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Strategic Fire Management Analyst

Position Description

Duties

  • Very high skill level in applying a wide range of concepts, principles, and practices to analyze complex fire situations and develop written explanations for use by agency leadership, partners, media and the public in explaining management of wildfires and their outcomes.
  • Analyzes fire behavior models and explains them to agency leadership, partners, media and the public.
  • Develops a chronology of preparedness and suppression actions, and predicted and actual weather, resource needs, resource availability, and fire activity.
  • Researches fire suppression strategies, tactics, and safety practices during all phases of fire operations.  Considers alternatives and evaluates effectiveness of chosen strategies and tactics.
  • Researches decision documents (WFDSS) for the response to large fires.
  • Interviews Incident Commanders and Line Officers to determine decision making on fires.
  • Briefs Line Officers and Fire Management personnel and provides critical evaluations of decisions requiring line authority.

Position Knowledge and/or Requirements

Expert knowledge of the following is required:

  • Wildfire objectives, values at risk, and effective strategies and tactics which might be used to protect those values.
  • Interagency prioritization processes for assigning and reassigning scarce firefighting resources and their relative effectiveness if assigned to one fire versus another.
  • Local, regional, and national fire dispatch and logistics systems.
  • Wildfire risk management and firefighter and public safety policies, practices and mitigation measures.
  • Skill in acquiring and addressing public and media issues, concerns and criticism (local, regional and national) concerning agency response and management of wildfires.
  • Ability/skill in acquiring, analyzing and synthesizing data and other information associated with initial and extended attack of wildfires.  Skill in explaining the context within the region and nation of local responses and long term management of wildfires.  Fire behavior and decision support technology.
  • Fire management policies, practices, and standards.
  • Tools to aid in Agency Administrator decision making.
  • Fire models and their application.
  • Incident Command System (ICS).

 

NWCG Latest Announcements

Quarter Three Materials for the 2025-2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign Now Available

Date:  April 1, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that Quarter Three materials for the 2025/2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign are now available. This annual initiative offers all students of leadership and wildland fire management an opportunity to engage with essential leadership skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in dynamic environments.

Quarter Three materials focus on Leadership Level 3: Leader of People (Develop Intent). Leadership Level 3 is where your values, your team, and your influence come together. Leaders of People put their teams first, build trust, and lead with authenticity. They mentor future leaders and shape decisions up and down the chain.

References:

2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign - Leadership Levels

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Leadership Committee

WFSTAR 2026 Core Components Module Package and 2025 Fire Year in Review Now Available

Date:  March 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Joe Schindel

The 2026 Core Components Module Package for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) and the 2025 Fire Year in Review are now available on the NWCG website. The 2026 Core Components Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

References:

2026 Core Components Module Package

2025 Fire Year in Review Module

NEW! S-490, Advanced Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended) Available Now

Date:  March 17, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce that the new S-490, Advanced Fire Behavior Calculations (Blended), 2026 course is now available.

This training includes performance-based activities that allow students to apply the knowledge and concepts required for the Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN), Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN), and Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1 (RXB1) positions. It supports individuals working towards these incident qualifications.

This blended course begins with a self-paced online training (OLT) in the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP), followed by an in-person instructor-led training (ILT).

References:

S-490, Advanced Fire Calculations (Blended)

NWCG Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) Position Page

NWCG Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN) Position Page

NWCG Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1 (RXB1) Position Page

2024 Paul Gleason Award Winners Announced

Date:  March 13, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Paul Gleason "Lead By Example" awards. Award categories include Initiative and Innovation, Mentoring and Teamwork, Motivation and Vision, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations to the awardees:

  • Justin Baxter, National Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Operations Specialist, with the U.S. Forest Service — Initiative and Innovation
  • Kelly Woods, Director of the Wildland Firefighting Lessons Learned Center — Mentoring and Teamwork
  • Doug Booster, Instructor, ProHealth Net, Inc. — Motivation and Vision
  • Pam McDonald, Writer-Editor for the National Interagency Fire Center — Lifetime Achievement Award

References:

Paul Gleason Lead By Example Award

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP)

Leadership Committee