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Week of Remembrance

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2016 WOR: Human Limitations

Ribbon symbol for survivor next to the Wildland Fire Leadership logoWeek of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2016

Understanding our operational environment is critical to effective decision making that leads to safe mission accomplishment.  Situation awareness is an ongoing process of gathering information by observation and communication with others.  This process must be ongoing because our environment is constantly changing.  Every second our brains are bombarded with about 11 million bits of information yet it can only process about 40.  Understanding this human limitation means we must make the most out of every observation and ensure we communicate what we are seeing with those around us. 

 

While our situation awareness can never be perfect we can train ourselves to be better observers of our environment and communicators of our observations.

  • Beware of attention traps – When was the last time you picked your head up and looked around?  Have you been focused on the task at hand?  Ask yourself what changes you might have missed?  Take 5 at 1400!  Make this part of your day.
     
  • Photo of a compartment with various supplies.Train your mind and body every day – Simple exercises can help you develop your observation skills.  An example of this is called a Keep In Mind (KIM) game.  Study the compartment to the right for 60 seconds then turn this over and try to write down as many of the items in the picture as possible.  How did you do?  Before your next PT session open up a compartment on the engine or crew buggy.  Look at the contents for 60 seconds and try to remember as many of the individual items as possible (no you can’t take a picture with your phone) in as much detail as possible.  After PT write down as many of the items as you can remember.  Once you get good at that you can make it harder by removing an item that should have been in the compartment and seeing if your fellow crewmembers notice what’s missing.
     
  • Communicate like a master – Communication is like any other skill…it requires practice!  Gather a collection of 5 pictures of wildland fires.  Have one crewmember choose and study one for 60 seconds without the rest of the crew looking.  Their task is to then go into another room and via radio describe the picture in enough detail for the rest of the crew to identify the right picture.  Make it harder by choosing pictures that are similar but different in subtle ways.

    graphic of mountains with mile markers of physical capacity in various locations.

The topics for the NWCG “Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance” have been drawn from the Human Performance Optimization course taught as a part of the USFS Apprentice Academy in cooperation with the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) and is rooted in the desire to prepare wildland fire personnel to optimally manage themselves and others at any given time. Review and resources have been contributed by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, NIFC External Affairs, the Wildland Fire annual refresher group, and the Wildland Fire Leadership Subcommittee.

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NWCG Latest Announcements

NWCG Committees Observe Suicide Prevention Awareness Week: September 7-13, 2026

Date:  September 8, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Health and Wellness Subcommittee

The NWCG Health and Wellness Subcommittee (HWSC) and Safety/Risk Management Committee (SRC) recognize the unique challenges and demands faced by the wildland fire community. The HWSC and SRC know that we are all stronger together and believe in fostering a culture of support, understanding, and resilience.

Suicide Prevention Awareness encourages us to actively connect with and support each other. For more information that could make a difference for yourself or someone else please review the materials and resources provided for the 2026 Suicide Prevention Awareness Week.

References:

2026 Letter from Leadership

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Health and Wellness Subcommittee

Safety and Risk Management Committee

2025 Paul Gleason Award Winners Announced

Date:  August 13, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Development Subcommittee

The NWCG Qualifications Management Committee (QMC) and Leadership Development Subcommittee (LDSC) are proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Paul Gleason "Lead By Example" awards. Award categories include Initiative and Innovation, Mentoring and Teamwork, and Motivation and Vision.

Congratulations to the awardees:

  • Hunter Bell, U.S. Forest Service — Initiative and Innovation
  • Shannon Deane, U.S. Wildland Fire Service— Initiative and Innovation
  • Chris Delaney, U.S. Wildland Fire Service — Motivation and Vision
  • Sean Peterson, U.S. Forest Service — Mentoring and Teamwork

References:

Paul Gleason Lead By Example Award

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP)

Leadership Development Subcommittee

LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species – Seasonal Reminder for Mussels

Date:  July 30, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Equipment and Technology Subcommittee

The Logistics and Equipment Management Committee (LMC) issued Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species - Seasonal Reminder for Mussels, reminding the wildland fire community that aquatic mussels continue to be a problem. Mussels rapidly colonize hard and soft surfaces, including aquatic plants and fire equipment, clogging pipes, fouling motors, disrupting water systems, and impacting native species.

To help prevent their spread, fire personnel must follow the decontamination procedures outlined in the NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444. Additionally, report any sightings immediately to your Lead Resource Advisor and include clear, close-up photos (with a pen or your hand for size reference) and location details.”

Read the complete LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001, to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

LMC Equipment Bulletin 26-001: Aquatic Invasive Species - Seasonal Reminder for Mussels

NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Task Book Update

Date:  July 24, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG Operations Management Committee (OMC) has issued an update to the NWCG Position Task Book for Intermediate Faller (FAL2), PMS 311-91. To ensure clarity for both trainees and evaluators, the updated FAL2 Position Task Book (PTB) explicitly states who is authorized to sign off on your tasks:

“Evaluators must be qualified as a FAL2, or an Advanced Faller (FAL1).”

If you are currently working out of a previously published version of the FAL2 PTB, you do not need to restart. However, OMC highly encourages you to take the following step to prevent any confusion in the field:

  • Print and replace the updated evaluator information page (page 2) in your current physical PTB.

References:

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

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

NWCG Position Task Book for Intermediate Faller (FAL2), PMS 311-91