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Water Handling Specialist

Position Description

Duties

  • Attends operational briefings.
  • Receives briefings from supervisor.
  • Identifies capability of engine and assigned personnel.
  • Develops plan to protect structures.
  • Coordinates and communicates with adjacent forces.
  • Locates and maps water sources.
  • Identifies and corrects performance deficiencies.
  • Confirms demobilization instructions with supervisor and brief subordinates.

Position Knowledge and/or Requirements

  • Requires practical knowledge of standard procedures and rules supplemented by skill gained through extensive job experience and training.
  • Completion of S-230, Crew Boss.
  • Completion of S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior.
  • Must be qualified as Advanced Firefighter/Squad Boss.

Supervisory Controls

The supervisor makes assignments by defining the assignment scope, objectives, and priorities.

The incumbent is responsible for planning, organizing, and carrying out recurring work without detailed instructions.  The incumbent functions independently in directing crews and additional resources as qualified.

Completed work is usually evaluated for appropriateness, technical soundness and conformity to policy and requirements.  Methods used by the incumbent are not usually reviewed in detail.

Guidelines

Procedures for accomplishing the work are established; specific guidelines are available. 

The incumbent may determine which of several established alternatives to use.  Situations to which the existing guidelines cannot be applied or significant deviations from the guidelines are referred to the supervisor.

Complexity

Work involves accomplishing a wide variety of processes, tasks, and procedures.

Decisions depend upon several issues regarding the mission(s).  The appropriate course of action may be selected from many alternatives.

Scope and Effect

The work involves execution of rules, regulations and procedures and typically comprises a complete segment of an assignment or project.

The work product affects the reliability of further processes.

Personal Contacts

Contacts are with incident personnel, agency personnel at various levels of the agency, and others.  Contacts are in a moderately structured setting.

Purpose of Contacts

The purpose of contacts is to plan, coordinate, advise on the work, and to resolve operational problems.

Physical Demands

The work involves considerable and strenuous physical exertion.

Work Environment

The work involves high risk.

 

NWCG Latest Announcements

ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 New Guidance on Laundering Wildland Fire Clothing to Reduce Contamination

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

FAQ Now Available for Archiving Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Positions

Date: Aug 6, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Incident and Position Standards Committee

To support the transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM), NWCG will archive all Type 1 and Type 2 Command and General Staff (C&G) position qualifications in January 2026, as outlined in NWCG Executive Board Memo 25-002. To assist with this transition, a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is now available.

This resource answers common questions about the status of Type 1 and Type 2 qualifications, impacts to incident qualification management, training requirements, and resource ordering considerations. Review the full FAQ to learn more.

For additional information on CIM and the transition of C&G positions, see NWCG Executive Board Memos 23-005, 24-005, and 25-002, as well as the Incident Workforce and Development Group webpage.

References:

NWCG Type 1 & Type 2 Position Archiving FAQ

NWCG Executive Board Correspondence

Incident Workforce Development Group

Incident and Position Standards Committee

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for UASD, UASM, UASL and UASP

Date: July 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for all four Unmanned Aircraft Systems positions:

  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist (UASD)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager (UASM)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader (UASL)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UASP)

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization 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 Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Position Page

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for RADO and INCM

Date: July 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Logistics Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Radio Operator (RADO) and Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization 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 Radio Operator Position Page

NWCG Incident Communications Center Manager Position Page