March 26

National Wildfire Coordinating Group Monthly Meeting Minutes 26 March 2014 No. Topic Pg# 1 Agenda Review and Minutes Approval 3 2 Status Check – Yarnell Hill Incident 3 3 Watchouts, Common Denominators Proposal 3 4 Refresher Program Next Steps 3-4 5 National Fire Academy MOU, Help Desk Support 4 6 M-480 MAC Course Transition to FEMA 4 7 Interagency Fire Planning Committee (IFPA) Approval of New Chair 4-5 8 Fire Environment Committee (FENC) Approval of New Chair 5 9 Renaming of Policy, Planning and Management Branch 5 10 Update May Meeting (Information, Topics, Planning) 5 11 National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Committees / Summit 5-6 12 Coordination with the Fire Management Board 6 13 Program Management Unit (PMU) Update 6 14 Interior Fire Executive Council (IFEC) Meeting Summary/Emerging Issues 6 15 Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC) Meeting Summary/Emerging Issues 6-7 16 Update on Master Co-Op Agreement 7 17 Evolving Incident Management (EIM) Approval of Key Decision Log 7 18 Evolving Incident Management (EIM) Re-Engagement 7 Note: Meeting minutes mirror topics listed but not necessarily the order in which they were discussed. Meeting handouts are available upon request via email at blm_fa_nwcg_executive_secretary@blm.gov Meeting Location: The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho (0800 a.m. start) Executive Board Members Attending Aitor Bidaburu, U.S. Fire Administration Dan Smith (Chair), National Association of State Foresters Jim Erickson, Intertribal Timber Council John Segar, Fish and Wildlife Service Lyle Carlile, Bureau of Indian Affairs Mark Koontz, National Park Service Rod Bloms, Office of Wildland Fire Sean Cross (Vice-Chair), Bureau of Land Management Shane Alpen, U.S. Forest Service for Frank Guzman Tim Sexton, U.S. Forest Service Fire Research Will May, International Association of Fire Chiefs (via phone) PMU Attending Deb Fleming, Training Branch Manager Elaine Waterbury, Planning and Management Branch Coordinator Krysta Shultz, Administrative Assistant Nikki Saleen, Communications Paul Schlobohm, NWCG Manager (Acting) Tim Blake, Preparedness Branch Coordinator (via phone) Others Attending Topic 11,12,17,18 Bill Kaage, Chief of Fire and Aviation (Acting), National Park Service Topic 17, 18 Nancy Guerrero, EIM Communications (1) Agenda Review and Minutes Approval Paul Schlobohm Handouts Draft Feb 2014 Meeting Minutes Discussion 1. A brief overview of the agenda. Executive Board approval of the contents of the Feb 2014 meeting minutes with minor edits. (2) Status Check – Yarnell Hill Incident Support Tasking Tim Blake Handouts Yarnell Hill Incident Support Agenda Request TM-14-02 RE: Yarnell hill – NWCG Incident Support Discussion 1. Progress by the Yarnell Hill Incident Support Task Team includes: a. An inventory of information concerning resource tracking, communications, and access to real time weather is being developed. b. Team is on schedule. Results are planned for delivery 1 May 2014 to the Executive Board for discussion and acceptance at the May meeting. 2. Ralph Gonzales with the San Dimas Technology and Development Center (SDTDC) is working with the State of Arizona on a resource tracking pilot project. 3. Progress on the Yarnell Hill Aviation Tasking to the National Interagency Aviation Committee (NIAC): Both tasking results were delivered to the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) Fire Committee on 21 March 2014. (3) Watchouts, Common Denominators Proposal Dan Smith Handouts Watchouts, Common Denominators Agenda Request RMCG Support – Watchout Additions Discussion 1. A brief explanation of the proposal sent from the Rocky Mountain Coordinating Group (RMCG) to the Risk Management Committee (RMC) to change the Ten Standard Fire Orders and the Eighteen Watchout Situations was presented to the Executive Board. 