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2018 WOR: Medical Incident Response

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

This Week of Remembrance is dedicated to all those who have fallen in the line of duty and is intended to serve as an opportunity to renew our commitment to the health, wellness and safety of wildland firefighters.
 

On July 25, 2008 a falling module from an engine company was assigned to mitigate hazard trees along a fireline in Northern California to enable crews to safely work in the area. At approximately 1350, a firefighter called ICP for medical assistance for a severely injured crew member—18-year-old Andy Palmer. Emergency medical personnel responded and treated the injured firefighter for severe bleeding. Due to heavy smoke conditions requiring Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capability, primary helicopter resources were unable to respond to the injured firefighter’s location. Firefighters carried the injured party by litter to a location where he was eventually hoisted into a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter (USCG) at approximately 1630. The USCG Helicopter carrying the injured firefighter arrived at Redding Municipal Airport, where Andy was pronounced dead at 1710. This was Andy Palmer’s first fire assignment. This line of duty death would later be referred to as the Dutch Creek Incident.

“We honor and remember through learning”

Brit Rosso
Director, LLC

This incident and the loss of Andy shocked and saddened the wildland fire service. Many wondered how it could take more than three hours to get a severely injured firefighter off the line and to a hospital. After all, this fire was being managed by a Type 1 Incident Management Team. There were line EMTs assigned to the fire. There was a medical plan in place. Yet with everything in place, we still lost a young firefighter.

Everyone on scene and in a supporting role that day did everything they could do to help Andy Palmer. The questions and discussions that emerged in the aftermath were about reducing the chance of this happening again. What do we need to change in our systems? Where are the holes and gaps that allowed this to happen? What new tools do we need to provide to our firefighters, fire managers, dispatchers and IMTs when it comes to planning for a medical response and evacuation to a hospital?

In July of 2009, the Dutch Creek Accident Review Board (ARB) recommended eight corrective measures to “…help prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future”. In May of 2010, NWCG released a memo titled “Dutch Creek Serious Accident Investigation Report Response: Three (3) New Incident Management Team (IMT) Daily Operation Protocols/Procedures”. This memo later became known as the “Dutch Creek Protocol”.

One of the recommendations in the Dutch Creek Protocol memo was to add some standard language to the ICS-206 Medical Plan, Block 8 titled “Emergency Medical Procedures”. These procedures were printed on adhesive pink stickers by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC), and could then be added to the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG) medical section. More than 100,000 stickers were sent out to the field. Over time, the pink sticker protocol was tested, refined, and is now referred to as the Medical Incident Report (MIR), which was first included in the IRPG in 2014. It was recently updated and improved for the 2018 IRPG.

 

Action: Watch this video and then do the following:

  • On page 2 in your IRPG, review and discuss the value of “Planning for Medical Emergencies”.
  • On page 118 & 119 in your IRPG, review and discuss how to use the “Medical Incident Report”.

The topics, review, and resources for the NWCG “Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance” have been contributed by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, the Wildland Fire Leadership Subcommittee, the Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee, interagency dispatchers, and many other field SMEs.

 

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NWCG Latest Announcements

Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book Available for Firing Boss, Single Resource

Date: April 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Fuels Management Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Firing Boss, Single Resource, PMS 350-105, and the NWCG Position Task Book for Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB), PMS 311-105, are now available. 

These resources, part of the Performance Support Package developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators. 

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

 

References:

NWCG Firing Boss, Single Resource Position Page

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Firing Boss, Single Resource, PMS 350-105

NWCG Position Task Book for Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB), PMS 311-105

Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book Available for Helicopter Crewmember

Date: April 28, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22, and the NWCG Position Task Book for Helicopter Crewmember (HECM), PMS 311-22, are now available.

These resources, part of the Performance Support Package developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators.

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

References:

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22

NWCG Position Task Book for Helicopter Crewmember (HECM), PMS 311-22

Updated NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS 515

Date: April 23, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee

The NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS 515 standardizes processes and procedures for the interagency use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including pilot inspections and approvals. This updated publication provides the aviation community with standards to ensure UAS are used safely, effectively, and efficiently in support of fire management goals and objectives.

References:

NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS 515

NWCG National Interagency Aviation Committee

ETC Bulletin 25-001: Retrofitted Hot/Cold Beverage Kits - 2025 Field Season

Date: April 16, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

Due to spout failures and the associated risk of burn injuries, manufacturers have retrofitted the Hot/Cold Beverage Kits using a heat-shrinking band to secure the black spout at the insertion site. The updated kits feature a fluorescent label on each full kit assembly for easy identification. Catering units are encouraged to confirm the clear heat-shrinking bands are intact around each spout before filling.

ETC Bulletin 24-001 regarding Hot/Cold Beverage Kits has been archived and replaced by ETC Bulletin 25-001 for the 2025 season.

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC-EB-25-001 Retrofitted Hot/Cold Beverage Kits