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Leadership Level 5

For leaders of organizations, the challenges grow to looking broadly and further ahead. These leaders manage the most complex and high-profile emergency incidents.

Organizational leaders plan for future operations and mentor promising people for key roles in our organizations. They represent the face of the wildland fire service to cooperators, stakeholders, and the general public. Decisions made by these leaders have significant and far-reaching impacts.

Description

  • Function as a senior-level organizational leader.
  • Foster exchange of knowledge and experience in the art of leading large organizations during high-risk and complex incidents.
  • Provide long-term strategic vision for the future of the organization.
  • Promote a workforce where differences are valued and leveraged. Establish effective, positive, and long-term organizational culture.

Behaviors

  • Utilizes foresight to anticipate the need for organizational change.
  • Mentors Leaders of Leaders for key roles in the organization to ensure organizational succession, stability, and longevity.
  • Anticipates, plans, responds, and executes within the social, security, political, infrastructure, information, and economic dimensions of the incident/organization while setting conditions for success.
  • Establishes highly-effective incident response structures, using decentralized command and control models and intent-based operations.
  • Establishes and communicates long-term vision to drive organizational change.
  • Applies critical thinking to strategic-level planning.
  • Effectively promote a varied workforce, allowing for differences of thought within the organization.
  • Develops new insights into situations, questions conventional approaches, encourages new ideas and innovations, and designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes.
  • Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipates and takes steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.
  • Ensures available resources are in alignment with vision, organizational goals, and the needs of their people.
  • Ensures a common operating picture is maintained to align organizational decisions.

Knowledge

  • Identify successful traits of senior leaders to continue to develop self.
  • Identify how to benchmark and collaborate with outside organizations and apply within the organization.
  • Continue to develop personal and professional leadership skills to keep pace with current and future workforce needs.
  • Understand the importance of developing and utilizing political capital for organizational benefits (winning a battle vs. winning a war).
  • Understand how to develop a healthy and resilient culture for a large organization.
  • Understand how to mentor future leaders within the organization.
  • Identify how your organization can handle an event beyond capacity or worst-case scenario (e.g., San Diego Mega Fire, Camp Fire).

Development Goals

Self Study

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.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308

IPSC Memo 26-01: January 2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Positions Qualifications, PMS 310-1