2. The Executive Board is seeking perspectives from the RMC and other committees. Action Item 1. Draft a response letter to the Rocky Mountain Coordinating Group (RMCG) with the help of the Risk Management Committee (RMC), associated committees, and Mark Koontz, acknowledging the proposal to change the Standard Fire Orders and Watchout Situations, and articulating the NWCG position. (Tim Blake, and Elaine Waterbury, June 2014) (4) Refresher Program Next Steps Deb Fleming Handouts Refresher Program Agenda Request Discussion 1. An update on the future of the refresher program included: a. The refresher (RT-130) is an annual requirement for all operational personnel. b. Currently, the program has met all goals within its Strategic Plan. c. An issue is the sustainability of this high priority program. Proposal to create a new Strategic Plan with recommendations on where the refresher program fits organizationally and long-term. Also, address how the program should be staffed and funded. 2. The Executive Board provided oversight and agreed to support a task team approach to research, compile, and come up with options for moving forward with the refresher program. Possible task team composition was discussed. Action Item 1. Develop a tasking to look strategically at the refresher program and determine options/solutions for long-term sustainability. The tasking deliverable will be due in June. (Deb Fleming, April 2014) (5) National Fire Academy (NFA) MOU – Help Desk Support Deb Fleming Handouts National Fire Academy MOU Agenda Request Discussion 1. The current NFA MOU expires 1 April 2014. A new MOU is being routed through the Forest Service (FS), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for new numbers, concurrence and signature. 2. NFA has requested we find an alternate source for Tier 2 helpdesk support. The BLM Help Desk at NIFC is willing to take over the support for the Tier 2 NWCG Online Training. Training the Help Desk staff has begun and the transition will occur in May 2014. 3. The Executive Board agreed to support the proposed solution. Action Item 1. Investigate the possibility of charge back for online training. (Deb Fleming, May 2014) (6) M-480 MAC Course Transition to FEMA Deb Fleming Handouts M-480 MAC Course Agenda Request Issue Paper 113 Discussion 1. Recommended removal of the M-480 course from the NWCG curriculum as it is not a PMS 310-1 or IFPM requirement. The course would be transitioned to the FEMA version IS-701 in October 2014. 2. The Executive Board approved of the transition of the M-480 course to FEMA. (7) IFPC Approval of New Chair Elaine Waterbury Handouts IFPC Chair Approval Agenda Request Discussion 1. The Executive Board approved Reeve Armstrong (BIA) to be the new chair of the IFPC. (8) FENC Approval of New Chair Elaine Waterbury Handouts FENC Chair Approval Agenda Request Discussion 1. The Executive Board approved Robyn Heffernan (NWS) to be the new chair of the FENC. (9) Renaming of Policy, Planning, and Management Branch Elaine Waterbury Handouts Branch Name Change Agenda Request Discussion 1. The Executive Board approved of the renaming of the Policy, Planning, and Management Branch to Planning and Management Branch. 2. Long term: Look at the way each branch is organized (10) Update May Meeting – Information, Topics, Planning Aitor Bidaburu and Paul Schlobohm Handouts May Meeting Agenda Request Discussion 1. A brief overview of the planned itinerary and logistics for the May 2014 NWCG meeting. The meeting will be hosted by the U.S. Fire Administration and held in Emmitsburg, MD. 2. Probable agenda topics include: a. Governance Structure – Fire Management Board b. Cohesive Strategy c. Strategic Plan – Revision, Priorities, Areas of Emphasis. d. Organizational Structure – PMU Changes, Committees, Membership Action Item 1. Arrange a draft agenda for the May 2014 NWCG Meeting. (PMU Staff, April 2014) (11) NFPA Committees/Summit Paul Schlobohm Handouts NFPA Agenda Request Discussion 1. Discussion on NWCG-NFPA relationship prompted by emails sent by Ryan Depew (NFPA, Public Fire Protection Division). a. Request from NFPA to propose NWCG representation to two new Wildland Fire oriented NFPA committees. b. PMU follow-up recommendation on a possible summit. 