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RMC - Safety Grams

Safety Grams

Latest Safety Gram Issued  |  Prior Years Safety Grams

Reporting Criteria

Criteria (Revised 1-17-2012)

Safety Gram data will include fatalities, entrapments, burnovers, and other potentially life threatening accidents and injuries associated with wildland fire that result in:

Fatality

  • Entrapment(s)

  • Burnover of personnel

  • Burnover of fire suppression apparatus (e.g., fire engines)

  • Incidents/accidents that result in three or more persons requiring in-patient hospitalization

  • Serious life threatening injury/illness or high probability of life threatening injury/illness

  • Vehicle accidents (including ATV/UTVs) with potential for serious injury/property damage (e.g., rollovers)

  • Aviation Fatalities

Data will be collected for:

  • Personnel involved in the direct support of wildland fire, fire suppression damage repair and fire rehabilitation (private citizens acting on their own behalf resulting in injury or death will not be included).

  • Suppression apparatus that are damaged and/or destroyed as a direct result from operational involvement (parked vehicles with no occupants that are damaged from flame impingement will not be included).

  • Any fire resource on an incident, in mobilization or demobilization status.

  • Training or work capacity test related accidents/injuries that result in any of the above.

Data will be captured under the following categories:

Data - the date that the incident/accident occurred

Location – the location where the incident/accident occurred:

  • Incident name (if applicable)
  • Jurisdictional Unit (e.g., forest, district, refuge, etc.)State
  • If jurisdictional unit is not available, identify by nearest town/city

Activity – describe primary and secondary (if available) operational activity when incident/accident occurred:

  • Initial Attack

  • Line Construction

  • Mop-Up

  • Structure Protection

  • Fuels Management

  • Prescribed Fire

  • Driving

    • Responding to Incident

    • At Incident

    • Returning to Incident

  • Aviation

    • Helicopter

    • Fixed Wing

  • Work Capacity Test

    • Arduous

    • Moderate

    • Light

  • Fitness Training

  • Post-Suppression

  • Post-Wildland Fire Training

Agency/Entity of personnel involved – identify personnel involved by agency.

  • Specify if Federal, State or local employee or contractor

  • If state employee list the state employed not state occurred

Type of Accident/Illness – describe type of incident/accident or direct causal factor:

  • Burnover
  • Entrapment
  • Vehicle
    • Rollover
    • Struck
    • Truck
    • Water tender
    • Engine
    • Crew Vehicle
    • Bus
  • ATV/UTV
  • Hazard Tree
  • Medical
    • Burns
    • Heart Attack
    • Heat Illness
    • Fracture
    • Asphyxiation
    • Fitness Testing
    • Evacuation
    • Aviation
    • Fall from Height
    • Other

Number of People – total number of persons directly involved in the incident/accident

Number Fire Shelters Deployed – total number of shelters deployed

Fatalities – of the number of persons involved state how many resulted in fatality

Injuries – briefly describe type of injuries sustained

Totals – number of personnel involved and fatalities

The respective RMC agency representative who has jurisdiction involving the incident/accident will make the recommendation on Safety Gram posting. RMC will make final determinations for Safety Gram posting.

NWCG Latest Announcements

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for UASD, UASM, UASL and UASP

Date: July 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for all four Unmanned Aircraft Systems positions:

  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist (UASD)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager (UASM)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader (UASL)
  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UASP)

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Data Specialist Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Manager Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Module Leader Position Page

NWCG Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot Position Page

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for RADO and INCM

Date: July 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Logistics Subcommittee
 

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Radio Operator (RADO) and Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Radio Operator Position Page

NWCG Incident Communications Center Manager Position Page

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004 NEW Aquatic Invasive Species – Golden Mussels

Date: July 29, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-004, notifying the wildland fire community about a newly discovered invasive species and actions to take if found. Golden mussels, a highly invasive species recently identified in California, pose a significant risk to native ecosystems, infrastructure, and fire equipment. These mussels rapidly colonize hard and soft surfaces, including aquatic plants and fire equipment, clogging pipes, fouling motors, disrupting water systems, and impacting native species.

To help prevent their spread, fire personnel must follow the decontamination procedures outlined in the NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444. Additionally, report any sightings immediately to your Lead Resource Advisor and include clear, close-up photos and location details.

Read the complete ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-004

NWCG Guide to Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire Operations, PMS 444

Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for ICT5 and FFT1

Date: July 29, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Incident Command Subcommittee
Incident Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) and Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Incident Commander Type 5 Position Page

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page