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2022 WOR: Dutch Creek Incident (California) – July 25, 2008

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Dutch Creek Incident (California) – July 25, 2008

Today’s topic is dedicated to all firefighters injured or killed in felling accidents.

Perspective from the Rocky Mountain National Park

 

Three wildland firefighters use a wheeled liter to transport an injured person up a grassy hill

On July 25, 2008, a radio transmission came into Iron Complex dispatch: “Man down, man down. We need help. Medical emergency. Dozer pad. Broken leg. Bleeding. Drop Point 72 and dozer line. Call 911, we need help.” While his engine crew was dropping a hazard tree, a large section of a nearby tree fell and struck firefighter Andy Palmer, shattering his femur, and severing large blood vessels. For a variety of reasons (detailed in the report), medevac of the seriously injured firefighter experienced multiple delays. Three hours and twenty-six minutes after the accident, an ER physician pronounced time of death, via radio. The coroner later determined that Palmer’s death was caused by excessive blood loss. The eighteen-year-old was on his first fire assignment.

The subsequent Dutch Creek Tree Felling Fatality (2008) Serious Accident Investigation and associated Safety Action Plan and recommendations set the stage for foundational changes to fire responses, especially in remote settings. These documents, from the Lessons Learned Center, gave us incident within an incident (IWI) plans and the Medical Incident Report, part of the Medical Plan (ICS 206 WF).

There have only been a handful incidents that have fundamentally changed the world of wildland fire management for the better. The Dutch Creek incident is one of them. The lessons and new protocols from Dutch Creek have given fire managers tools to proactively plan for the eventuality of an injury. Ask yourself these questions:

  • What will we do if someone gets hurt?
  • How will we get them out of there?
  • How long will it take to get them to a hospital (or advanced level of care)?

At Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), these tools and concepts were put to the test and saved a life on the 2012 Big Meadows Fire. Six miles into the backcountry, a hotshot crew member collapsed with sudden cardiac arrest. Because of medical emergency planning for the backcountry, a paramedic was on site and equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED). The crew member was resuscitated and is alive today as a direct result of lessons learned from the Dutch Creek incident.

Today, fire crews at RMNP keep the lessons learned from the Dutch Creek incident alive in numerous ways. These lessons learned are no longer something we have to do but have become what we do. Prior to engaging a fire, or even project work, we plan for medical emergencies through in-depth discussions and during briefings. If the questions above cannot be answered or the answers are inadequate, we strive to generate proactive solutions or alternate strategies and tactics to manage the risk. We encourage people to speak up if they are uncomfortable so that we can initiate strong dialogue at all levels regarding risk and the proper way to refuse it.

Since embracing the lessons learned from Dutch Creek, crews practice more awareness of the medical resources that are available, as well as their capabilities and equipment. EMTs and crew members train for initial patient care with advanced bleed control supplies which are added to the medical kits. Patient packaging and transport training are conducted, using multiple styles of wheeled litters and extraction training using a Traverse Rescue Stretcher. Planning for an IWI has become engrained and standard but also a continual learning process.

 

Never Forgotten

Andy Palmer

Purple Ribbon

 

 

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ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 New Guidance on Laundering Wildland Fire Clothing to Reduce Contamination

Date: Aug 8, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 Risk Management Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Safety Bulletin: 25-001

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing

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Risk Management Committee

FAQ Now Available for Archiving Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Positions

Date: Aug 6, 2025
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Incident and Position Standards Committee

To support the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), NWCG will archive all Type 1 and Type 2 Command and General Staff (C&G) position qualifications in January 2026, as outlined in NWCG Executive Board Memo 25-002. To assist with this transition, a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is now available.

This resource answers common questions about the status of Type 1 and Type 2 qualifications, impacts to incident qualification management, training requirements, and resource ordering considerations. Review the full FAQ to learn more.

For additional information on CIM and the transition of C&G positions, see NWCG Executive Board Memos 23-005, 24-005, and 25-002, as well as the Incident Workforce and Development Group webpage.

References:

NWCG Type 1 & Type 2 Position Archiving FAQ

NWCG Executive Board Correspondence

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Incident and Position Standards Committee

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:

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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