2. The existing inventory of NWCG and Wildland Fire Agency participation on NFPA Committees needs to be updated with input from NWCG committees. 3. The method and extent to which NWCG offers support to agency participants in return for interagency representation need to be refreshed and clarified. 4. A summit is unnecessary at this time. Action Item 1. Update the NFPA participant inventory and the approach to communicating support to these participants with assistance from Sean Cross and Mark Koontz and engagement with committees. (Tim Blake, June 2014) (12) Coordination with the FMB Paul Schlobohm Handouts Coordination with the FMB Agenda Request Discussion 1. The FMB met for the first time in late February 2014. Current discussions revolve around governance and workflows related to NWCG and FMB. 2. Anticipate future coordination with FMB. (13) PMU Update PMU Staff Handouts March PMU Update Discussion 1. A round robin discussion enabled members of the PMU to provide a verbal update of accomplishments, committee activities, and an outlook toward the month ahead. Action Item 1. Prepare an update on the T2/T2IA crew issue. (Tim Blake, April 2014) (14) IFEC Meeting Summary/Emerging Issues DOI Directors Handouts N/A Discussion 1. Focus remains on budgetary concerns and a new policy in place for Resilient Landscapes. 2. Department Manual to be updated the week of 1 April 2014. Handbook updates in October 2014. 3. Next IFEC meeting will be at the end of April 2014. Topics to include: a. Tribal Consultation update b. Rehabilitation update c. Fire Season update d. USFS/DOI Gap update e. The Future of the Fuels Program. (15) WFEC Meeting Summary/Emerging Issues Dan Smith Handouts N/A Discussion 1. WFEC met 7 March 2014 as a follow-up to a WFLC meeting that was held 5 March 2014. Focus continues to be on the Cohesive Strategy. 2. Major focus was on prepping for the meeting to be held 9 April 2014. Agenda topics were discussed in the WFLC meeting and are as follows: a. Goal to release the Cohesive Strategy Phase III document on the same date as the meeting. It is in the surnaming process right now. Currently called The National Strategy: The Final Phase in the Development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. b. Discussion on the National Action Plan. During the WFLC meeting we heard concerns expressed about the final draft. Comments are being collected to help with the discussion in the April WFLC meeting. c. Discussion on the types of collaborative structure that will be employed post Phase III of the Cohesive Strategy. It is not given that WFLC will continue with the primary role coming from the federal government, though everyone recognizes we need to formulate some type of collaborative structure to foster further Cohesive Strategy implementation. This is to be determined. (16) Update on the Master Co-Op Agreement Dan Smith Handouts N/A Discussion 1. Currently out for solicitor review with the USFS and is awaiting feedback from Tim Melchert and Sarah Fisher. (17) EIM Approval of Key Decision Log Evans Kuo Handouts EIM Key Decision Log Agenda Request EIM Key Decision Log – February 2014 Discussion 1. The Executive Board reviewed the February 2014 edition of the EIM Key Decision Log, made minor changes, and approved contents for general distribution. (18) EIM Re-Engagement Evans Kuo Handouts EIM Re-Engagement Agenda Request Discussion 1. An update and discussion of EIM Re-Engagement included the following: a. The status of agency support to move forward. b. A review of EIM work that can continue. c. Communicating the status of NWCG’s EIM efforts. d. Dan Smith (Chair, NWCG) would like to extend an invitation to all Work Unit Leads of the EIM Project to join the 16 April 2014 NWCG Meeting. Action Item 1. Draft a memorandum outlining the current status, issues, and areas of concern with Evolving Incident Management (EIM). (Paul Schlobohm, Evans Kuo, Nikki Saleen, and Nancy Guerrero, 4 April 2014)