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Emergency Medical Committee

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Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The Emergency Medical Committee (EMC) provides national leadership in incident emergency medical services (EMS) for wildland fire personnel. The EMC establishes NWCG standards that support rapid delivery of high quality emergency medical services on national interagency wildland fire incidents.

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Primary Objectives

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  • Establish wildland fire EMS operations, staffing, and equipment standards.
  • Establish standards that enable system-wide accountability, including quality assurance, medical direction and oversight, provider credentialing, and records maintenance.
  • Facilitate national mobility and availability of wildland fire EMS personnel.
  • Establish standardized EMS data collection practices for wildland fire incidents.
  • Collaborate with key stakeholders among the federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners in support of wildland fire EMS standardization and improvement efforts.
  • Contribute to the standardization of information technology systems (such as FireNet, IROC, etc.) to collect and distribute data, processes, forms, and other operational elements.

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Other Policy/Guidance Documents

The NWCG EMC annually recognizes and honors individuals and/or organizations who have demonstrated outstanding work, actions, or programs in emergency medical service for our nation’s wildland firefighters.  

The five Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Award categories include:  

  • Outstanding Wildfire EMS Individual of the Year
  • Outstanding Wildfire EMS Squad/Crew/Team of the Year
  • Outstanding Wildfire EMS Distinguished Service of the Year
  • Excellence in Wildfire Emergency Medical Service/Rescue
  • Janette Peterson Lifetime Achievement in Wildfire Emergency Medical Service 

Read about the 2024 Winners

Previous winners

2024 Emergency Medical Service Award Nominations

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Additional Resources

Critical Incident Stress Management(CISM)

Line-of-Duty Death (LODD)

Chair: Hnat, Mark

NWCG Coordinator: Schultz, Dave

Parent Committee:

Meeting Schedule:

TBD

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2025 Week of Remembrance

Date: June 27, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee

As we approach the 2025 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30–July 6, we dedicate this time to reflect on the past incidents from 2015 and honor the fallen through learning. Since its inception in 2014, WOR has honored wildland firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while encouraging critical discussions that reinforce lessons learned.

Throughout the week, we encourage thoughtful and generative conversations—whether in briefing rooms or at tailgates—that promote a culture of continuous learning and safety.

References:

2025 Week of Remembrance: Letter to Leadership

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003 Flame-Resistant Shirt Survey

Date: June 12, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

The U.S. Forest Service National Technology and Development Program (NTDP) is seeking input on the Forest Service-designed flame-resistant (FR) shirt, currently available through the National Interagency Support Cache system and FedMall.

NTDP is conducting a product review to improve future FR shirt designs. As part of this effort, a short survey is now open for federal employees who have worn any of three recent FR shirt models. Feedback will guide design improvements to better meet the needs of wildland firefighters.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act, responses are limited to federal employees. The survey is open through September 12, 2025. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003

NEW! S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended) Now Available

Date: June 10, 2025
If you have questions, please visit our FAQ page. 
If your question is not answered there, you can 
submit your question using our Contact Us form. 
 

The S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended), equips new wildland firefighters with essential skills through a mix of online learning and hands-on training. The course features a required online component and an instructor-led exercise, reinforcing online concepts with practical performance-based training.

The course builds competencies in wildland fire operations, safety, and equipment use, applicable across various operational environments. Both the online component and instructor-led field exercise must be completed to receive a certificate of completion. Students are required to finish the prerequisite S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, before enrolling in S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended).

References:

S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

Date: June 3, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Emergency Medical Committee

The Emergency Medical Committee has issued interim guidance for Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) teams. Until further notice, Type I and II REMS teams must designate a team leader qualified at Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1) or higher. This temporary change replaces the Single Resource Boss (SRB) requirement, which is currently not feasible due to administrative barriers.

This memorandum does not include any other changes to the NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552. This interim change takes effect immediately and will remain in place until further notice.

References:

EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552