Skip to main content

Incident Medical Unit Subcommittee

Banner Image
IMUS header graphic. Decorative.
Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The Incident Medical Unit Subcommittee provides leadership in all areas of medical response and services of wildland fire incident Medical Units, with the focus of modernizing and standardizing medical unit processes and capacity to rapidly assess, treat and/or transport sick and injured firefighters and incident support personnel.

Body

Primary Objectives

Team of emergency responders extracting person on stretcher. Decorative.

  • Modernize the incident medical organization to match Agency Administrator, incident responder expectations and operational needs.
  • Develop and maintain wildland fire scope of practice for medical practitioners operating as a part of an incident Medical Unit.
  • Address issuance of narcotics and providers across state lines, garnering support of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
  • Establish and regularly update wildland fire incident position standards related MEDL. This includes an incident position description and position requirements for training, experience, physical fitness, and position currency.
  • Establish and regularly update training and performance support materials such as job aids, training courses, and position task books for MEDL.
  • Develop telemedicine standards and practices for incident Medical Units.  

Hot Topics

Featured Links

Medical Unit Toolbox

Medical Incident Report Guidance

Resources for Medical Units

Limited Request for Recognition

Hospitals, Burn Centers, Air Ambulance

This section is for the EMS individuals with the primary responsibility to organize and manage an effective and efficient medical unit for a wildland fire or all-risk incident. Whether you're a medical unit leader (MEDL), incident medical specialist manager (IMSM), or involved with the fire medic program, this site will help you develop the medical unit quickly and also serve as a resource for you.

The forms and templates provided here will help you get started quickly and accurately. It is your responsibility to verify the information on these forms and websites provided. The procedures, information, and forms may change periodically before it can be posted.

Note Many states require certified/licensed EMS personnel to carry on their person their current EMS credentials at all times. It is recommended that all wildland/all-risk EMS resources do so as well.

Hospital Resources

Burn Center

Air Ambulance

Chair: Sinclair, Alan

NWCG Coordinator: Schultz, Dave

Parent Committee: Emergency Medical Committee

Meeting Schedule:

TBD

Page Last Modified or Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

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

Equipment Bulletin 25-002: Chaps, Chain Saw, M-2020, Nonconformities Affecting Use, Appearance, and Serviceability

Date: June 2, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 to address a manufacturing nonconformity affecting Forest Service specification, 6170-4K Chain Saw Chaps. The issue applies to chaps manufactured in 2024 and 2025 and distributed through FedMall. These chaps may have incorrectly bound edges that expose inner protective layers.

Independent purchasers should inspect all chain saw chaps received from FedMall beginning in 2024, prior to use. Review the full Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 for inspection criteria and recommended actions.

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-002