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Week of Remembrance

2024 WOR: Communication

 Day 1  |  Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  |  Letter to Leadership

 

Communication

Have you ever been talking with someone and had the feeling that you just aren’t understanding each other? Maybe you were trying to deliver a message and it didn’t land well, or there was no reply, and you were left to interpret body language? Or you were receiving a message and distractions were present like a noisy environment, a sense of urgency, or position rank? If that instance lingered in your mind, you experienced a breakdown in communication and the natural human desire to communicate effectively. 

The challenges of communication were numerous on the Mendocino Complex. As a part of the Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) following the entrapment on August 19th, interviews were conducted with numerous key personnel involved. The lessons they shared were broken into the categories of Aviation, Intercrew, Fireline, and Overhead. Each category of lessons learned contained takeaways about communication. Upon review of the airtanker drop that resulted in one firefighter fatality and multiple firefighter injuries days earlier, the notification and acknowledgement of impending aerial drops was documented as a safety issue for review. 

There’s no question that for our craft to evolve, as wildland fire professionals we must work to continually improve our communication skills, habits, and protocols. But where do we start? 

The Mendocino Entrapment FLA Team posed numerous communication questions for discussion. Think of your own experiences and consider some of these questions that came out of the fire. 

Discussion Questions:

  • When you give a message, how do you obtain confirmation that it has been understood? When you receive a message, how do you confirm that you are understanding it correctly? 
  • What is the difference between briefings given to a group of people who commonly work together and a briefing between a group of people who just met?
  • In your experience, what difficulties and benefits have you found working with other agencies? How might you put added effort into ensuring smooth communication with resources from other agencies?
  • Have you ever been given a compressed or abbreviated briefing? What essential information needs to be included in a compressed briefing? 
  • In today’s environment of large fires and minimal logistical support (especially during PL 5), what can you do to compensate for communications issues? 
     

Resources:

 

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Week of Remembrance

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2025-2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign: "Leadership Levels" Now Available

Date: October 15, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Leadership Committee

NWCG is excited to announce the release of the Leadership Committee’s 2025–2026 Leadership Campaign, themed “Leadership Levels.” This annual initiative offers all students of leadership and wildland fire management an opportunity to engage with essential leadership skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in dynamic environments.

The campaign is structured into four quarters and may be completed at any time between October 1, 2025 -December 31, 2026. Leadership levels will be released quarterly.

Quarter One materials are now available on the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program website and focus on Leadership Level 1, Follower (Self-Leadership).

References:

2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign - Leadership Levels

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Leadership Committee

Updated! L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led) Course

Date: October 3, 2024
Questions? Please contact:
Leadership Committee

NWCG is pleased to announce the updated L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led) course is now available. L-280 is intended for operational personnel at the Firefighter Type 1 level, and for individuals pursuing Leadership Level 2, New Leader. 

This instructor-led course is a primer on leadership and the second formal course in the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program. It helps emerging leaders build the confidence, skills, and mindset needed to lead effectively in high-risk environments. 

For more information about leadership development and available courses, visit the Leadership Committee Web Portal.

References:

L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led)

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use

Date: Sept 26, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee 

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use. This advisory recommends all pre-2006 fire shelters should be removed from service by January 1, 2026.

This advisory recommends firefighters and fire managers to:

  • Inspect fire shelters immediately
  • Replace and destroy any pre-2006 shelters (identified by white or pink insert label)
  • Order replacements as needed

For further details, please refer to the complete advisory. 

References:

Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use

NWCG Fire Inspection Flowchart, PMS 411-1

NWCG Alerts

NEW! S-219, Firing Operations (Blended) Now Available

Date: Sept 11, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Fuels Management Committee 

The S-219, Firing Operations (Blended) course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this training supports individuals working towards Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB) incident qualifications.

This blended course combines online and instructor-led training to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of the FIRB, as described in the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Firing Boss, Single Resource, PMS 350-105.

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:

S-219, Firing Operations (Blended)

NWCG Firing Boss, Single Resource Position Page

Wildland Fire Learning Portal