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Safety Officer, Line

SOFR decorative banner: photos depicting SOFR position. SOFR Position Description: The Safety Officer (SOFR), a member of the Command Staff, is responsible for monitoring and assessing hazardous and unsafe situations and developing measures for assuring personnel safety. The Safety Officer will correct unsafe acts or conditions through the regular line of authority, although they (Safety Officer) may exercise emergency authority to stop or prevent unsafe acts when immediate action is required. Only one Safety Officer will be assigned for each incident. The Safety Officer may have assistant Safety Officers as necessary, and the assistant Safety Officer may represent assisting agencies or jurisdictions. Assistant Safety Officers may have specific responsibilities, such as air operations, hazardous materials, etc.(SOFR is not a prerequisite to NWCG SOF2.)

The Safety Officer, Line (SOFR) is responsible for monitoring the overall operation of an incident from a risk management perspective to provide for the welfare of assigned resources. SOFRs can be assigned to incidents of any complexity level. On Type 3, 4, or 5 incidents, they may be the lead safety officer, reporting to the Incident Commander (IC) and on Type 2 or 1 incidents, they may report to the lead safety officer – Safety Officer, Type 1 (SOF1) or Safety Officer, Type 2 (SOF2). SOFRs may supervise a Medical Unit Leader (MEDL) or other members in the safety organization. SOFRs work in the Command functional area.

(SOFR is not a prerequisite to NWCG SOF2.)

USWDS Paragraphs

Incident Commander (ICT5) Safety Officer (SOFC) Safety Officer (SOFR) Liason Officer (LOFR) Incident Commander (ICT4) Incident Commander (ICT3) Incident Commander (ICT2) Incident Commander (ICT1) Safety Officer (SOF2) Public Information Officer (PIO1) Public Information Officer (PIO2) Public Information Officer (PIO3) Agency Representative (AREP) Public Information Officer, Technician (PIOT) Incident Commander (ICCI) Safety Officer (SOF1) Public Information Officer (PIOC)

 

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 2024

Updated Positions Qualification Requirements as follows:

Added: To SOFR Maintains Currency For These Positions:

  • Safety Officer Field (SOFF)

Date: Jan 2023

Added: 

  • Safety Officer Complex (SOFC) to "These Positions Maintain Currency For SOFR."
  • Safety Officer Complex (SOFC) to "SOFR Maintains Currency For These Positions."
Date: Jul 2022

Added: Incident Position Description (IPD) approved.

Date: Sep 2015

Added: Advanced ICS (ICS-400) required training to align position with FEMA Type 3 standards.
Added: Transition Plan:

  • All qualified SOFR individuals will remain qualified. Individuals will be granted ICS-400 in responder’s records.
  • All SOFR trainees will be required to complete ICS-400 prior to position qualification.
Date: Oct 2014

Updated: Position Task Book language to reflect the following: Once qualified as a SOF2, the SOFR qualification may be granted by the certifying official. Certification must be documented on a “verification/certification” page of the SOFR Position Task Book (311-82).

Date: Apr 2006

Position created.

The title of the Safety Officer Type 3 position has been changed to Safety Officer, Line (SOFR). This position is entry level, is not a prerequisite for higher qualifications, and is not tied to the complexity of an incident.

USWDS Paragraph Bundles

Primary Committee: Risk Management Committee
Steward: Risk Management Committee
Key Stakeholder(s): Incident Command Subcommittee


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NWCG Latest Announcements

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

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Awards

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.

Congratulations to the awardees:

  • Sam Bowen, Superintendent of the Mark Twain Veteran Crew with the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Greg Titus, Zone Fire Management Officer for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  • Renae Crippen, Manager of the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center with the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Eric Carlson, Instructor with OMNA International.

References:

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Interview with Paul Gleason

Updated NWCG Standards for Water Scooping Operations, PMS 518

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

The Interagency Aerial Supervision Subcommittee has updated the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505. PMS 505 establishes standards for aerial supervision operations for national interagency wildland fire operations. 

References:

NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505