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Cost Unit Leader

Position Description

Duties

  • Obtains local administrative guidelines; e.g., cost reporting procedures, copy of
    Wildland Fire Situation Analysis (WFSA), cost share agreements, standard component costs, availability of incident agency personnel, incident finance package requirements, other special teams or personnel (Comptroller).
  • Identifies need for or provides advice on cost apportionment and cost share.
  • Interacts and coordinates with finance/administration unit leaders and other section/unit leaders to obtain and calculate incident costs, provide cost analysis, and recommend cost savings.
  • Interacts and coordinates with incident agency to obtain off-incident support costs.
  • Provides daily/operational period briefing on problems and recommendations for solutions.
  • Provides costs analysis and costs saving recommendations.
  • Responsible for collecting all cost date, performing cost effectiveness analysis, provide cost estimates, and cost saving recommendations for the incident.
  • Coordinates with agency on cost reporting procedures.
  • Works with Planning Section to ensure IAP is in line with cost share agreement(s) so fire costs can be split and tracked according to signed agreement.
  • Analyzes costs to ensure accuracy and completeness.
  • Runs obligation report from ICARS data base for federal agencies.
  • Ability to manage a data base program, run reports and chart depicting costs.
  • Ability to work with others from outside the federal agencies to explain costs.
  • Prepares incident cost summaries and work with Planning Section to reconcile numbers of people and equipment.
  • Ensures cost information is current, accurate and fall in line with WFSA and average day costs.
  • Tracks costs on a daily basis to ensure no unexplainable variances occur.
  • Briefs FSC, IC, AC and other officials on cost estimates.
  • Works with FEMA and State officials on information needs to produce documents used for billing purposes.
  • Recommends cost savings to FSC.
  • Completes all records prior to demobilization and briefs incident agency for billing purposes.

Position Knowledge and/or Requirements

  • Satisfactory position performance as a COST.
  • Satisfactory performance as an EQTR and PTRC.
  • Recommend “ISUITE” and “ICARS” knowledge.
Last Modified/Reviewed:

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NWCG Website Migration

Date: April 01, 2024
Contact: NWCG Webmaster

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group is thrilled to announce a significant upgrade to https://www.nwcg.gov, involving a comprehensive redesign of over 7,000 web pages. This enhancement is focused on improving user experience. The migration to the new NWCG website will commence on April 2, 2024, starting at noon EST and is expected to take a few hours. 

During the migration period, as the www.nwcg.gov domain-name-location updates across the Internet, you might encounter either the current or the new site depending on your location. We request your patience during this transition. If you are not redirected to the new site by April 3, 2024, we recommend clearing your browser’s cache and refreshing the page.

Please note that while navigating the revamped website, there may be instances of broken links or errors. Our dedicated web migration team has made significant efforts to minimize such issues prior to launch and will promptly address any that arise via use of analytic reports. We value your patience and understanding as we work towards enhancing your overall website experience.

WFSTAR 2023 Year in Review and 2024 Core Component Module Packages Available

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: Joe Schindel 

The 2023 Fire Year in Review module and 2024 Core Component Module Packages for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) are now available on the NWCG website. The 2024 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

 

References:

WFSTAR 2023 Fire Year in Review module

WFSTAR 2024 Core Component Module Packages

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: NWCG

The NWCG Executive Board is privileged to share with you the 2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter. As we look into the future and navigate an incredibly complex and dynamic environment, we must remain focused on our mission while actively engaging in national conversations regarding numerous wildland fire initiatives. In 2024, we prioritize building upon our successes and committing to continuous improvement. Key priorities and considerations for this year include: 

  • Determining Core Workload
  • Ensuring Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) Success
  • Improving Efficiencies
  • Firefighter Health and Wellness
  • Engagement in National Conversations

Together we will continue to make significant strides in the challenging and vital work that lies ahead. 

 

References:

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter

NWCG Welcomes NASA

Date: February 22, 2024
Contact: NWCG

NWCG welcomes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as an associate member.

“As wildfires become larger and more frequent, NASA is working to apply our scientific and technological knowledge toward this national challenge, and integral to our approach is forging collaborative partnerships,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. 

 

References:

NASA News Release

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