National Wildfire Coordinating Group

OTC-MT-2013-11-05

Training Committee

Meeting Minutes

11/5/13

 

Attendees:  Deb Fleming, Mark Jones, , Mike Ellsworth, Russ Babiak, Jim Shultz, Mark Cantrell, Renee Beams, Marie Bates, Brit Rosso, Mike Peitz, Chris Wilcox (Leadership Subcommittee Chair)

 

Absent: Paul Hanneman, Jill McCurdy, Craig Cook,

 

Action Log – (Ellsworth/Bates)

The Action Log was reviewed and updated. 

 

Removal of S-232 and S-233 from Publication – (Fleming)

The transition paper for the new Heavy Equipment Boss position stated S-232, Dozer Boss and S-233, Tractor Plow Boss would be removed from publication when the S-236, Heavy Equipment Boss position was developed and available. The new course has been available through the Products Management System (PMS) for several months. The Training Committee (TC) approved to remove these publications. 

 

Action Item:  Send email to TC for final decision of a consolidated removal of the following PMS docs:  S-232, S-233, PMS 467, PMS 122, and PMS 908-4. (Fleming/Ellsworth, dd: 12/3/13)

 

Field Managers Course Guide – (Fleming)

The group approved the changes proposed with Errata Sheet #41. The draft revision required extensive edits adding in information on the National Wildfire Coordination group (NWCG) transition to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System Training program. The draft will be finalized and published by the end of November 2013. 

 

M-480 Multi-Area Coordination (MAC) Course – (Fleming)

This course was analyzed by the Training Branch and at that time it was determined that there are several issues with the course in its current state, and if it is going to be kept in PMS it will need to be revised. An Issue Paper (reference Issue Paper #113) was written suggesting removal of the course and was presented to the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC)/Geographic Area Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (GMAC) in January 2013. These groups were in full support of removing the course from PMS, but after further discussion with the Coordinator’s Group, they had some concerns.

 

Upon discussion with the TC it was decided that this issue needs more research before a final decision can be made. If a decision is made to remove it, this course will be added to the list of courses that will be removed from publication in 2014 in lieu of the FEMA course. 

 

Action Item:  Send the course analysis, issue paper, and a brief summary/recommendation to the TC for review.  (Fleming dd: 12/3/13)

 

Internal Committee Protocols & Worksheet – (Ellsworth)

The group reviewed the final draft from last meeting making minor edits. The documents will be finalized next week and sent out to the group. Beginning in January the TC will start to implement monthly focus topics at each meeting. Standing advisors will continue to have an opportunity to update the Committee on what their group is working on. 

 

 

 

Request for Change (RFC) Process – (Fleming)

At the last TC meeting Deb was tasked with taking the OWDC Request for Change form and revising it to fit the TC needs. The Committee discussed this and decided there may not be a need for a form specific to training. There are already several avenues to provide training feedback available. If at some point in the future it is determined that one is necessary this issue will be readdressed.

 

Action Item:  Request that OWDC add a checkbox on their form (Is there a training component related to your RFC?) to trigger OWDC coordination with the TC. (Jones, dd: 12/3/13)

 

Future Agenda Item:  Review the Request for Change Process in a year, once the TC becomes more established, to determine if what we are currently doing is appropriate.

 

FEMA Update – (Fleming)

As of this meeting, 550 people have applied for historical recognition to teach the eight position specific courses as identified in the transition to the FEMA National Incident Management System Training Program memo. Applications will be collected through Nov 30, and then a final list will be complied and sent out to the GATRs and the TC to review. Deb is currently working with folks working on Evolving Incident Management (EMI) on the memos to communicate expectations between EMI and NWCG. Deb is also working on a briefing paper to communicate the recommendation for FEMA/EMI to consider a dual path for recognizing instructors to include an experience path (versus the current train-the-trainer path).  Once this is in draft, it will be sent to the TC for review prior to going to the NWCG Executive Board meeting.

 

Action Item:  Provide a breakdown of the agency numbers of the historical recognition applications that have been submitted and send to the TC.  (Fleming, dd: 12/3/13)

 

Relationship with NAFRI – (Ellsworth/Peitz)

This was the first meeting with the TC for Mike Peitz, recently hired Director of the National Wildfire Training Centers. He shared his background experience and previous jobs and explained the three programs the National Wildfire Training Centers will be comprised of: 

  • National Advanced Fire and Resource Institute (NAFRI) – Institute Manager position is still vacant; hoping position will be in place by March/April 2014. Until then Mike will be working with the NAFRI Program Leaders who will be sharing management of the Institute with him.
  • Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship Program (WFAP) – Program Manager is Doug Howorth
  • Prescribed Fire Training Center (PFTC) – Center Manager is Mike Dueitt

 

Mike looks forward to meeting the various training groups and suggested the possibility of the NAFRI staff coming to Boise sometime after the first of the year to meet with the Training Committee and Branch staff to develop relationship. 

