.

References:

NWCG Standards For Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

NWCG Position Task Book for Basic Faller (FAL3), PMS 311-119

NWCG Basic Faller (FAL3)

RMC Memo 25-01: Summary of Updates to Safety Officer Positions

Date: April 9, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
RMC Member Eric Fransted

The Risk Management Committee (RMC) serves as the position steward for all Safety Officer incident positions and continues to improve position standards, training, and naming conventions. The implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) required changes to position titles. RMC collaborated with the NWCG Incident Position Standards Committee (IPSC) to propose and implement these updates. 

References:

RMC Memo 25-01: Summary of Updates to Safety Officer Positions 

NWCG Position Catalog

Updated, NWCG Guide to Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination, PMS 412

Date: April 8, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Wildland Fire Investigation Subcommittee

PMS 412 provides guidance for wildland fire investigations. This guide outlines recommended procedures, practices, techniques, and methods to promote a systematic approach. The last update to this publication was in 2016.

References:

NWCG Guide to Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination PMS 412

Updated NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations, PMS 508

Date: March 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Airtanker Base Operations Unit

The updated NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations (SABO), PMS 508 standardizes operations and procedures at interagency airtanker bases to ensure safe, efficient, and effective operations in support of interagency goals and objectives.

References:

NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations, PMS 508