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Area Commander

ACDR decorative banner: photos depicting ACDR position. ACDR Position Description: Area Command (ACDR) is an expansion of the incident command function. It is designed to manage a very large incident that has multiple IMTs assigned. These teams may be established any time the incidents are close enough that oversight direction is required. This is to ensure that resource allocation conflicts do not arise among the IMTs.

The Area Commander (ACDR) is responsible for setting priorities for the use of critical resources among multiple Incident Management Teams (IMT) in an assigned area or allocating/reallocating resources during a single, large-scale incident/event. Area Command may be established when oversight direction is required to ensure that resource allocation conflicts do not arise among the IMTs. The Area Commander reports to the Agency Administrator (AA) and works in the Command functional area.

An Area Command organization is normally small with personnel assigned to the Command, Planning, and Logistics functions. Depending on the complexity of the interface between the incidents, specialists in other areas, such as aviation, hazardous materials, environment, and finance, may also be assigned to Area Command.

USWDS Paragraphs

Area Command Aviation Coordinator (ACAC) Assistant Area Commander, Planning (ACPC) Assistant Area Commander, Logistics (ACLC) Area Commander (ACDR)

The Forest Service and Department of Interior are enabled by Administratively Determined Pay Plans (AD Pay Plans) to hire persons for temporary duration for the following reasons:

  1. To cope with a sudden and unexpected emergency caused by a fire, or extreme fire potential, flood, storm, or any other all-hazard emergency that threatens damage to federally protected property, has the potential to cause loss of life, serious injury, public health risk, or damage to natural or cultural resources unless brought under immediate control.
  2. To provide emergency assistance to States under formalized agreements.
  3. To meet mission assignments issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Incident Business Committee (IBC) reviews positions annually and establishes pay rate classifications for each position.

For more information on the AD Pay Plans, visit Incident Business Committee.

Date: Jan 2023

Added:

  • Incident Commander Complex (ICCI) to "These Positions Maintain Currency for ADCR."
  • Incident Commander Complex (ICCI) and Operations Section Chief Complex (OSCC) to "ACDR Maintains Currency for These Positions."
Date: May 2022

Added:  Planning Section Chief Complex (PSCC) to "Maintains Currency For These Positions".

Date: May 2021

Added: Incident Position Description (IPD) approved.

Date: Oct 2015

Added: Logistics Section Chief Type 1 (LSC1) to Area Commander (ACDR) Maintains Currency for these Positions.

Date: Oct 1999

Added: Required training S-620 – Area Command (32 hrs).

Date: Oct 1984

Position created.

USWDS Paragraph Bundles

Primary Committee: Incident and Position Standards Committee
Steward: Incident Command Subcommittee


Last Modified / Reviewed:

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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

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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.

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References:

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

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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

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References:

NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505