 

The TC and NAFRI will have a lot of interaction with delivery/training regarding the EIM component. This week there will be an S-560/620 conference call that Ellsworth and Shultz will participate in, mainly joining the EIM discussion to keep informed as it relates to training and our stewardship role in training to hear what direction EIM is going. 

 

The week of Nov. 13-14, 2013, there will be a National Training Centers Vision “Summit” meeting at NAFRI.  This meeting will provide a good opportunity to reaffirm the National Training Center missions and explore some visions and how we move forward in an interagency environment.  Babiak, Fleming and Shultz will be attending the event.

 

 

Training Updates – (All)

  • National Advanced Fire and Resource Institute - (Peitz)
  • Update was given earlier in meeting.

 

  • Lessons Learned Center (LLC) – (Rosso)
  • The Forest Service realignment process is currently in progress. The LLC employees who work for the Forest Service organization are part of the workforce realignment plan. The LLC is no longer part of the National Fire Training Center; the Forest Service staff has been moved under the Risk Management Branch of the Forest Service. They are working together with the folks in Boise on logistics of the change and figuring out details to move forward.
  • The LLC continues to meet its mission with interagency staffing and funding support.
  • Working on the LLC website and new platform making sure it is functional for folks.
  • Supporting the Yarnell incident in a variety of ways with facilitation discussion, video reports and new products related to the incident. 

 

  • Geographic Area Training Representative (GATR) – (Beams)
  • The GATR meeting was moved to combine with the BLM National Meeting in Boise next week.
  • Been having discussions regarding the Regional Fire List this year
  • Training nominations are due this week and looks like numbers are low.

 

  • Training Development Branch – (Fleming)
  • There is no NWCG budget yet which is slowing things down.
  • The next NWCG Executing Board meeting is scheduled for November 20-21. Still waiting to hear if the FEMA National Integration Center Director will be attending. 
  • Distance Learning Unit Leader is working with a contractor to develop the NWCG/FEMA Incident Qualification Certification System (IQCS) online training. Kick off meeting this week in Boise.
  • The Refresher Unit is up in full force working on six new modules.
  • Group discussion on the role of the Refresher Manager position.

 

  • Leadership Subcommittee – (Wilcox)
  • Next meeting will be in San Diego from December 3-5 to work on the delivery of the new L-580 staff ride (San Diego Mega Fire Case Study). Non-NWCG funds are being contributed to develop this and the Leadership Subcommittee is working with the San Diego Power and Electric Company to make sure objectives are identified and met. Alpha delivery is scheduled for the Area Command (AC)/Incident Command (IC) meeting in 2014.
  • Other staff rides upcoming include South Canyon. There is a South Canyon App currently being developed in the alpha stage to be released next spring.
  • The annual NWCG delivery of Gettysburg Staff Ride is the only approved staff ride which meets the L-580 criteria. The other approved L-580 venue is the Wharton School of Business Leadership Conference. Once finalized and approved, the San Diego Mega Fire Case Study will be the third L-580 option.
  • Two levels of staff rides the Leadership Subcommittee supports: national staff rides which meet the national formatting requirements and local staff rides which are also archived on the Leadership Development website.
  • Continuing to move forward on leadership curriculum to look at both pathways and identify where gaps exist in supporting leadership development for organizational and IMT roles.
  • Discussed having a future topic on equivalency versus alternate delivery and asking the GATRs to provide recommendations.
  • Approved L courses are being delivered under other names. The Subcommittee will continue to work with other contractors on naming conventions on what they use with classes.
  • Working on clarifying the use of issuing completion certificates.
  • Wharton is offered in June of each year and Gettysburg is offered in May of each year.

 

Future Agenda Item:  Discuss equivalency versus alternate delivery and asking the GATRs to providing back recommendations.

 

Action Item:  TC Agency Reps visit with their Fire Director to express concerns with the future of the Refresher Program. Ensure Fire Directors understand current situation and issues.  (All, dd:  12/3/13)

 

Future Agenda Item:  Discuss activating an academic position on our committee as a standing advisor and subject matter oriented. TC members think about implementing informally and invite someone for 3-4 months and later put it informally in the charter.

 

NWCG Committee and Subgroup Review of the Geographical Information System (GIS) Standard Operation Procedures on Incidents – (Fleming)

The TC had no issues with the proposed SOP.

 

Action Item:  Follow up with Elaine Waterbury on GIS GSTOP support.  (Fleming, dd: 12/3/13)

 

Future Conference Calls/Meetings – (Ellsworth/Bates)

Next meeting is Dec 3. Future joint meeting with the GATRs will be May 6-8, 2014.

 

Action Item:  Schedule monthly conf calls for 2014 and send out calendar invite to TC members. (Bates, dd: 12/3/13).

Attachment(s): 
Parent Committee: 
Incident and Position Standards Committee
Date(s): 
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Meeting Type: 
Meeting