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Planning Section Chief Type 2*

PSC2 decorative banner: photos depicting PSC2 position. PSC2 Position Description: The Planning Section Chief (PSC2), a member of the General Staff, is responsible for collecting, evaluating, disseminating, and using information about the development of the incident, status of resources, and demobilization of the incident.<br>Information is needed to understand the current situation, predict probable course of incident events, prepare alternative strategies and control operations for the incident, and provide for an orderly and economical demobilization of the incident.

The Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2) manages all aspects of incident planning, situation and resource status, and demobilization of an incident. The PSC2 supervises members of the Planning Section. The PSC2 is part of the Command and General (C&G) Staff and reports to the Incident Commander (IC) under typical incident organizations. The PSC2 works in the Planning functional area.

The PSC2 performs position duties commensurate with Type 2 incident complexity and characteristics stated in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book). (Type 1, 2 and 3 PSC duties are identical but performed at different complexity levels.)

Planning Section Chief (PSC3) Resources Unit Leader (RESL) Status/Check-in Recorder (SCKN) Situation Unit Leader (SITL) Field Observer (FOBS) Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO) Infrared Interpreter (IRIN) Display Processor (DPRO) Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) Strategic Operational Planner (SOPL) Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN) Geographic Information System Specialist (GISS) Document Unit Leader (DOCL) Demobilization Leader (DMOB) Interagency Resource Representative (IARR) Human Resource Specialist (HRSP) Incident Training Specialist (TNSP) Planning Section Chief (PSC2) Planning Section Chief (PSC1) Planning Section Chief (PSCC)

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

Removed: Required Training and Required Experience and replaced with  "The qualification pathway for this position is discontinued per NWCG direction on January, 2023. Responders with an active PTB will transition to the corresponding complex position PTB." 

Date: Dec 2022

Updated: Position Endorsement
The position for this endorsement is currently being evaluated to the new standards for Complex Incident Management, for current information regarding this change, please contact your NIMSIC representative.

Date: May 2022

Added: Planning Section Chief Complex (PSCC) to "These Positions Maintain Currency For PSC2" and "PSC2 Maintains Currency For These Positions."

Date: Dec 2020

Added: Incident Position Description (IPD) approved.

Date: Oct 2018

Added: “Individuals utilizing this pathway must complete the Planning Section Chief Course (S- 440) prior to position qualification.”

Date: Oct 2015

Updated: Prerequisite experience modified as follows:

Satisfactory performance as a Situation Unit Leader (SITL).
     +
Completion and Certification of Position Task Book (PMS 311-23) as a Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2) on a wildfire incident.
     OR
Satisfactory performance as a Resources Unit Leader (RESL).
     +
Completion and Certification of Position Task Book (PMS 311-23) as a Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2) on a wildfire incident.
     OR
Satisfactory performance as a Planning Section Chief Type 3 (PSC3).
     +
Completion and Certification of Position Task Book (PMS 311-23) as a Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2) on a wildfire incident.
     OR
Satisfactory performance as an Operations Section Chief Type 2 (OSC2).
     +
Completion and Certification of Position Task Book (PMS 311-23) as a Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2) on a wildfire incident*.
     OR
Satisfactory performance as a Logistics Section Chief Type 2 (LSC2).
     +
Completion and Certification of Position Task Book (PMS 311-23) as a Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2) on a wildfire incident*.
     OR
Satisfactory performance as a Safety Officer Type 2 (SOF2).
     +
Completion and Certification of Position Task Book (PMS 311-23) as a Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2) on a wildfire incident*.

Date: Oct 1999

Added: S-420 Command & General Staff (32 hrs.).

Date: Oct 1993

Position created. 

Planning Section Chief (Multi-Branch), Planning Section Chief (Multi-Division) and Planning Section Chief (Multi-Leader) in 1984 PMS 310-1.

USWDS Paragraph Bundles

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


Page Last Modified / Reviewed:
USWDS Paragraph Bundles

 

NWCG Latest Announcements

2024 Week of Remembrance

Date: June 27, 2024
Contact: 6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee 

As we approach the 2024 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30 to July 6, we dedicate this time to thoughtfully reviewing and recognizing the events of the 2018 Mendocino Complex. As such, this year’s theme of “Learning From the Mendocino Complex” embodies a longstanding hallmark of WOR, honoring through learning.

Throughout the week, our energy will be directed toward fostering generative conversations in briefing rooms and at tailgates.

References:

6 Minutes for Safety - 2024 Week of Remembrance

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Updated NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236

Date: June 24, 2024
Contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee 

The June 2024 update of the NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236, is now available to meet the current needs for incident management typing.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment should be used to evaluate firefighter safety issues, assess risk, and identify the appropriate incident management organization based on incident complexity. Assessing risk, determining incident complexity, and identifying an appropriate incident management organization is a subjective process based on examining a combination of indicators or factors, which can change over time.

References:

NWCG Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment, PMS 236

Operations Branch Director (OPBD) Next Gen PTB Available

Date: June 10, 2024
Contact: NWCG Feedback 

The NWCG Position Task Book for Operations Branch Director (OPBD), PMS 311-109 is now available for use within the OPBD position qualification pathway. As part of the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), the OPBD Next Gen PTB was developed and the position qualification pathway updated.

More information about the Next Gen PTB format can be found on the NWCG Position Task Book webpage.

References:

Operations Branch Director Position Page

Operations Branch Director Next Gen PTB

NWCG Position Task Books

Updated NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902

Date: June 5, 2024
Contact: NWCG Incident Business Committee 

The 2024 revision of the NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902 is now available. The uniform application of interagency incident business management standards is critical to interagency fire operations. PMS 902 assists NWCG agencies in constructively working together to provide effective execution of each agency's incident business management program.

References:

PMS 902