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10 Standard Firefighting Orders

 

The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and the 18 Watch Out Situations, as referenced in the NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461, provide wildland firefighters with a set of consistent best practices and a series of scenarios to be mindful of when responding to a wildland fire.

A poster with individual line art drawings of the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and 18 Watch Out Situations used to educate wildland firefighters of the dangers and situations to be aware of.

View the 10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18.

The orders are arranged according to their importance and grouped in a logical sequence: fire behavior, fireline safety, and organizational control.

Review and consider Standard Firefighting Orders as a part of every shift.

  • Did you receive or request an adequate briefing, including weather, current and predicted fire behavior, wind direction, predicted humidity, fuel moisture, and/or local factors?
  • Do you have a map of the fire? Are topography, fuel types, and spread direction defined?

The Fire Behavior group addresses conditions the firefighter will encounter – weather, fire status, and fire behavior.

  1. Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
  2. Know what your fire is doing at all times.
  3. Base all actions on the current and expected behavior of the fire.
  • Are you familiar with direction, distance, location, and size of escape routes and safety zones?
  • Discuss the need for a lookout, such as extreme fire behavior or a fire located out of your line-of-sight.
  • Discuss the importance of situational awareness.

The Fireline Safety group emphasizes personal safety.

  1. Identify escape routes and safety zones, and make them known.
  2. Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
  3. Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
  • Review the importance and means of sharing tactical decisions and resource movement.
  • Review other factors influencing potential changes in tactics, which could affect control of your forces.

The Organizational Control group is centered around tactical decisions.

  1. Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
  2. Give clear instructions and be sure they are understood.
  3. Maintain control of your forces at all times.
  • After you have considered, discussed, and acted on the previous nine orders:
  1. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.

References:

Category
Operational Engagement

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NWCG Latest Announcements

Leadership Committee IAP Flyer Now Available

Date:  May 8, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee promotes and enables leadership development across the wildland fire service. The committee provides education, training opportunities, and support for leadership innovation and best practices throughout the community.

A new IAP flyer is now available on the committee website, offering an overview of the products, curriculum, and learning opportunities the Leadership Committee develops. This resource is ideal for posting in your office, sharing with new employees, or distributing through your incident management teams to engage new voices in the leadership journey and reinforce a culture of self‑reflection, development, and growth.

References:

Leadership Committee 2026 IAP Flyer

Incident Operations Subcommittee Updates the Next Generation Position Task Book for FFT1

Date:  May 7, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

The NWCG Incident Operations Subcommittee (IOSC) has updated the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14. The FFT1 Position Task Book transitioned to the Next Generation (Next Gen PTB) format in June 2025 through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. Since then, IOSC has received feedback from the wildland fire community regarding coding for one of the tasks. Task #13 has been updated to include the option of evaluation in a simulation.

See IOSC Memorandum 26‑01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14 for more information.

References:

IOSC Memorandum 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Postion Task Book for Firefighter Type 1

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page 

NEW! S-212, Intermediate Faller (Online) Course Available Now 

Date:  April 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce that the new S‑212, Intermediate Faller (Online), course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). This second course in the series provides students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of an Intermediate Faller (FAL2), as described in the FAL2 Incident Position Description. This course is intended for individuals seeking to advance from Basic Faller (FAL3) to FAL2.

S‑212, Intermediate Faller is a fully online, self‑paced training program consisting of 13 units. Learners will engage with interactive, scenario‑based content designed to progressively build foundational skills and knowledge essential for the FAL2 role.

Students must be qualified as a Basic Faller (FAL3) prior to enrolling in S‑212, Intermediate Faller course.

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 2027.

References:

S-212 Intermediate Faller (Online)

RMC Memo 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementing Updates to Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Qualifications

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

New Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

Date:  April 17, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: National Coordination System Committee

A new publication from the National Coordination System Committee (NCSC) is now available. The NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249, will be used for aviation crews and dispatch to share flight information that is needed for resource tracking, and if needed, for emergency procedures.

For further details, please contact your NCSC representative. 

References:

NCSC Memo 26-01: Implementation of NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249