July 16

National Wildfire Coordinating Group Meeting Minutes – 16 July 2014 Participants Participants name followed by agency FMB Participants Aitor Bidaburu (USFA), Bill Kaage, Chair (NPS), Dick Bahr (OWF), Erin Horsburgh (OAS), Howard Hedrick (BLM), John Segar (FWS), Lyle Carlile (BIA), Ron Bertsch (USFS), Steve Gage (USFS). NWCG Participants Executive Board: Dan Smith, Chair (NASF), John Glenn, Vice-Chair (BLM), Aitor Bidaburu (USFA), John Segar (FWS), Lyle Carlile (BIA), Mark Koontz (NPS), Tim Sexton (USFS), Jim Erickson (ITC), Will May (IAFC), Rod Bloms (DOI OWF Liaison) Program Management Unit: Sean Cross (Program Manager), Deb Fleming (Training Branch Manager), Elaine Waterbury (Planning & Management Branch Coordinator), Paul Schlobohm (NWCG FMB Liaison), Tim Blake (Preparedness Branch Coordinator). Other Participants Evans Kuo (EIM Project Lead), Heath Hockenberry (National Fire Weather Program Leader), Jennifer Jones (USFS Public Affairs), Jill McCurdy (USFS Branch Chief, Fire Training for Frank Guzman). Meeting handouts are available upon request via email at blm_fa_nwcg_executive_secretary@blm.gov Item Topic Presenter Discussion/Action 1 Status of planned joint memo from FMB and NWCG chairs to NWCG Committees providing direction regarding inherently federal vs. intergovernmental work. Lyle Carlile Discussion: Reviewed initial draft from Lyle Carlile. Action: FMB and NWCG members will review two draft memos 1. FMB direction to federal entities – Segar; 2. FMB/NWCG joint direction to NWCG committees – Carlile) and provide feedback to PMU. PMU will consolidate feedback and provide final drafts for review by FMB and NWCG boards. Initial feedback due 25 July 2014. 2 NWCG requesting FMB to establish and communicate process and timelines to approve/deny NWCG IT project funding requests, including communicating to agency budget leads the approved projects, funding amounts and hosting agencies. Elaine Waterbury Discussion: Reviewed funding requests from Elaine Waterbury. Action: • FMB approved funding the seven NWCG O&M requests for FY15 using the conventional NWCG split (60% USFS/40% DOI). The one new FY15 NWCG IT project request will follow FMB guidance for new investments funding requests, once this guidance is completed and issued (see below bullet). • John Segar will work with the IT Advisory Board (ITAB) to establish FMB guidance for new project and O&M funding requests, which will include guidance for agency budget leads. Due 18 July 2014. 3 Evolving Incident Management (EIM) • Joint FMB/NWCG memo to EIM project lead for additional EIM analysis based on FEC to FMB memo dated 30 May 2014. • Report Out - USFS EIM Re-Engagement Evans Kuo Discussion: Reviewed draft FMB/NWCG to EIM memo for further EIM related analysis. Discussed meeting in which EIM project leadership addressed questions from USFS National Line Officers Team (NLOT), fire directors, and Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) staff. Action: NWCG PMU, with assistance from NWCG Executive Board and EIM Project Lead, to compile NWCG information associated with EIM agency purview tasks that require federal agency engagement in order to be completed. Deliver to FMB, due 17 September 2014. 4 Establish FMB to NWCG Liaison and NWCG to FMB Liaison. Determine the level of formalization needed for these positions. John Segar Paul Schlobohm Discussion: John Segar and Paul Schlobohm will continue to serve as the liaisons between the FMB and NWCG respectively. Action: Segar and Schlobohm to draft a document to clarify and formalize roles and duties of the FMB to NWCG and NWCG to FMB liaison positions that they will initially encumber. Draft to EB for review by 17 September 2014. 5 Third Quarter Budget Review Elaine Waterbury Discussion: Overview of NWCG available funding and project requests. Action: • The NWCG Executive Board agreed to fund S-290 Instructor Led Training for $75,000 and the NWCG Website for $40,000. • The BLM/USFS interagency agreement will be extended for another year in order for BLM projects to expend funds. Proposed end date of 30 March 2015. 6 Safety Matters Team Message Update Dan Smith Jennifer Jones Discussion: Update on the Safety Matters Team correspondence and direction to the Risk Management Committee (RMC) for response. Action: N/A 7 Refresher Task Team Update Deb Fleming Discussion: Update on the Refresher Task Team progress. Action: • The Executive Board approved of the progress and direction the Refresher Task Team is headed and agreed to add an additional task to the tasking for recommending revisions to the four core components of the WFSTAR program. Update TM-14-03_Refresher Program Tasking to include these changes by 25 July 2014, Deb Fleming. • Communicate with the federal agencies and Geographic Area Coordinating Groups regarding the direction the WFSTAR program is heading. Due 15 January 2015, Deb Fleming. 8 Update USFS Union Interaction Jill McCurdy Discussion: Explanation that the USFS plans to share NWCG meeting minutes with the USFS Union. Action: N/A 9 NWCG Minutes Approval PMU Update Current Meeting Action Items Dan Smith Discussion: Brief review of the NWCG June 2014 meeting minutes and a PMU update. Action: NWCG Executive Board approved June 2014 Meeting Minutes with minor edits. 10 NASF Update Dan Smith Discussion: • A rough transition in supply sourcing from the General Services Administration (GSA) to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has prompted the USFS to help states with access. • The Master Co-Op Agreement needs will be ready for agency review and buy-in by Fall 2014. Solicitor review will follow. Action: N/A 11 JFSP Report on Safety Zones John Glenn Discussion: Brief review of the release of this report. Action: Prepare a memorandum to the field clarifying the current standard for safety zones as it is identified in the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG). Due 25 July 2014, Program Management Unit (PMU). 12 Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFLC) Update Will May Discussion: WFLC has created a national strategy committee for the Cohesive Strategy and will support it with an executive manager position. Action: N/A 13 Update/action request on USFS RD&A funded Desert Research Institute assessment of Fire Danger Pocket Cards Tim Sexton Discussion: Tim requested the FENC provide the NWCG executive Board with recommendations on how to use the assessment. Action: FENC will report back by 17 Sept 2014. Blue Shading = FMB/NWCG Combined Purple Shading = NWCG Only