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Leadership Level 1

Followers have several responsibilities: to become competent in basic job skills, take initiative, learn from others, ask questions, and develop communication skills.

Description

  • Leadership development starts the first day of the job.
  • Followers function as a team member.
  • Part of being a leader is exercising good followership and understanding human dynamics.
  • Followership begins the journey of becoming a student of fire.

Behaviors

  • Performs entry-level incident management tasks, contributing to team mission accomplishment and performance.
  • Takes responsibility for personal actions and decisions, demonstrating the core value of integrity.
  • Takes initiative to ensure the mission is accomplished and team performance is improved.
  • Practices the five communication responsibilities to develop skill and ensure individual contribution to risk management.
  • Interacts with team members, in a positive and constructive manner, to build team cohesion.
  • Acts with humility and learns from others to improve technical and leadership skills.
  • Asks questions to increase individual knowledge and improve the safety of self and team members.

Knowledge

  • Knowledge of the wildland fire leadership values, principles, and traits to inform expectations of their behaviors as a team member.
  • Knowledge of leadership concepts including courage, compassion, authenticity, humility, and empathy to inform expectations of their behavior as a team member.
  • Knowledge of the risk management process to understand their role in accident prevention and decision-making.
  • Knowledge of the decision-making process to inform their role in an effective decision process.
  • Knowledge of the impacts of cumulative and traumatic stress to assist in ensuring resilience and mental and emotional health.
  • Knowledge of the elements of human factors and barriers to situational awareness to understand how human elements can contribute to team performance and fireline safety.
  • Knowledge of the value diversity of thought and perspective bring to team performance to ensure respectful interactions with team members and to contribute to a positive team culture/command climate.

Development Goals

Self Study

USWDS Paragraphs

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NWCG Latest Announcements

National Wildland Firefighter Day

Date: July 2, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
National Interagency Fire Center

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) recognizes July 2, 2025, as National Wildland Firefighter Day (NWFFD). Established in 2022, NWFFD honors the dedication of wildland firefighters and support personnel. This day falls within the 2025 Week of Remembrance (June 30 - July 6), providing an opportunity to renew our commitment to wildland firefighter safety while remembering those who have fallen in the line of duty.

NWCG provides leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. NWCG standards and training establish common practices to contribute to safe, effective, and coordinated interagency wildland fire operations nationwide.

References:

Week of Remembrance

National Wildland Firefighter Day

2025 Week of Remembrance

Date: June 27, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
6 Minutes for Safety Subcommittee

As we approach the 2025 Week of Remembrance (WOR), June 30–July 6, we dedicate this time to reflect on the past incidents from 2015 and honor the fallen through learning. Since its inception in 2014, WOR has honored wildland firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while encouraging critical discussions that reinforce lessons learned.

Throughout the week, we encourage thoughtful and generative conversations—whether in briefing rooms or at tailgates—that promote a culture of continuous learning and safety.

References:

2025 Week of Remembrance: Letter to Leadership

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003 Flame-Resistant Shirt Survey

Date: June 12, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

The U.S. Forest Service National Technology and Development Program (NTDP) is seeking input on the Forest Service-designed flame-resistant (FR) shirt, currently available through the National Interagency Support Cache system and FedMall.

NTDP is conducting a product review to improve future FR shirt designs. As part of this effort, a short survey is now open for federal employees who have worn any of three recent FR shirt models. Feedback will guide design improvements to better meet the needs of wildland firefighters.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act, responses are limited to federal employees. The survey is open through September 12, 2025. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-003

NEW! S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended) Now Available

Date: June 10, 2025
If you have questions, please visit our FAQ page. 
If your question is not answered there, you can 
submit your question using our Contact Us form. 
 

The S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended), equips new wildland firefighters with essential skills through a mix of online learning and hands-on training. The course features a required online component and an instructor-led exercise, reinforcing online concepts with practical performance-based training.

The course builds competencies in wildland fire operations, safety, and equipment use, applicable across various operational environments. Both the online component and instructor-led field exercise must be completed to receive a certificate of completion. Students are required to finish the prerequisite S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, before enrolling in S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended).

References:

S-130, Firefighter Training (Blended)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

Wildland Fire Learning Portal