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Week of Remembrance

2019 WOR: Inattentional Blindness

June 30-July 6, 2019

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.

 

It’s logical to think that you can see whenever your eyes are open, but the reality is that attention plays a crucial role in your ability to visually perceive something. Inattentional blindness occurs when our eyes are open to our current environment, but focused on the “shiny object.”

The fire environment is full of shiny objects and takes a proactive level of engagement to try to combat our hefty domes into staying focused. A core competency of emergency responders is the ability to direct and sustain attention on a deliberately chosen target or object, and tolerate sustained attention even when it’s unpleasant. 

Noisy chainsaws, helicopters performing bucket operations, dozers clanking around the hillside and the constant chatter from the radio, all create sources of distractions. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to maintain a big picture perspective of our area of operation, but with the nature of our dynamic environment, it requires a collective effort.

Inattentional blindness can occur in any setting. Have you ever been distracted by an unresolved issue at work or home while doing a routine task like the morning inspection of the engine? Inattentional blindness can cause you to “see” what you expect to see rather than what is actually there.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the analogy, “two heads are better than one” or “four eyes see more than two”.  In order to increase our odds of processing our environment, we need to empower all those around us. Whether you’re the Incident Commander, Division Supervisor, or Firefighter, we need to foster a healthy command climate that allows for open communication.

Span of Control is another tool we have that helps in the battle of inattentional blindness. Being able to delegate particular tasks helps divvy out our mental capacity and provides us with different viewpoints.

Action:

  1. Watch this video (if you have seen this before, don’t give it away!)

    Time: 1:21
  2. Then discuss these questions:
    • What situations in your daily work are likely to result in inattentional blindness?
    • What situations on a fire are likely to result in inattentional blindness?
    • How can you prepare for and mitigate this condition?
    • How will you maintain awareness of your own attention?

 Purple ribbon symbol

How can YOU Honor through Learning?

The topics, review, and resources for the NWCG “Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance” have been contributed by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, the NWCG Leadership Committee, and many other field subject matter experts.

 

Category
Week of Remembrance
References
Fancy car
The invisible gorilla (a more in depth breakdown)

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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

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EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

Date: June 3, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Emergency Medical Committee

The Emergency Medical Committee has issued interim guidance for Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) teams. Until further notice, Type I and II REMS teams must designate a team leader qualified at Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1) or higher. This temporary change replaces the Single Resource Boss (SRB) requirement, which is currently not feasible due to administrative barriers.

This memorandum does not include any other changes to the NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552. This interim change takes effect immediately and will remain in place until further notice.

References:

EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552

Equipment Bulletin 25-002: Chaps, Chain Saw, M-2020, Nonconformities Affecting Use, Appearance, and Serviceability

Date: June 2, 2025
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The Equipment Technology Committee issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 to address a manufacturing nonconformity affecting Forest Service specification, 6170-4K Chain Saw Chaps. The issue applies to chaps manufactured in 2024 and 2025 and distributed through FedMall. These chaps may have incorrectly bound edges that expose inner protective layers.

Independent purchasers should inspect all chain saw chaps received from FedMall beginning in 2024, prior to use. Review the full Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 for inspection criteria and recommended actions.

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ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-002