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National Wildfire Coordinating Group

National Interagency Fire Center
3833 S. Development Avenue
Boise, ID 83705
MEMORANDUM
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Reference:
 NWCG#017-2009
To:
 Agency Managers and Geographic Area Coordination Centers
From:
 NWCG Chair Brian McManus's signature
Date:
 June 15, 2009
Subject:
 Release of June 2009 Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide (PMS 310-1) and Amended Position Task Books

The June 2009 version of the Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide (PMS 310-1) has been released, and all associated Position Task Books (PTB) have now been updated, approved, and are available for use by the interagency wildland fire community.

The PMS 310-1 provides a cornerstone of our National Interagency Incident Management System by establishing minimum interagency qualification requirements for national mobilization of resources. While the 2009 update closely resembles the previous version, this edition clarifies and makes improvements to the previous version, and includes significant changes which are summarized in the “Major Changes” section of the Guide. A majority of the changes were made to reflect current Wildland Fire Management Policy. For example:

  1. Eliminating all verbiage associated with “fire use” terminology
  2. Eliminating the WFU task coding
  3. Eliminating the Fire Use Manager 1 and 2 (FUM1/2) position codes
  4. Establishment of the Strategic Operational Planner (SOPL) position qualifications within the Plans function (Transition Plan is posted)
  5. Combining the FEMO and FOBS PTBs (Transition Plan is posted)
  6. Establishing the two categories of fire type (i.e., wildfire and prescribed fire).

It is important to familiarize yourself with the 2009 PMS 310-1 for a complete understanding of the revisions, and to insure this information is widely distributed within the interagency wildland fire community.

The PTBs were also revised to reflect current Wildland Fire Management Policy and to address other issues. Those edits are also summarized in the “Major Changes” section of the Guide. Any PTB initiated prior to the 2009 PMS 310-1 edition remains valid according to NWCG policy.

The 2009 PMS 310-1 and PTBs can only be found on the NWCG website: http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/docs/docs.htm and are not be available through the Publication Management System in hard copy. If a hard copy is needed, individual users can download and print the documents as needed.

Please disseminate this information broadly through your communications networks within the wildland fire community.


cc: NWCG Executive Board



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