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WFLDP Toolbox

 

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Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program header

Leaders constantly assess the elements of the leadership environment and adapt accordingly. Successful leaders understand the interplay of these variables and demonstrate flexibility in selecting appropriate leadership tools and techniques as a situation changes. The Leadership Toolbox provides an array of tools leaders can use to develop their art of leadership.

The following headings link to the corresponding toolbox page where you will find more information.

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After Action Reviews

An After Action Review (AAR) is a professional discussion of an event, focused on performance standards, that enables firefighters to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses.

Briefing and Intent

Fire leaders show respect by keeping people informed—describing leader’s intent for assignments, providing timely briefings and debriefing, identifying hazards, and answering questions at appropriate times.

Electronic Library

This ever-growing collection of leadership publications provides something for everyone.

Field Leadership Assessment Course

This feature provides support to facilitators in the planning, development, and execution of a Field Leadership Assessment Course (FLAC) portion of the L-280 course and for team building.

Crew Cohesion Assessment

The Crew Cohesion Assessment is designed to provide a tool to measure crew or team behaviors as they relate to cohesion.

LEAD Time

LEAD Time is a collection of leadership topics within the 6 Minutes for Safety library as a means to promote leadership discussions during tailgate sessions.

Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, PMS 494-2

This publication expresses the fundamental leadership concepts of the wildland fire service, outlining the framework, values, and principles that guide wildland fire leaders in providing leadership across a broad range of missions.

Leaders We Would Like to Meet

This tool includes interviews with wildland fire leaders that have had an impact on the wildland fire organization.

Leadership Media

This feature is intended to provide a selection of media (films, videos, podcasts, etc.) that support continuing education efforts within the wildland fire service.

Professional Reading Program

Leaders are readers. The intent of the PRP is to engage leaders of all levels to support a continued growth in leadership through reading through yearly collection of publications.

Self-Development Plan

Being a successful firefighter means being a student of fire. This tool helps leaders at all levels plan and track training, challenging field experiences, and their own self-directed learning efforts.

Staff Ride Library

This tool provides a library of information on significant wildland fire events in order to assist individuals who want to conduct staff rides to those sites and to provide a reference source for individuals who want to develop new staff rides for incidents of local interest.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

This tool serves as a planning guide and reference for fire management programs, including individual crews and overhead teams, for developing, implementing, and maintaining SOP to conduct business safely and set standards for basic crew operations.

Tactical Decision Games (TDGs)

The TDG tool hosts a library of games and references as a means for leaders to practice making decisions and communicating those decisions to others.

Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign

The campaign promotes leadership development across all wildland fire community disciplines by focusing on one theme nationally but is easily implemented locally. This tool includes references and challenges from previous years.

NWCG Latest Announcements

Updated, NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

Date: March 11, 2025
Contact: Fire Use Subcommittee
Wildland Fire Module Unit

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430 standardizes procedures and expectations for Wildland Fire Modules (WFMs). These standards are to be used by staff, supervisors, specialists, and technicians for planning, administering, and conducting WFM operations. These standards will also be used as a measure of WFM qualifications, capabilities, and expected performance, for both Type 1 and Type 2 WFMs.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

NEW! NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514

Date: March 7, 2025
Contact: National Interagency Aviation Committee

The NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514 establishes the standards for dispatching, utilizing, and coordinating airtankers on interagency wildland fires. These standards should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision (SAS), PMS 505, NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations (SABO), PMS 508, and any applicable agency plans.

References:

NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514

Incident Position Standards and Next Gen Position Task Books Now Available for Dispatch Incident Positions

Date: March 5, 2025
Contact: National Coordination System Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for all six Dispatch positions:

  • Aircraft Dispatcher
  • Expanded Dispatch Coordinator
  • Expanded Dispatch Recorder
  • Expanded Dispatch Supervisory Dispatcher
  • Expanded Dispatch Support Dispatcher
  • Initial Attack Dispatcher

The Performance Support Packages for these positions, including the Expanded Dispatch Job Aid, J-601 and the Initial Attack and Aircraft Dispatcher Job Aid, J-602, were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

References:

NWCG Aircraft Dispatcher Position Page 

NWCG Expanded Dispatch Coordinator Position Page 

NWCG Expanded Dispatch Recorder Position Page 

NWCG Expanded Dispatch Supervisory Dispatcher Position Page 

NWCG Expanded Dispatch Support Dispatcher Position Page 

NWCG Initial Attack Dispatcher Position Page 

NWCG Job Aids 

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for DMOB, DOCL, and RESL

Date: February 28, 2025
Contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Demobilization Unit Leader (DMOB), Documentation Unit Leader (DOCL), and Resources Unit Leader (RESL).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions, including a job aid for RESL, were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

References:

NWCG Demobilization Unit Leader Position Page 

NWCG Documentation Unit Leader Position Page 

NWCG Resources Unit Leader Position Page