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Gather Incident Information

Most incident information will be readily available on your Resource Order. The main attribute that you will need that may not be readily available is the IRWIN ID. 

IRWIN stands for Integrated Reporting of Wildland Fire Information. It was created to be a central repository for basic fire information to reduce redundant data entry and improve the consistency of information.

The IRWIN ID is a required attribute for every feature created in the NIFS. The IRWIN ID is used to tie each feature to its parent incident. For Event Polygon features, the IRWIN ID is used to join the perimeter with the incident information to create the publicly available perimeter data.

The IRWIN ID is a Global Unique Identifier (GUID). A GUID has 32 randomly generated characters that will look something like this: {5BFC1A52-D8A9-4BFF-AB98-225D7B4BA4A1}

After locating the IRWIN ID through one of the methods outlined below, best practice is to add it to the GeoOps File Namer spreadsheet in the \tools folder of the GeoOps Incident Directory Structure.

When in doubt, always check with the Situation Unit Leader (SITL) for confirmation of any ID.

Auto-Generated Triangles in the National Incident Feature Service

For each new IRWIN wildfire record, a triangle is automatically generated at the reported Lat/Long with the reported acreage in Event Polygon.

The triangle will have the IRWIN ID populated so the geometry can be easily replaced with the first accurate perimeter.

An auto-generated triangle in the Event Polygon layer with the attribute pop up showing the highlighted IRWIN ID. 

IRWIN ID in ArcGIS Online (AGOL)

Log into the NIFC ArcGIS Online Organization and use the IRWIN ID Search App to search by incident name or zoom manually to each active incident. Clicking on a point will display the IRWIN ID in the pop-up.

Highlighting the Search Function of the Current Wildland Fires (IRWIN) App in ArcGIS Online.

Incident Information on Resource Order

Incident Name

Found in box 2. Fairly straightforward, this is the name of the incident – Peak 2 in this example.

This is the name you would use for the IncidentName attribute.

Unique Fire ID

Found in box 3. The first half of the Unique Fire ID is the Unit ID for the agency responsible for the incident. In this example CO-WRF, Colorado White River National Forest. The second half is the Local Incident ID, in this case, 000236.

Best practice is to add the Unit ID and Local Incident IDs to the GeoOps File Namer spreadsheet in the \tools folder of the GeoOps Incident Directory Structure.

Resource Order with the Incident Name and Local Incident ID highlighted.

Incident Action Plan (IAP)

If you have already arrived at the Incident Command Post (ICP) and the incident is beyond the first operational period, much of the information you will need will be available in the IAP.

At a minimum, the Incident Name and Number will be on most Incident Command System (ICS) forms.

 

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Date: January 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

The Incident and Position Standards Committee has updated the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

These updates address changes to incident position names and requirements for qualification, training, and experience. Updates related to the implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) and Incident Performance Training Modernization (IPTM) are also included.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308 has also been updated to reflect the recent changes.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308

IPSC Memo 26-01: January 2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Positions Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Incident Business Committee Memo 26-01: Updated Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297

Date: January 22, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Business Committee

The Incident Business Committee (IBC) has released Memorandum 26-01: OF 297 and 2026 Fire Use. This memo informs the wildland fire community that the updated Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297 is available for download and can be ordered through the Great Basin Cache.

Beginning January 15, 2026 the previous version of the OF 297 form has been discontinued.

For further details, please contact your IBC representative.

References:

Incident Business Committee Memorandum 26-01

Great Basin Cache

NEW! S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended) Available Now

Date: December 22, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the new S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended) training is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

This third course in the series combines online and instructor-led training components aimed at individuals who are involved in planning, managing, and executing wildland fire and prescribed burn operations; who require a thorough understanding of fire behavior calculations to enhance effectiveness and safety. This includes students who require the knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of a Type 3 Incident Commander (ICT3), Division/Group Supervisor (DIVS), or Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2).

Students are required to be qualified as any Single Resource Boss position and complete the prerequisite S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire behavior (Blended) course, before enrolling in S-390.

References:

S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

NEW! S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) Available Now

Date: December 18, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal!

This blended course combines online learning with instructor-led training, designed for individuals seeking to build leadership skills and gain experience in incident management.

Students are required to complete the prerequisite trainings ICS-100, Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS), ICS-200, Basic ICS for Initial Response, and ICS-700, An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) prior to attending S-320.

References:

S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal