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The 6 Minutes for Safety Program

 

Have you ever wondered how or why
the 6 Minutes for Safety Program was formed?

 

In 1994, 34 wildland firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty. In July of that year on the South Canyon Fire, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the wildland fire community lost 14 of our own in a single incident. Following this deadly season, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior called on the wildland fire agencies to review the organizational and safety culture in the wildland fire program. The agencies chartered the Wildland Firefighter Safety Awareness Study (TriData Study) which proposed changes to enhance firefighter safety. Over the next decade, several of these recommendations were implemented including the establishment of the Wildland Fire Leadership Program, the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, the formalization of the Wildland Fire Safety Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) program and the 6 Minutes for Safety Program (6MFS).

The 6MFS program began as a grassroots effort by a group of wildland firefighters to highlight the basic tenets of firefighter safety. Part of the value in these messages that remains today is that the topics and contents come from the field, for the field, to share lessons with other firefighters. In the early days, the 6MFS group established a calendar with topics for two-week periods and shared across the wildland fire community through emails. By 2000, a simple website was created to share these daily topics. Today, 6MFS is a subcommittee under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Risk Management Committee comprised of members from the field representing each NWCG participating agency.

Why six minutes?

The name and short safety message style originated from organizational and operational risk management expert Gordon Graham, who used a 6-minute style to brief his staff on important information with messages that focused on the basics. A group of firefighters were inspired by one of Graham’s presentations at the Lookouts-Communication-Escape routes-Safety zones (LCES) conference in the late 90s. The backbone of this initiative was the basics: the 10 and 18s, and LCES. The audience was the boots on the ground, and the intent was for the messages to be “By the firefighter. For the firefighter.”

Any individual or crew can write their own or submit a 6MFS Daily Topic Suggestion, at any time.

Over the years, 6MFS has continued to evolve with the addition of new daily topics, the creation of ‘This Day in History,’ and the Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance. These additions provide an opportunity to take a deeper dive into incidents where powerful learning opportunities exist as well as to honor and remember the fallen as we discuss the lessons learned.

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the 1994 fire season, the South Canyon Fire, and the origins of major cultural shifts in the wildland fire community to include the 6MFS program.

A special thank you to Kathy Komatz for carrying the torch for so many years and ensuring that every component of the program was created to support and inform the boots on the ground!

Discussion Questions:

  • Why is it important to discuss the 6MFS daily topic?
  • How do you incorporate the daily topic into day-to-day activities?
  • What are the different ways to access 6MFS in the field?
  • What other types of topics should be considered?
  • How do you submit feedback or suggest for a new topic?
     

6MFS Suggestion Form


Have an idea or feedback?

Share it with the NWCG 6MFS Subcommittee
 


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NWCG Latest Announcements

National Wildland Firefighter Day

Date: July 2, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
National Interagency Fire Center

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) recognizes July 2, 2025, as National Wildland Firefighter Day (NWFFD). Established in 2022, NWFFD honors the dedication of wildland firefighters and support personnel. This day falls within the 2025 Week of Remembrance (June 30 - July 6), providing an opportunity to renew our commitment to wildland firefighter safety while remembering those who have fallen in the line of duty.

NWCG provides leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. NWCG standards and training establish common practices to contribute to safe, effective, and coordinated interagency wildland fire operations nationwide.

References:

Week of Remembrance

National Wildland Firefighter Day

2025 Week of Remembrance

Date: June 27, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee

As we approach the 2025 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30–July 6, we dedicate this time to reflect on the past incidents from 2015 and honor the fallen through learning. Since its inception in 2014, WOR has honored wildland firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while encouraging critical discussions that reinforce lessons learned.

Throughout the week, we encourage thoughtful and generative conversations—whether in briefing rooms or at tailgates—that promote a culture of continuous learning and safety.

References:

2025 Week of Remembrance: Letter to Leadership

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

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

Date: June 12, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

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. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003

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

Date: June 10, 2025
If you have questions, please visit our FAQ page. 
If your question is not answered there, you can 
submit your question using our Contact Us form. 
 

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).

References:

S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

Wildland Fire Learning Portal