Fire Prevention Education Team Leader

PETL Incident Position Description

The Fire Prevention Education Team Leader (PETL) serves as the lead of a Fire Prevention Education Team (FPET). The PETL is responsible for the overall management, supervision, and success of the FPET. The PETL reports to the Agency Administrator and works in the Prevention and Investigation functional area.

Prepare and Mobilize

• Ensure individual readiness.
• Ensure work area, supplies, and communications equipment necessary to complete assignment are coordinated with the host agency.
• Ensure proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and attire/uniform requirements are communicated to team prior to deployment.
• Gather critical information relevant to the assignment including cultural, social, and political considerations. Be sensitive to local communication needs and styles.
• Travel to and check in with incident supervisor and/or dispatch when arriving at the incident.
• Obtain briefing, objectives, and intent from supervisor.

Build the Team

• Lead operational and FPET briefings.
• Establish daily schedule and assign duties to team members.
• Mentor trainees and share knowledge of fire prevention processes.
• Establish and maintain positive interpersonal and interagency working relationships.
• Identify and anticipate staffing needs and request additional resources and/or replacements as needed. Identify and utilize local resources for team assistance as appropriate.

Supervise and Direct Work Assignments

• Review and confirm agreement to host agency’s tasks within the delegation of authority (DOA).
• Establish priorities and timelines for tasks for team members.
• Assess experience level of assigned personnel and discuss performance capabilities and any limitations.
• Establish and communicate objectives, priorities, work assignments, and performance expectations.
• Identify, analyze, and use relevant situational information to make more informed decisions and take appropriate actions.
• Conduct evaluations of team members prior to demobilization using approved forms (ICS 225 WF).

Perform Fire Prevention Education Team Leader-Specific Duties

• Develop comprehensive wildfire prevention programs on district, region, state, or multi-state level to reduce unwanted human-caused wildfires.
• Deliver persuasive fire prevention education programs to large community groups to address needed behavioral changes to reduce wildfires.
• Report to the Agency Administrator who provides the PETL with broad agency policies and performance expectations through a formal DOA.
• Collaborate with partners to identify fire causes, recognize the threat of the problem to the geographic area, and target specific prevention education programs.
• Prepare and produce a variety of wildfire prevention materials.
• Supervise a team of specialists including a Prevention Education Team Member (PETM) and a Public Information Officer (PIO).
• Assign tasks, evaluates performance, reviews program effectiveness, and resolves conflicts that may arise.
• Facilitate successful accomplishment of assignments by providing clear and concise direction to team members.    
• Work with national, regional, and local media to address fire causes, fire weather, and fire fuel conditions.
• Work within a budget, managing staffing, and logistics for immediate and long-term needs.
• Prepare a final report of team activities, accomplishments, and recommendations for the FPET host.
• Prepare demobilization plan in coordination with host Agency Administrator and in consideration of team’s progress of DOA objectives.

Communicate and Coordinate

• Lead briefings and presentations at agency and community meetings.
• Ensure the FPET final report is prepared, complete, on time, and distributed to host agency, national coordinator, and others as designated.
• Establish agency and community communications and collaboration with the agency Public Affairs Officer, agency prevention personnel, Incident Management Team (IMT), local fire departments, key community leaders, partners, and elected officials to develop and implement a wildfire prevention strategy and communications plan.
• Lead functional area briefings and After-Action Reviews (AARs).

Manage Risk

• Apply the Risk Management Process as stated in the NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461:
  • Identify Hazards.
  • Assess Hazards.
  • Develop Controls and Make Risk Decisions.
  • Implement Controls.
  • Supervise and Evaluate.
• Account for location, health, safety, and welfare of assigned personnel.
• Report all accidents or injuries to host agency safety officer or designee in DOA.

Document

• Complete, authorize, ensure timeliness of, and route as required:
  • Crew Time Report (CTR), SF-261 (Watch: How to correctly fill out a CTR)
  • Incident Personnel Performance Rating for each trainee (ICS 225 WF)
  • Activity Log (ICS 214)
  • Agency-specific forms

Demobilize

• Complete demobilization checkout process before being released from the incident.
• Upon demobilization, report status to home unit including reassignment or estimated time of arrival (ETA) to home unit.