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Week of Remembrance

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2014 WOR: How Can We learn From the Past?

Ribbon symbol for WOR next to Wildland Fire Lessons Learned logo.Week of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2014

Accident Reports – Go Read Some by Travis Dotson, Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

 

Why Read a Report? The whole idea of reading a report is to put yourself in the shoes of the decision makers and gain some insight and operational “slides” to deposit in your bank of experience. Right? OK, so this may not be the case for everyone. But the majority of the reports are written with the idea that someone will learn from knowing the details of the event. Does that happen? Are we learning?

I came up in a fire culture that taught me to read incident reports and then sit around saying: “What were they thinking?” “They screwed up,” and “I would never get caught in that situation.” Did I learn anything from those “not me” sessions? Or, did I just convince myself that I was not in any danger because “I know better”? Monday morning quarterback perhaps? (The academic term is “hindsight bias.” Look it up.)

So the question remains: Why read a report? How do we learn from it? In this instance, learning consists of changing your behavior. Read a report, go to a fire, operate differently because you read a report. Is that real? I don’t know. But I think it’s possible.

Think About It! I’ve read a lot of “Hit by Tree” reports. I’m terrified of getting smashed by a tree (or someone else getting smashed on my watch). But has my behavior changed? It never did until I consciously said to myself: “This could be me. What am I going to do differently?”

I now put much more thought into the exposure involved in what I ask others to do.

Do I hold myself to that same standard? I do when I inquire of myself: “Would I ask someone else to do this?” I didn’t always think this way.

I’m still not “out of the woods” (HA!) on this one. I still might get smashed by a tree, but I’d like to think I will expose myself and others to that potential a whole lot less—and mitigate what I can when I am exposed. Think about it!

So, read some of these reports. Be aware of the existence of hindsight bias. Consciously think about whether or not you are learning anything (will you change behavior?). I’m just throwing it out there. Dig on tool swingers (and look up every now and then).

This article was originally published by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center 2011Summer edition of Two More Chains. All editions of this publication can be found at Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, Two More Chains.

References:

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Date: January 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

The Incident and Position Standards Committee has updated the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

These updates address changes to incident position names and requirements for qualification, training, and experience. Updates related to the implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) and Incident Performance Training Modernization (IPTM) are also included.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308 has also been updated to reflect the recent changes.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308

IPSC Memo 26-01: January 2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Positions Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Incident Business Committee Memo 26-01: Updated Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297

Date: January 22, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Business Committee

The Incident Business Committee (IBC) has released Memorandum 26-01: OF 297 and 2026 Fire Use. This memo informs the wildland fire community that the updated Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF 297 is available for download and can be ordered through the Great Basin Cache.

Beginning January 15, 2026 the previous version of the OF 297 form has been discontinued.

For further details, please contact your IBC representative.

References:

Incident Business Committee Memorandum 26-01

Great Basin Cache

NEW! S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended) Available Now

Date: December 22, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the new S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended) training is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

This third course in the series combines online and instructor-led training components aimed at individuals who are involved in planning, managing, and executing wildland fire and prescribed burn operations; who require a thorough understanding of fire behavior calculations to enhance effectiveness and safety. This includes students who require the knowledge and skill necessary to perform the duties of a Type 3 Incident Commander (ICT3), Division/Group Supervisor (DIVS), or Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2).

Students are required to be qualified as any Single Resource Boss position and complete the prerequisite S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire behavior (Blended) course, before enrolling in S-390.

References:

S-390, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

NEW! S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) Available Now

Date: December 18, 2025
Questions about RT-130? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended) is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal!

This blended course combines online learning with instructor-led training, designed for individuals seeking to build leadership skills and gain experience in incident management.

Students are required to complete the prerequisite trainings ICS-100, Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS), ICS-200, Basic ICS for Initial Response, and ICS-700, An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) prior to attending S-320.

References:

S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams (Blended)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal