April 16

National Wildfire Coordinating Group Monthly Meeting Minutes 16 April 2014 No. Topic Pg# 1 Agenda Review and Minutes Approval 3 2 Mid-Year Budget Review 3 3 Refresher Program Tasking Approval 3 4 EIM – Executive Board Discussion 3-4 5 Update on T2 / T2IA Crew Tasking 4 6 Quadrennial Fire Review (QFR) Update – Discussion of NWCG Response 4 7 Review of Draft May Agenda 4 8 20th Anniversary of South Canyon Update 5 9 NWCG USFS Position Updates (3) 5 10 Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) Meeting Summary 5 11 Interior Fire Executive Council (IFEC) Meeting Summary 5 12 Program Management Unit (PMU) Update 5 13 Briefing of Fuels Workforce Development 6 14 New NFPA Committee Representation 6 15 Evolving Incident Management (EIM) Approval of Key Decision Log 6-7 16 Evolving Incident Management (EIM) Work Unit Leader Briefing 7 17 Bin Item: FEMA Call Agenda Topics 7 18 Bin Item: Aviation Taskings (Yarnell) 7-8 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 Frank Guzman, U.S. Forest Service Jim Erickson, Intertribal Timber Council (via phone) 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 Tim Sexton, U.S. Forest Service Fire Research Will May, International Association of Fire Chiefs 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 Others Attending Topic 4, 15, 16 Evans Kuo, EIM Project Lead Topic 5 Dalan Romero, Assistant Director, BIA Fire Operations Topic 5, 6 Brian McManus, Quadrennial Fire Review Representative Topic 8, 13 Jim Shultz, NPS Training Program Managers Topic 13 Kim Van Hemelryck, Fuels Workforce Development Committee Member Mark Jackson, Fuels Workforce Development Committee Member Nate Benson, Fuels Workforce Development Committee Member Topic 16 Mike Morcom, EIM IC/AC Nancy Guerrero, EIM Communications (via phone) (1) Agenda Review and Minutes Approval Paul Schlobohm Handouts Draft March 26, 2014 Meeting Minutes Discussion 1. A brief overview of the agenda. Executive Board approved the contents of the March 2014 meeting minutes with minor edits. (2) Mid-Year Budget Review Elaine Waterbury and Lisa McDevitt Handouts Mid-Year Budget Review Agenda Request FY 2014 Mid-Year Budget Review Briefing Paper FY 2014 Mid-Year Budget Review Project Status Discussion 1. An update and discussion on the mid-year budget report was given by Elaine Waterbury and included: a. Twenty-nine projects funded for FY14. i. Six projects identified excess funds ii. Three projects requested additional funding. 1. S-290 Online Course Development 2. NWCG Web Support Contract (extension) 3. NWCG Administrative Assistant Contract (extension) b. Proposal to fully fund the three additional projects. This would leave a balance that could be returned to the agencies and/or kept in the NWCG budget until the 3rd Quarter Budget Review in July 2014. 2. The Executive Board provided oversight and approved the proposal to fully fund the three projects requesting additional funding. Executive Board also approved keeping the balance of funds in the NWCG budget until the 3rd Quarter Budget Review. (3) Refresher Program Tasking Approval Deb Fleming Handouts Refresher Program Tasking Approval Agenda Request Draft Refresher Program Tasking Discussion 1. Review of the draft Refresher Program Tasking deliverable and request for approval to proceed. a. Add an explanation of long term sustainability of the program to the deliverables. 2. The Executive Board provided oversight and approved of the tasking with changes. (4) EIM – Executive Board Discussion Dan Smith Handouts EIM Executive Board Discussion Agenda Request Discussion 1. An update on the future of the EIM program included: a. A review of Executive Board member perspectives: Continue to progress on work within EIM but identify and categorize those areas that need engagement at a higher level. 2. EIM Memorandum: Update memorandum to acknowledge concerns, provide direction where possible, and give an overall status of the EIM project. (5) Update on T2/T2IA Crew Tasking Dalan Romero Handouts Type 2 Survey Agenda Request Type 2 vs. T2IA Usage Discussion 1. Update on Operations and Workforce Development Committee (OWDC) tasking (TM-2013-001) on evaluating the standards, use, and effectiveness of Type 2 IA and Type 2 hand crews. a. Utilization Study - Survey: i. Initiating an evaluation from field personnel via survey to help gather information and understand reasons for ordering T2IA or T2 crews. ii. Proposed distribution of the survey will be early spring 2014 with returned response by fall 2014. iii. Searching for common themes and/or trends to gather more accurate information in order to make more recommendations for improving utilization. 2. Task team will evaluate the information gathered to make a recommendation to NWCG by November 2014. 3. Executive Board provided feedback and support for current tasking status. (6) Quadrennial Fire Review (QFR) Update – Discussion NWCG Response Brian McManus Handouts QFR Update and NWCG Response Agenda Request Discussion 1. An update on the status of the QFR was presented by Brian McManus. a. NWCG members can assist in the process by educating others to understand the purpose and encouraging employees and management to participate. b. There are five QFR Strategic Foresight Workshops planned at upcoming seminars to engage those who work in other areas outside of fire. (7) Review of Draft May Agenda Paul Schlobohm Handouts Draft Agenda May Meeting Agenda Request May Agenda Outline Discussion 1. The Executive Board approved of the strategic topics as outlined in the draft May agenda. (8) 20th Anniversary of South Canyon Update Tim Blake and Paul Schlobohm Handouts Leadership Message Agenda Request Discussion 1. An open discussion about the 20th Anniversary of South Canyon included exploring options to send a message from NWCG to the fire community to help make sense of wildland fire tragedies. Action Item 1. Prepare an example of a deliverable that expresses opportunities to provide historical context and perspective to wildland fire tragedies (i.e. South Canyon to Yarnell). (Tim Blake with support from Deb Fleming, Brit Rosso, Jim Shultz & Russ Babiak, May 2014) (9) NWCG USFS Position Updates Frank Guzman Handouts NWCG USFS Position Update Agenda Request Discussion 1. Update on NWCG USFS Positions are as follows: a. Administrative Assistant: Classified. b. Products: Currently in classification. c. Training: Needs to be prioritized. 