Taking A Nap Near The Fireline


18. Taking a nap near fireline.
Managing fatigue during wildland fire suppression is important for firefighter health and safety. This Watch Out depicts fire behavior increasing while firefighters take a nap without a lookout.
Firefighting is often exhausting work and firefighters can find themselves needing to sleep while on the fireline. Before pausing to rest, firefighters must weigh the following:
- Are lookouts posted? Discuss who that lookout can be. Can the lookout on the knob across the draw watch over you, or does it need to be your partner on the fireline alternating rest times?
- Is the area free of hazards (falling snags or rolling materials, etc.)? Discuss what you need to do to create a safe resting area.
- Are you still within agency work and rest guidelines? Review these guidelines.
- Does your crew need a break? Have they been pushed too hard? Talk about situations where you need to simply take yourself and/or your crew off the fireline for uninterrupted rest.
To reduce risks:
- Keep lookouts posted and rotate them.
- Communicate crew conditions and status to supervisor or chain-of-command contact.
Discuss ways to rest on the fireline and suggestions for methods to alternate shifts for more effective firefighting.
- 10 & 18 Poster, PMS 110-18
- 10 Standard Firefighting Orders, PMS 110
- 18 Watch Out Situations, PMS 118
- Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book)
- NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461
- NWCG Standards for Helicopter Operations, PMS 510
- RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)
- Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
Have an idea or feedback?
Share it with the NWCG 6MFS Subcommittee.