Public Information Officer Complex

The Public Information Officer Complex (PIOC) participates in the collection and dissemination of incident information and may be the first public point of contact. They may be assigned to information center operations, community engagement, media relations, or other branches. The PIOC may function as a member of the Command and General Staff (C&G) and supervise the public information function of an Incident Management Team (IMT), or the PIOC may support a branch of an IMT as a single resource. The PIOC may report to the Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Agency Administrator (AA), or Incident Commander (IC). The PIOC works in the Command functional area.

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:

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.
To provide emergency assistance to States under formalized agreements.
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 2024

Updated Positions Qualification Requirements as follows:

Added:

To PIOC Qualification Requirements: ***S-420, Command and General Staff or L-481, Advanced Leadership for Command and General Staff or O-305, Type 3 All-Hazard Incident Management Team, and I-400, Advanced ICS for Command and General Staff, must be completed before initiating the NWCG Public Information Officer Complex, Position Task Book, PMS 311-106.

Updated:

S-520, Advanced Incident Management OR Complex Incident Management Course (CIMC) OR Complex Incident Management Field Evaluation (PDF) OR a completed X-520,NWCG CIM Field Evaluation Form (PDF).

Date: Jan 2023

Removed: NOTE: This qualification standard is effective until December 31, 2022, per NWCG Memorandum 22-002, Amended

Added:

To Required Training:

To Required Experience:

Satisfactory performance as a Public Information Officer Type 3 (PIO3)
AND Completion and Certification of Public Information Officer Complex (PIOC) Position Task Book, PMS 311-106

Satisfactory performance as a Operations Section Chief Complex (OSCC)
AND Completion and Certification of Public Information Officer Complex (PIOC) Position Task Book, PMS 311-106 (see note)

Satisfactory performance as a Incident Logistics Section Complex (LSCC)
AND Completion and Certification of Public Information Officer Complex (PIOC) Position Task Book, PMS 311-106 (see note)

Satisfactory performance as a Safety Officer Complex (SOFC)
AND Completion and Certification of Public Information Officer Complex (PIOC) Position Task Book, PMS 311-106 (see note)

Satisfactory performance as a Planning Section Chief Complex (PSCC)
AND Completion and Certification of Public Information Officer Complex (PIOC) Position Task Book, PMS 311-106 (see note)

Note: Individuals utilizing this pathway must complete the Public Information Officer Course (E/L 952) prior to position qualification.

To These Positions Maintain Currency For PIOC:

Public Information Officer Type 3 (PIO3)

To PIOC Maintains Currency For These Positions:

Public Information Officer Type 3 (PIO3)

To Other Training Which Supports Development of Knowledge and Skills:

Date: May 2022

Position created.

Primary Committee: Communication Education and Prevention Committee

Steward: Public Information Officer Subcommittee

Key Stakeholder(s): Incident Command Subcommittee

Last Modified / Reviewed: 10/31/2024

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NWCG Latest Announcements

The Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL)

Date: October 16, 2024
Contact: Incident Medical Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Medical Unit Leader, PMS 350-39 and NWCG Position Task Book for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL), PMS 311-39 are now available.

The Performance Support Package, which for MEDL includes the Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book, were developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. The Performance Support Package will support trainees, those qualified in the position, and evaluators.

References:

NWCG Medical Unit Leader Position Page

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Medical Unit Leader, PMS 350-39

NWCG Position Task Book for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL), PMS 311-39

The Wildland Fire Learning Portal is Now Available

Date: October 9, 2024
Contact: Wildland Fire Learning Portal

The Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) is back online following a migration to a new learning management system (LMS) application. The WFLP team is actively addressing any issues that may arise as a result of the update, and appreciates your patience as the team works to enhance your experience. NWCG will share information from the WFLP as it is available.

Should you have any issues with accessing or using the WFLP, please use the link below to submit a ticket through the Help Center.

References:

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Wildland Fire Learning Portal Help Center

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee Releases New Equipment Bulletins

Date: September 27, 2024
Contact: Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released three new Equipment Bulletins:

ETC-EB-24-003 Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in fuel containers.
ETC-EB-24-004 Two-compartment fuel and oil container (Dolmar) unavailable in the United States (US) and reminders for upkeeping current inventories.
ETC-EB-24-005 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Inspection, Care, and Maintenance.

These bulletins remind field going personnel of important issues related to equipment for wildland firefighting efforts.