Partners and Agreements

The AHIMTA is a dedicated group of incident management, and public safety professionals from all disciplines, seeking to promote, support, and enhance the profession of incident management by establishing standards and promoting the cooperation of federal, state, local, and tribal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector in all phases of incident management.

Relationship to NWCG

NWCG coordinates with the AHIMTA in an effort to better align overall implementation of the NIMS National Qualifications System, and to support their ongoing efforts that may affect wildland fire standards.

The CGAC provides communication and cooperation between the Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACCs), the National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC), and the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). CGAC is chartered by NMAC.

CGAC Charter

Relationship to NWCG

CGAC may facilitate communication between Geographic Area Coordination Centers and NWCG.

The Disaster Assistance Support Program, (DASP), is a cooperative program between U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the U.S. Forest Service International Programs. The DASP enhances and supports OFDA’s capacity to respond to disasters by mobilizing a roster of more than 250 disaster management experts from the U.S. Forest Service and other domestic agencies. DASP has accessed the agency’s expertise to develop, manage and continually update many critical systems, procedures, guides and other tools to enhance and facilitate OFDA’s disaster planning, management and response.

Operating Plan for Detail Exchange between NWCG and DASP

Relationship to NWCG

NWCG and DASP have agreed to a detail exchange to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and business practices.

HSPD-5 required the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a mechanism for ensuring the ongoing management and maintenance of NIMS.

The Secretary established the National Integration Center (NIC) to serve as an asset for government agencies, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations that are implementing NIMS.

• National Preparedness System

Relationship to NWCG

NWCG coordinates with the NIC in an effort to align wildland fire qualification standards with national qualification standards, and to support their ongoing efforts that may affect wildland fire standards.

To support the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA’s goals by improving the competencies of the U.S. officials in Emergency Management at all levels of government to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the potential effects of all types of disasters and emergencies on the American people.

• FEMA EMI is the emergency management community’s flagship training institution, and provides training to Federal, State, local, tribal, volunteer, public, and private sector officials to strengthen emergency management core competencies for professional, career-long training.
• EMI directly supports the implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Response Framework (NRF), the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), and the National Preparedness Goal (NPG) by conveying necessary knowledge and skills to improve the nation’s capability.
• EMI trains more than 2 million students annually. Training delivery systems include residential onsite training; offsite delivery in partnership with emergency management training systems, colleges, universities; and technology-based mediums to conduct individual training courses for emergency management personnel across the Nation.
• EMI is located on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC), Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Relationship to NWCG

EMI develops and maintains the ICS and all-hazard position specific training courses, as well as setting national instructor qualification standards and student prerequisites.

The Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) Information Technology (IT) Portal brings together applications, tools and user support services to support Federal, State, and Local government agencies which provide support for all wildfires and other incidents. This portal serves as an introduction to FAM-IT’s portfolio of applications and provides a consolidated repository of user guides, training materials, and other documents.

• Wildland Fire Application Information Portal
   

Relationship to NWCG

USDA Forest Service is the host agency for NWCG's website. FAM-IT is the Forest Service program providing this service. FAM-IT also develops and maintains many systems and applications which provide support to the NWCG mission to enable interagency wildland fire operations.

The Fire Management Board provides a mechanism for coordinated and integrated federal wildland fire program management and implementation. The Board, taking strategic policy and program direction from the Fire Executive Council, directs, coordinates and oversees the development and implementation of federal wild land fire policy and programs to provide consistent and cost-effective program management. The Board is accountable for and has the authority to coordinate federal program management and oversight.

Relationship to NWCG

The FMB may request NWCG organizational assistance and subject matter expertise to support FMB initiatives, rather than creating redundant SME groups. NWCG staff provide administrative support to FMB.

The GATRs provide cost effective and efficient interagency wildland fire management training responsive to the needs and direction of their respective Geographic Areas, and in support of the National training effort.

Operating Guidelines

Relationship to NWCG

The GATRs provide national leadership in the delivery of a significant portion of the NWCG training curriculum, including almost all 300 and 400 level training courses. The GATRs also provide critical leadership and input into NWCG training course development and revision.

The Incident Workforce Development Group provides national leadership to enable long-term development and sustainability of a national interagency incident workforce. Primary objectives are:

1. Develop incident workforce data into useful decision support information;
2. Use incident workforce data to identify impediments to Incident Management Team (IMT) participation;
3. Assess and make specific recommendations for the following issues:
   • Roles and responsibilities for IMT direction, prioritization, and oversight;
   • Increasing internal and external (e.g. DOD, USGS, BOR, NRCS) IMT participation;
   • Improving NWCG qualification pathways;
   • Ensuring equitable experience opportunities among IMTs;
   • Number, type, and geographic location of IMTs;
   • IMT mobilization efficiencies;
   • Trainee management and efficiency in support of IMT staffing goals;
4. Provide regular reports to the chartering entities to include:
   • Issue identification and recommendations related to the primary mission;
   • Areas of disagreement that require higher level of resolution.

Relationship to NWCG

NWCG is a signatory to the charter of this group, along with NMAC and FMB. This work continues efforts initiated by NWCG's Incident Management Organization Succession Planning (IMOSP), Evolving Incident Management Strategic Implementation Plan (EIMSIP), and Evolving Incident Management (EIM) projects to address incident workforce issues.

The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) provides leadership to the fire science community by identifying high-priority fire science research needs that will enhance the decision-making ability of fire and fuels managers, natural resource managers, and others to meet their management objectives. The program also meets the decision needs of those involved in developing and implementing fire-related policy.

The JFSP has established the Fire Science Exchange Network to open pathways to active science delivery. The Fire Science Exchange Network is a national collaboration of 15 regional fire science exchanges that provides the most relevant, current wildland fire science information to stakeholders. The exchanges bring together fire managers, practitioners, and scientists to address common needs and challenges.

Relationship to NWCG

JFSP collaborates with NWCG by working with committees to define research needs, supporting studies and syntheses to address these needs, and providing regional capacity for science delivery and continuing education.

The National Advanced Fire & Resource Institute (NAFRI) is a national level training center serving the interagency wildland fire community through the development and implementation of fire, fuels, resource, and incident management skills and educational processes.

Relationship to NWCG

NAFRI is the primary source of NWCG 500-600 level training course delivery.