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RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)

RT-130 Decorative banner. Group of photos depicting wildland firefighters performing various duties.

Mission Planning, A Rappel Spotter's Perspective

All wildland firefighting modules participate in mission planning. Depending on the type of module you are on dictates specialized considerations you must account for. This module provides mission planning insights from a Rappel Module that are relevant to all firefighters.
Category: Operations
Core Component(s):
Fire and Aviation Operational Safety, Human Factors, Communication and Decision Making
Estimated Delivery Time: 35 minutes
Video Length: 10:35

Intent

All wildland firefighting modules participate in mission planning.  The type of module you are on dictates specialized considerations you must account for.  This module provides mission planning insights from a Rappel Module that are relevant to all firefighters.

Facilitator Preparation

  • Review the video and module tools prior to presenting.   
  • Review and rehearse procedures for your module’s mission planning process.  
  • Print or display the module tools for students to reference during the activity and discussion.

Facilitating the Discussion

  • Show the video.
  • Facilitate a small or large group exercise with a scenario.
  • Present the scenario below, and have the groups come up with their own mission plan.

Conduct Activity

  • Divide the class.
  • Give each group the Activity Questions, below.
  • Discuss group responses, challenges, and successes.

Questions / Scenario / Directions

  1. What tools and steps do you take in your mission planning?
  2. What information and intelligence are unique to your module during a briefing?
  3. Practice using a previous incident, discuss specific elements of mission planning that were unique to that incident.  Have each group share out their mission plan.

Resources

Additional Video Information

  • This video is also available as a download (zip file, size 1GB) with the .srt file for closed captioning (you may need to right click and Save As). For information on how to add closed captioning to a video, see this how to page.
  • Note: For Chrome and Firefox, right click the word download and select Save Link As; for IE, right click and select Save Target As.

Last Modified / Reviewed:

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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

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Date: December 3, 2024
Contact: NWCG TRAINING

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Job Aid Catalog

NWCG Packing List for Wildland Fire Fireline Personnel, J-101

NWCG Packing List for Wildland Fire Support Staff, J-102

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Date: November 14, 2024
Contact: Equipment Technology Committee

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This Safety Warning is intended to highlight the details and recommended procedures for the installation of a Stihl chainsaw toolless fuel cap, as well as how to identify and correct a misaligned, damaged, or broken fuel cap to help prevent fuel spillage.

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