Skip to main content

Engines

Steward: Equipment Technology Committee

The NWCG categorizes information on fire apparatus into logical groups and provides common options often requested by fire managers. The Incident Command System (ICS) uses this system based on the equipment capability. The table below shows NWCG minimum performance requirements for structure and, wildland engine resource types. Additional information for required crew training and equipment recommendations can be found at the position catalog.

Engine Types
Types 1 and 2 are structure; Types 3-7 are wildland
Requirements Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4 Type 5 Type 6 Type 7
Tank minimum capacity (gal) 300 300 500 750 400 150 50
Pump minimum flow (gal/min) 1,000 500 150 50 50 50 10
Tank minimum capacity (gal) 300 300 500 750 400 150 50
At rated pressure (psi) 150 150 250 100 100 100 100
Hose: 2½-inch 1,200 1,000 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Hose: 1½-inch 50 500 1,000 300 300 300 N/A
Hose: 1-inch N/A N/A 500 300 300 300 200
Ladders per NFPA 1901 Yes Yes N/A N/A N/A N/A 50N/A
Master stream 500 gal/min. Yes N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Pump and roll N/A N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Maximum GVWR (lb) N/A N/A N/A N/A 26,000 19,500 14,000
Personnel (minimum) 4 3 3 2 2 2 2
N/A = Not applicable
NFPA = National Fire Protection Association
GVWR = Gross vehicle weight rating

Notes:

  1. All types shall meet Federal, state, and agency requirements for motor vehicle safety standards, including all gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) when fully loaded.
  2. Type 3 engines and tactical water tenders shall be equipped with a foam proportioner system.
  3. All water tenders and engine Types 3 through 6 shall be able to prime and pump water from a 10-foot lift.
  4. Personnel shall meet the qualification requirements of NWCG’s NIMS Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide, PMS 310-1.

Common Additional Needs for Engines and Tenders (Request As Needed)

  • All-wheel drive (includes four-wheel drive)
  • High-pressure pump (250 psi at one-half flow of Type)
  • Foam proportioner
  • Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) 40 ft3/min minimum
  • Additional personnel

Need a heading for this part - Equipment examples? Equipment directory?  This information is from the Water Handling Equipment Guide, PMS 447-1

This section lists many of the different initial attack engines used in the United States and describes the wide variety of vehicle sizes, pump, and tank size configurations. The data displayed in this section are intended to assist individuals interested in outfitting an initial attack wildland engine. Some of the following engines could possibly be reclassified from one NWCG ICS type to another by changing the basic equipment compliment, personnel staffing, or level of training.

Note:  Click the agency link for a further description. 

NWCG ICS Type Tank Capacity (gallons) Pump Rating (gal/min @150 psi) Pump Drive Equipment Designator Agency
1 500 1500 Mid Ship N/A Los Angeles County Fire Department
1 750 1500 Mid Ship N/A Sacramento Metro Fire Department
1 700 1500 Mid Ship N/A Sacramento Metro Fire Department
3 500 500 Hydrostatic CAL FIRE Model 14/15 CAL FIRE
And so on...          

Line Production Rates for Initial Action by Engine Crews in Chains per Crew per Hour

Fire Behavior Fuel Model Specific Conditions Chains Per Crew Hour
Number of Persons in Crew
1 2 3 4 5+
1. Short Grass Grass 6 12 24 35 40
Tundra 2 8 15 24 30
2. Open Timber/Grass Understory All 3 7 15 21 25
3. Tall Grass All 2 5 10 14 16
4. Chaparrel Chaparrel 2 3 8 15 20
High Pocosin 2 4 10 15 18
5. Brush (minimum 2 ft. tall) All 3 6 12 16 20
6. Dormant Brush/Hardwood Slash Black Spruce 3 6 10 16 20
Others 3 6 12 16 20
7. Southern Rough All 2 5 12 16 20
8. Closed Timber Litter Conifers 3 8 15 20 24
Hardwoods 10 30 40 50 60
9. Hardwood Litter Conifers 3 7 12 18 22
Hardwoods 8 25 40 50 60
10. Timber (Litter & Understory) All 3 8 12 16 20
11. Logging Slash, Light All 3 8 12 16 20
12. Logging Slash, Medium All 3 5 10 16 20
13. Logging Slash, Heavy All 2 4 8 15 20
Note: These rates are to be used for estimating initial action productivity only. Do not use these rates to estimate sustained line construction, burnout, and holding productivity. Initial action may consist of scratch line construction and hotspotting.

NWCG Latest Announcements

Leadership Committee IAP Flyer Now Available

Date:  May 8, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee promotes and enables leadership development across the wildland fire service. The committee provides education, training opportunities, and support for leadership innovation and best practices throughout the community.

A new IAP flyer is now available on the committee website, offering an overview of the products, curriculum, and learning opportunities the Leadership Committee develops. This resource is ideal for posting in your office, sharing with new employees, or distributing through your incident management teams to engage new voices in the leadership journey and reinforce a culture of self‑reflection, development, and growth.

References:

Leadership Committee 2026 IAP Flyer

Incident Operations Subcommittee Updates the Next Generation Position Task Book for FFT1

Date:  May 7, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

The NWCG Incident Operations Subcommittee (IOSC) has updated the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14. The FFT1 Position Task Book transitioned to the Next Generation (Next Gen PTB) format in June 2025 through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. Since then, IOSC has received feedback from the wildland fire community regarding coding for one of the tasks. Task #13 has been updated to include the option of evaluation in a simulation.

See IOSC Memorandum 26‑01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14 for more information.

References:

IOSC Memorandum 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Postion Task Book for Firefighter Type 1

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page 

NEW! S-212, Intermediate Faller (Online) Course Available Now 

Date:  April 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce that the new S‑212, Intermediate Faller (Online), course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). This second course in the series provides students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of an Intermediate Faller (FAL2), as described in the FAL2 Incident Position Description. This course is intended for individuals seeking to advance from Basic Faller (FAL3) to FAL2.

S‑212, Intermediate Faller is a fully online, self‑paced training program consisting of 13 units. Learners will engage with interactive, scenario‑based content designed to progressively build foundational skills and knowledge essential for the FAL2 role.

Students must be qualified as a Basic Faller (FAL3) prior to enrolling in S‑212, Intermediate Faller course.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2027.

References:

S-212 Intermediate Faller (Online)

RMC Memo 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementing Updates to Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Qualifications

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

New Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

Date:  April 17, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: National Coordination System Committee

A new publication from the National Coordination System Committee (NCSC) is now available. The NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249, will be used for aviation crews and dispatch to share flight information that is needed for resource tracking, and if needed, for emergency procedures.

For further details, please contact your NCSC representative. 

References:

NCSC Memo 26-01: Implementation of NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249