Health Department Contact Information for Home Units Guidance

Source: Wildland Fire Medical and Public health Advisory Team (MPHAT)

For Employee or Fire Incident COVID-19 Response

To be included in IMT Briefing Package.

Visit the county health and the state health department website to locate:
1. The COVID-19 call numbers
2. The COVID- 19 contact (when available)
3. Any information about how the county health department wants employers to respond or report COVID-19 cases
Call the county COVID-19 call line. You will likely leave a message or talk to an operator. Please be patient if you do not talk with a person or if your questions are not answered right away, public health authorities may be busy.
If you are able to talk with someone, let them know about your anticipated COVID-19 procedures. Use the information below as a guide:
1. A COVID-19 Coordinator name and contact information (if known).
2. Any MPHAT/Agency/ICT COVID-19 policies or other pertinent information.
3. Testing policies or actions (if known) including
  1. What the district plans to do with symptomatic individuals, close contacts, positive cases, and testing (if known). Use the back of this document as a starting point.
4. How to engage and any guidance from the health department about their policies such as:
  1. Does the health department want regular check-ins from the district? If so, at what interval, who is the point of contact, and what information do they want to receive?
  2. When a worker becomes symptomatic, does the health department want to be notified and coordinate testing and follow-up care? If not, does the health department have recommendations on who in the county can provide care and where should the worker go to obtain a test.
  3. Hospital, urgent care, and testing locations.
  4. How engaged, what is the process for, and what will the timing be for case investigation and contact tracing and outbreak investigations?
    1. What is a workplace outbreak (more than 2 cases) and when does the county want to be notified and how?
  5. Is the health department in agreeance with the district sending asymptomatic or mildly sick personnel to their home unit (away from this county). If so, does the health department have guidance?

Local and State Health Department Information
State Health Department COVID-19 Contact information including: 24/7 phone number Websites Email addresses
Local Health Department COVID-19 Contact information including: 24/7 phone number Websites Email addresses
Local County Health Department Point of Contact Name and Contact Information

Health Department Guidance On
Check-in procedures with Health Department How often? Who is the point of contact? What information should be shared?
Does the health department want to be notified of symptomatic workers? If yes, what is the process? If not, where can workers receive care and obtain tests in the county?
Hospital, urgent care, and testing locations and names
If testing is performed outside of a clinical laboratory (e.g. rapid point of care device testing) how are results reported results and at what interval to the health department?
For case investigation and contact tracing, how engaged with the health department be, what is the process for this, and what will the timing be for these processes?
What is a workplace outbreak (>2 cases) and when does the county want to be notified and how?
If workers are from off-district, can asymptomatic or mildly sick COVID-19 positive workers be sent back to their home unit? If so, does the health department have guidance on this?
Other guidance:

NWCG Latest Announcements

2025/2026 Leadership Campaign Quarter 2 Now Available!

Date: February 13, 2026
Questions?
Please contact: Leadership Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that the Quarter Two materials for the 2025/2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign are now available! This annual initiative invites all leadership and wildland fire management students to engage with essential skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in dynamic environments.

This quarter focuses on Leadership Level 2: New Leader (Conveying Intent). Conveying intent is a crucial leadership competency in the high-risk, dynamic environment of wildland firefighting. Months 4 - 6 will concentrate on how successfully conveying intent enhances situational awareness, promotes shared understanding, and empowers firefighters to exercise initiative and adapt to changing conditions.

References:

2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign - Leadership Levels

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Leadership Committee

Opportunity to Serve the Wildland Fire Community as an IPTM SME!

Date: February 10, 2026
Questions?
Please contact: NWCG SME Specialist

NWCG is seeking experienced wildland firefighters and support personnel to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) initiative. The intent of IPTM is to transition NWCG’s training and qualification system to a performance-based model through updated position descriptions, Incident Position Standards, Next Generation Position Task Books (Next Gen PTBs), and updates to training where needed.

NWCG is currently recruiting SMEs for the following positions:

Aircraft Timekeeper (ATIM)
Compensation/Claims Unit Leader (COMP)
Cost Unit Leader (COST)
Crew Representative (CREP)
Deck Coordinator (DECK)
Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO)
Field Observer (FOBS)
Geographic Information System Specialist (GISS)
Ordering Manager (ORDM)
Receiving/Distribution Manager (RCDM)
Staging Area Manager (STAM)

Projects begin April/May 2026 and require 15–20 hours per month for 6–8 months, including a five-day workshop in Boise, Idaho this May. Apply by February 27, 2026, at the link below and review the attached document for details.

References:

NWCG SME Interest Sign-up

IPTM Subject Matter Expert Duties and Expectations Document

Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM)

NEW! M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) Course Available Now

Date: January 29, 2026
Questions?
Please contact: Resource Advisor Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce the new M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) course is now available. This training supports individuals working towards Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) incident qualifications.

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) training prepares students to serve as a Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) as defined in NWCG Incident Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112. This course presents scenarios that reflect the diverse challenges a REAF may encounter during an incident. Through these scenarios, participants gain hands-on experience and an understanding of REAF responsibilities in a controlled learning environment.

References:

Resource Advisor, Fireline Position Page

NWCG Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Date: January 23, 2026
Questions?
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

The Incident and Position Standards Committee has updated the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

These updates address changes to incident position names and requirements for qualification, training, and experience. Updates related to the implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) and Incident Performance Training Modernization (IPTM) are also included.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308 has also been updated to reflect the recent changes.