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2018 WOR: Ground-based Medevac

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.

There are many examples of firefighters being carried out from the fireline due to a medical emergency. The reports often include lessons learned and suggestions from the firefighters involved that may be very helpful to you and your crew when a medevac situation becomes a reality on your piece of the fireline. Below are just a few for you and your crew to review for training purposes.

 

“We honor and remember through learning”

Brit Rosso
Director, LLC

  1. “The crews who had trained with medical evac simulations—when faced with the real thing on the fireline—performed in an orderly and comfortable manner, saving precious time. Those who had not practiced wished they had. This holds true for everyone involved—including dispatch and administrators. Do this! If you get hit by a tree, I’m sure you would prefer the folks around you were not at their first rodeo.” Quote from Travis Dotson Fire Management Specialist, Two More Chains Spring 2011 Vol 1 Issue 1 Digging Through Incident Reviews.
     
  2. “Knowing whether or not the injury to a firefighter is life threatening is critical information that needs to be relayed to decision makers early in emergency response scenarios. Pre-planned decisions as to whether to use air or ground transport, or to mobilize an incident helicopter instead of an air ambulance, depend on having a good patient assessment. When this information is not clearly communicated by EMTs on scene attending to the medical emergency, the managing organization needs to take the necessary actions to obtain it.”  Pyramid Butte Fire 2010 Facilitated Learning Analysis.
     
  3. When a hotshot got pinned by a burning log, a Rapid Extraction Module (REM) team joined the effort to pack him out. REMs are a relatively new, emerging resource, which many fireline resources/IMTs have not yet had the opportunity to work with. The speed at which the low-angle rescue mission was performed on this incident was slower than expected by the ground resources.  What is your definition of rapid? One hour? Four hours? Are we expecting more from this “tool” than the tool can provide? IMTs and crews need to talk with these teams and get an understanding of their capabilities and SOPs. “We need to train together” was one recommendation from a REM team member on this incident. Learn about REM teams by reading this RLS. Rough Fire Medical Extraction Lessons Learned Review 2015.
     
  4. At the beginning of the season, this hotshot crew practiced building a backcountry litter during training. During the July 20 medical emergency, when Foreman requested backcountry litter, “everyone on the crew had a solid image of what needed to be done and what it would look like when ready. Later in the season, the crew was involved in a carryout involving cardiac arrest . Based on this experience, crewmembers were able to be decisive in finding the best way to help during this medical incident. Whether it was building the stretcher/splint, controlling the fire’s edge, or clearing a path out to the trail, everyone found a way to contribute. Check out this 1 ½ minute video on how this crew trained for this emergency—and how that training paid off in a real situation. Rapid Lessons Shared (RLS) – Non-emergency carryout of Hotshot crewmember 2013 IHC Packout.

 

Action: Train and drill with other resources from your home unit on ground-based medevac simulations.

 

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 the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for UASD, UASM, UASL and UASP

Date: July 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for all four Unmanned Aircraft Systems positions:

  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist (UASD)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager (UASM)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader (UASL)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UASP)

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

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 2026.

References:

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Position Page

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for RADO and INCM

Date: July 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Logistics Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Radio Operator (RADO) and Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

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 2026.

References:

NWCG Radio Operator Position Page

NWCG Incident Communications Center Manager Position Page

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004 NEW Aquatic Invasive Species – Golden Mussels

Date: July 29, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-004, notifying the wildland fire community about a newly discovered invasive species and actions to take if found. Golden mussels, a highly invasive species recently identified in California, pose a significant risk to native ecosystems, infrastructure, and fire equipment. These 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 and location details.

Read the complete ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004

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

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for ICT5 and FFT1

Date: July 29, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Command Subcommittee
Incident Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) and Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

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 2026.

References:

NWCG Incident Commander Type 5 Position Page

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page