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Safety Officer Type 2*

SOF2 decorative banner: photos depicting SOF2 position. The Safety Officer (SOF2), a member of the Command Staff, is responsible for monitoring and assessing hazardous and unsafe situations and developing measures for assuring personnel safety. The Safety Officer will correct unsafe acts or conditions through the regular line of authority, although they (Safety Officer) may exercise emergency authority to stop or prevent unsafe acts when immediate action is required.<br>Only one Safety Officer will be assigned for each incident. The Safety Officer may have assistant Safety Officers as necessary, and the assistant Safety Officer may represent assisting agencies or jurisdictions. Assistant Safety Officers may have specific responsibilities, such as air operations, hazardous materials, etc.

The Safety Officer Type 2 (SOF2) is responsible for monitoring the overall operation of an incident from a risk management perspective and providing recommendations to mitigate hazards in order to provide for the welfare of assigned resources. The SOF2 may function as a member of the Command Staff of a Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT) or may be a single resource. The SOF2 may supervise the Medical Unit Leader (MEDL) or other members in the safety organization. The SOF2 typically reports to the Incident Commander (IC) and works in the Command functional area.

The SOF2 performs position duties commensurate with Type 1 incident complexity and characteristics stated in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book).

USWDS Paragraphs

Incident Commander (ICT5)Safety Officer (SOFC)Safety Officer (SOF3)Liaison Officer (LOFR)Incident Commander (ICT4)Incident Commander (ICT3)Incident Commander (ICT2)Incident Commander (ICT1)Safety Officer (SOF2)Public Information Officer (PIO1)Public Information Officer (PIO2)Public Information Officer (PIO3)Agency Representative (AREP)Public Information Officer, Technician (PIOT)Incident Commander (ICCI)Safety Officer (SOF1)Public Information Officer (PIOC)Safety Officer (SOFF)

 

 

 

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: from "These Positions Maintain Currency For SOF2":

  • Safety Officer, Line (SOFR)

Removed: from "SOF2 Maintain Currency For These Positions "":

  • Safety Officer, Line (SOFR)

Added: to "These Positions Maintain Currency For SOF2":

  • Safety Officer Type 3 (SOF3)

Added: to "SOF2 Maintains Currency For These Positions ":

  • Safety Officer Type 3 (SOF3)

Updated: Once qualified as a SOF2, the SOF3 qualification may be granted by the certifying official. Certification must be documented on a “verification/certification” page of the SOF3 PTB.  

Date: Jan 2023

Removed: Required Training and Required Experience and replaced with "The qualification pathway for this position is discontinued per NWCG direction on January, 2023. Responders with an active PTB will transition to the corresponding complex position PTB."

 

Date: May 2022

Added: Safety Officer Complex (SOFC) to "These Positions Maintain Currency For SOF2" and "SOF2 Maintains Currency For These Positions."

 

Date: Apr 2021

Added: Incident Position Description (IPD) approved.

Date: Oct 2019

Added: to Qualification Requirements:  Note: Once qualified as a SOF2, the SOFR qualification may be granted by the certifying official. Certification must be documented on a “verification/certification” page of the SOFR Position Task Book (311-82).

Date: Oct 2017

Added: Incident Commander Type 2 (ICT2) to "These Positions Maintain Currency for SOF2" and "SOF2 Maintains Currency for These Positions."

Date: Oct 2014

Updated: Position Task Book language updated to reflect the following: Once qualified as a SOF2, the SOFR qualification may be granted by the certifying official. Certification must be documented on a “verification/certification” page of the SOFR Position Task Book (311-82).

Date: Oct 2013

Added: Operations Section Chief Type 2 (OSC2) to the "These Positions Maintain Currency For SOF2."

Date: Oct 1993

Position created. Safety Officer in 1984 PMS 310-1.

USWDS Paragraph Bundles

Primary Committee: Risk Management Committee
Steward: Risk Management Committee
Key Stakeholder(s): Incident Command Subcommittee


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NEW! S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended) Available Now

Date: Aug 15, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
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This second course in the series collectively serves to develop fire behavior prediction knowledge and skills, and provides more detailed information on fuels, weather, and topography that affect wildland fire behavior for safety purposes.

Students are required to finish the prerequisite S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, before enrolling in S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended).

References:

S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

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Date: Aug 14, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
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S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended) training combines online training and instructor-led training components. This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the duties of the HECM position, as described in the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22.

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-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended)

NWCG Helicopter Crewmember (HECM) Position Page

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

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Date: Aug 13, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
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The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

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:

NWCG Fire Behavior Analyst Position Page

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Date: Aug 8, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 Risk Management Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Safety Bulletin: 25-001

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing

Equipment Technology Committee

Risk Management Committee