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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

2024 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service Awards

Date: May 22, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Emergency Medical Committee

The NWCG Emergency Medical Committee (EMC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service Awards. Each year, EMC recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated exceptional actions or accomplishments that go above and beyond their normal mission or job duties.

Congratulations to all the awardees and nominees. Through leadership and initiative, they have made significant contributions to the safety and well-being of the wildland fire community. These honors are well deserved.

References:

2024 Wildland Fire EMS Awards

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Date: May 21, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
https://www.nwcg.gov/contact-us

The NWCG Executive Board is honored to announce that the Incident Management Teams Association (IMTA) has joined the National Wildfire Coordinating Group as an associate member.

IMTA is a dedicated group of incident management professionals committed to enhancing the profession by promoting standards and fostering collaboration across federal, state, local, Tribal, and private sector partners throughout all phases of incident management.

“Joining NWCG aligns with our mission to elevate incident management professionals nationwide,” said Dr. Randal Collins, President of IMTA. “This is a proud moment for all of us committed to advancing public safety.”

References:

Incident Management Teams Association

National Wildfire Coordinating Group

Updated NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431

Date: May 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Fire Use Subcommittee

The updated NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431 serves as a supplemental resource for wildland fire module operations, providing information frequently used in the field.

PMS 431 defines the organizational structure, staffing, and qualifications for Type 1 and Type 2 Wildland Fire Modules, outlining their roles in wildland fire suppression, prescribed fire, and resource management. The NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431, should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430.

References:

NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

Updated NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing, PMS 200 Now Includes Off-Highway Vehicle Typing Standards

Date: May 13, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Mobile Fire Equipment Subcommittee 

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing, PMS 200 has been updated to include newly developed Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) typing standards. These standards organize OHV information into logical categories and outline key safety requirements for occupants.

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References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing, PMS 200