2. Currently, the USFS recruit/fill is at a standstill with no developmental changes in the near future. (10) WFLC Meeting Summary and Emerging Issues Jim Erickson Handouts N/A Discussion 1. Phase 3 document is signed and has been released. 2. The National Action Plan was approved for and signed by WFLC chairs. Will be released the week of April 21, 2014. 3. A group has been assembled to look at how to configure national and regional groups to ensure tieback with the cohesive strategy to what happens locally. More discussions to come at a fall WFLC meeting. 4. Meetings scheduled for fall 2014 and spring 2015. (11) IFEC Meeting Summary and Emerging Issues DOI Directors Handouts N/A Discussion 1. No new updates. (12) PMU Update PMU Staff Handouts April 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. (13) Briefing of Fuels Workforce Development Frankie Romero Handouts FMC Tasking Agenda Request Fuels Workforce Task Team Brief FMC Workforce Development Tasking Task 1 Final Report Task 2 Final Report FWDTT Presentation to NWCG Exec. Board Discussion 1. An update on the Fuels Management Workforce Development Plan - Deliverables 1 and 2 was presented by Frankie Romero. Highlights include: a. Deliverable 1: Actions recommended in previous efforts found that items, although completed, needed further analysis and improvements. Recommendation to withdraw the 2008 Action Plan to continue with a fresh set of actions developed to guide future work. b. Deliverable 2: Recommended interagency community pursue the following: 1) Establish a center of practice for Fuels and Fire Science; 2) Explore options for promoting professional certification program(s); and 3) Invest in development of training to address at least some of the most persistently troublesome skill gaps. 2. The Executive Board agreed to support the Fuels Management Workforce Development Task Team’s continued efforts to coordinate with appropriate entities to pursue these actions. FMC will present future updates to the Fire Management Board (FMB) in the fall 2014. (14) New NFPA Committee Representation Paul Schlobohm Handouts NFPA Agenda Request Form NWCG Relationships to NFPA Committees Discussion 1. Follow-up discussion to the March NFPA topic for member requests to the new NFPA wildland fire committees. a. Current deadline for application is May 12, 2014. b. Ryan DePew (NFPA, Public Fire Protection Division) will send a list of current wildfire applicants to Dan Smith by April 25, 2014. c. The list of applicants will be assessed to determine if representation needs have been met or if there are outlying committees that still need NWCG involvement. (15) EIM Approval of Key Decision Log Evans Kuo Handouts EIM Key Decision Log Agenda Request EIM Key Decision Log – March 2014 Discussion 1. The Executive Board reviewed the March 2014 edition of the EIM Key Decision Log, made minor changes, and approved contents for general distribution. (16) EIM Work Unit Leader Briefing – EIM Memorandum Evans Kuo Handouts EIM Re-Engagement Discussion 1. No firm direction from the Federal Fire Policy council (FFPC) was issued at the April 8, 2014 meeting, though the Fire Management Board (FMB) was tasked to be engaged with NWCG effort. 2. To date, NWCG has not been given any direction to pause or otherwise stop work on EIM implementation. Based on the assessment provided by the EIM Task Team, the NWCG Executive Board has directed the Task Team to: a. Keep moving forward with analyzing the recommendations and developing implementation procedures for the ones deemed ‘non-contentious’. b. Stay focused on working with the GACG-AC and stakeholders to leverage their involvement. c. NWCG will continue to keep FMB, FFPC, FEC, NASF and agency/departmental leadership updated and informed of our actions. d. Need to recognize the EIM implementation timelines contained in the Phase 2 Strategic Implementation Plan are mere targets, and the Task Team has been requested to validate and project for the NWCG Executive Board what they see as possible actions we can take in 2014, 2015, and out year. e. As stated before, the projected 2016 end date is no longer in effect and we need to communicate that to the field and stakeholders. The projected end date of the implementation phase has been pushed back by several years –to be determined when we have a better assessment. 3. Scheduled next EIM Meeting with Executive Board for Friday May 30, 2014 from 0800-1000. (17) Bin Item: FEMA Call Agenda Topics Paul Schlobohm Handouts N/A Discussion 1. The Executive Board discussed potential topics for the FEMA Quarterly Call. They include: a. EIM Update b. Instructor Qualification c. Documents FEMA sends out for review. 2. Conference call list: Jason Steinmetz, Deb Fleming, Sean Cross (NWCG Vice-Chair), Aitor Bidaburu (FEMA liaison) and Tim Blake (for Paul Schlobohm). (18) Bin Item: Aviation Taskings (Yarnell) Dan Smith Handouts N/A Discussion 1. An update on the Yarnell Aviation Tasking responses indicated Jim Karels (Chair, NASF Fire Committee) is satisfied with the response but was looking for more information regarding aerial supervision and VLAT. 2. There is a conference call with Mike Dudley, Jim Karels, Dan Smith and Scott Hunt on Friday April 18, 2014 to discuss possible next steps.