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M-581, Fire Program Management, An Overview (ILT)

Course Title
Fire Program Management
Course Number
M-581
Other Training Which Supports
SOPL Strategic Operational Planner, RXB1 Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1, RXMG Prescribed Fire Manager
Course Description

The M-581 Design Criteria offers an alternative approach to training. There is no standing course package available through the NWCG Publication Management System. Agencies have the authority to develop lesson plans based on the course criteria outlined below. The purpose of establishing course criteria is to give agencies the latitude to deliver training that fits their organizational needs and geographic nuances while meeting a nationally accepted set of learning outcomes.

Intent
The M-581 training will provide Agency Administrators and Fire Program Managers with knowledge required to safely and effectively administer low to moderate complexity wildland fire programs. Essential guiding principles for imparting this knowledge include: enhancing the students' understanding of the wildland fire culture; ensuring an understanding of their role in decision making in all areas of the wildland fire program; an understanding of the risks inherent in their decisions; utilizing experiential training techniques that will engage students in ways that challenge them to explore the policy, social, political, environmental and human elements of wildland fire program management and oversight.

Course Objective

Essential guiding principles for imparting this knowledge include: enhancing the students' understanding of the wildland fire culture; ensuring an understanding of their role in decision making in all areas of the wildland fire program; an understanding of the risks inherent in their decisions; utilizing experiential training techniques that will engage students in ways that challenge them to explore the policy, social, political, environmental and human elements of wildland fire program management and oversight.

Format
Instructor Led
Business Steward
QMC Qualifications Management Committee
Alternate Delivery Mode
Not Applicable
Class Size Recommendations

30-40

Class Size Recommendations

30-40

Special Cadre Considerations

The combined cadre must have career or educational backgrounds and an expert level of knowledge in risk management, wildland fire policy, budget, legal liability, wildland fire response, fuels management, aviation management, and agency administrator responsibilities. All instructors must be well prepared to present complex subject matter and lead classroom activities in order to achieve the learning objectives outlined in this course criteria. The NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1, instructor requirements should be waived for Agency Administrators, College Professors and other experienced subject matter experts who may have extensive experience presenting, but may not have attended the formal M-410, Facilitative Instructor.

Course schedules and instructors are determined by geographic area training coordinators.

NWCG Latest Announcements

RMC Safety Bulletin 26-001: Rhabdomyolysis in Wildland Firefighters

Date:  May 28, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Risk Management Committee

The Risk Management Committee (RMC) has issued Safety Bulletin 26-001: Rhabdomyolysis in Wildland Firefighters. Research from 2016 to 2025 shows that 88 cases of rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo) were reported. Analysis of reports from eSafety, the Safety Management Information System (SMIS), and the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC) indicates that rhabdo is common during this time of year due to Work Capacity Tests and contributing factors such as weather, hydration, nutrition, and medication or supplement use.

RMC issued this safety bulletin to raise awareness in the Wildland Fire Community, and to provide research findings and educational resources that support reducing future cases of rhabdo.

References:

NWCG Alerts

RMC Safety Bulletin 26-001: Rhabdomyolysis in Wildland Firefighters

NEW! D-110, Expanded Dispatch Recorder Course Available Now

Date:  May 15, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Dispatch Position and Curriculum Management Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce the new D-110, Expanded Dispatch Recorder (Instructor-led) course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). Developed through the National Coordination System Committee, this course introduces the structure and function of expanded dispatch, the qualities of an effective dispatcher, and provides hands-on experience with the Interagency Resource Ordering Capability (IROC) system. 

The D-110, Expanded Dispatch Recorder course aligns with the competencies and duties outlined in the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Expanded Dispatch Recorder, PMS 350-59, and is designed for individuals with no prior experience who may be called upon to support dispatch operations.

References:

D-110, Expanded Dispatch Recorder (Instructor-Led)

Expanded Dispatch Recorder (EDRC), Position Page

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Expanded Dispatch Recorder, PMS 350-59

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Leadership Committee IAP Flyer Now Available

Date:  May 8, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee promotes and enables leadership development across the wildland fire service. The committee provides education, training opportunities, and support for leadership innovation and best practices throughout the community.

A new IAP flyer is now available on the committee website, offering an overview of the products, curriculum, and learning opportunities the Leadership Committee develops. This resource is ideal for posting in your office, sharing with new employees, or distributing through your incident management teams to engage new voices in the leadership journey and reinforce a culture of self‑reflection, development, and growth.

References:

Leadership Committee 2026 IAP Flyer

Incident Operations Subcommittee Updates the Next Generation Position Task Book for FFT1

Date:  May 7, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

The NWCG Incident Operations Subcommittee (IOSC) has updated the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14. The FFT1 Position Task Book transitioned to the Next Generation (Next Gen PTB) format in June 2025 through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. Since then, IOSC has received feedback from the wildland fire community regarding coding for one of the tasks. Task #13 has been updated to include the option of evaluation in a simulation.

See IOSC Memorandum 26‑01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14 for more information.

References:

IOSC Memorandum 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page