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Assistant Area Commander, Planning

ACPC decorative banner: photos depicting ACPC position.

The Assistant Area Commander, Planning (ACPC) is responsible for collecting, evaluating, managing, and disseminating information among multiple Incident Management Teams (IMT) in an assigned area or on single, large-scale incidents/events, based upon Area Command priorities and objectives. Area Command may be established when oversight direction is required to ensure that resource allocation conflicts do not arise among the IMTs. The ACPC reports to the Area Commander (ACDR) and works in the Planning functional area.

An Area Command organization is normally small with personnel assigned to the Command, Planning, and Logistics functions. Depending on the complexity of the interface between the incidents, specialists in other areas, such as aviation, hazardous materials, environment, and finance, may also be assigned to Area Command.

USWDS Paragraphs

Area Command Aviation Coordinator (ACAC) Assistant Area Commander, Planning (ACPC) Assistant Area Commander, Logistics (ACLC) Area Commander (ACDR)

The Forest Service and Department of Interior are enabled by Administratively Determined Pay Plans (AD Pay Plans) to hire persons for temporary duration for the following reasons:

  1. To cope with a sudden and unexpected emergency caused by a fire, or extreme fire potential, flood, storm, or any other all-hazard emergency that threatens damage to federally protected property, has the potential to cause loss of life, serious injury, public health risk, or damage to natural or cultural resources unless brought under immediate control.
  2. To provide emergency assistance to States under formalized agreements.
  3. To meet mission assignments issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Incident Business Committee (IBC) reviews positions annually and establishes pay rate classifications for each position.

For more information on the AD Pay Plans, visit Incident Business Committee.

Date: Jan 2025

Removed:

  • Satisfactory performance as an Incident Commander or General Staff on a National Type 1 Incident Management Team.

Added: 

  • Satisfactory performance as an Incident Commander Complex (ICCI), or Operations Section Chief Complex (OSCC), or Planning Section Chief Complex (PSCC), or Logistics Section Chief Complex (LSCC), or Finance/Administration Section Chief Complex (FSCC).
Date: Jan 2023

Added:

  • Incident Commander Complex (ICCI) and Operations Section Chief Complex (OSCC) to "These Positions Maintain Currency for ACPC."
  • Incident Commander Complex (ICCI) and Operations Section Chief Complex (OSCC) to "ACPC Maintains Currency for These Positions."
Date: May 2022

Added:

  • Planning Section Chief Complex (PSCC) to "These Positions Maintain Currency For ACPC".
  • Planning Section Chief Complex (PSCC) to "ACPC Maintains Currency For These Positions".
Date: Jun 2021

Added: Incident Position Description (IPD) approved.

Date: Oct 2015

Removed: Assistant Area Commander, Logistics (ACLC) from "ACPC Maintains Currency for These Positions".

Date: Oct 1999

Added: Required training S-620, Area Command (32 hrs).

Date: Mar 1999

Position created.

USWDS Paragraph Bundles

Primary Committee: Incident and Position Standards Committee
Steward: Incident Planning Subcommittee


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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

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Date: Sep 5, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
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Questions? Please contact:
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Since its launch in 2023, IPTM has made major strides in updating how we manage incident positions:

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IPTM Story Map

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Date: Aug 15, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
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