Mission Statement
The Unit Identifier Board (UIB) provides national leadership in the approval and use of Unit Identifiers in support of effective fire management decision-making. Primary objectives include:
- Manage NWCG data standards, business rules, and processes related to Unit Identifiers and associated information.
- Publish current Unit Identifiers in the document NWCG Unit Identifiers, PMS 931.
- Ensure standards and processes are implemented consistently by Geographic Area Coordination Centers, agencies, and applications.
From the markings on a wildland fire engine to every incident listed on the daily Incident Management Situation Report (IMSR), the Unit Identifier (UI) is an integral piece of information.
Unit Identifiers may be the most fundamental and essential informational elements for the interagency incident management community because they uniquely identify organizational units within that community. Unit Identifiers are created by the interagency incident management community. They are the standard way organizational units communicate who they are, the incidents they are hosting, and the resources they provide, in a way that is common among agencies and applications.
In the past, misunderstandings, assumptions, lack of standards, and inconsistent utilization of Unit Identifiers has led to mistakes and inefficiencies, such as lost time and increased costs. Users were often forced to conduct uncoordinated and divergent workarounds to achieve desired outcomes.