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X 904 Working with ESF 4 on Stafford Act Incidents Command and General Staff

Decorative banner: Three photos. First photo of a large group of command staff gathered around table in tent while on an incident. Second photo is of a man pointing to a location on a large wall map. Third is of three aerial commanders signaling to come forward.

 

Working with ESF #4 on Stafford Act Incidents: Command & General Staff is a non-IQCS course provided as a resource for firefighters.

Incident Management Team (IMT) roles and responsibilities during hurricanes, earthquakes, and other national and human-caused disasters may be different than IMTs typically have been. The course covers the roles of IMTs, ESF #4 and FEMA, interactions between IMTs and ESF #4, and the management of incident resources during Stafford Act incidents.

This course provides command and general staff members with an overview of IMT operations during Stafford Act incidents;  a brief introduction to ESF #4 and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) response operations;  and describes some of the differences between the wildland fire operating environment and the non-fire incident operating environments.

Modules: 

The course includes 10 modules:

  • Overview
  • Authorities and Framework
  • Agreements
  • National and Regional Response Structures
  • Mission Assignments
  • Responding to an ESF #4 Mission
  • Operational Environment
  • Best Management Practices
  • Wildfire and Aviation Mobilizations through FEMA
  • Course Summary

Instructions:

  1. Complete the online course.
  2. You will be directed to the National Fire Academy (NFA) Online website. You will need an NFA Online account to take this course; follow directions on the NFA Online website to obtain an account. Search for course title in the catalog and add the online course to your “To-Do-List.” The NFA Online learning management system will track your progress.

Access

Link to online training logon.

 

 

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ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003 Flame-Resistant Shirt Survey

Date: June 12, 2025
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The U.S. Forest Service National Technology and Development Program (NTDP) is seeking input on the Forest Service-designed flame-resistant (FR) shirt, currently available through the National Interagency Support Cache system and FedMall.

NTDP is conducting a product review to improve future FR shirt designs. As part of this effort, a short survey is now open for federal employees who have worn any of three recent FR shirt models. Feedback will guide design improvements to better meet the needs of wildland firefighters.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act, responses are limited to federal employees. The survey is open through September 12, 2025. 

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ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003

NEW! S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended) Now Available

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The S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended), equips new wildland firefighters with essential skills through a mix of online learning and hands-on training. The course features a required online component and an instructor-led exercise, reinforcing online concepts with practical performance-based training.

The course builds competencies in wildland fire operations, safety, and equipment use, applicable across various operational environments. Both the online component and instructor-led field exercise must be completed to receive a certificate of completion. Students are required to finish the prerequisite S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, before enrolling in S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended).

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The Emergency Medical Committee has issued interim guidance for Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) teams. Until further notice, Type I and II REMS teams must designate a team leader qualified at Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1) or higher. This temporary change replaces the Single Resource Boss (SRB) requirement, which is currently not feasible due to administrative barriers.

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The Equipment Technology Committee issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 to address a manufacturing nonconformity affecting Forest Service specification, 6170-4K Chain Saw Chaps. The issue applies to chaps manufactured in 2024 and 2025 and distributed through FedMall. These chaps may have incorrectly bound edges that expose inner protective layers.

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