National Wildfire Coordinating Group

Cost Unit Leader*

COST decorative banner: photos depicting COST position.

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The Cost Unit Leader (COST) is responsible for collecting all cost data, performing cost-effectiveness analyzes, and providing cost estimates and cost-saving recommendations. The COST reports to the Finance Section Chief (FSC). The COST works in the Finance/Administration functional area.

The Forest Service and Department of Interior are enabled by Administratively Determined Pay Plans (AD Pay Plans) to hire persons for temporary duration for the following reasons:

  1. To cope with a sudden and unexpected emergency caused by a fire, or extreme fire potential, flood, storm, or any other all-hazard emergency that threatens damage to federally protected property, has the potential to cause loss of life, serious injury, public health risk, or damage to natural or cultural resources unless brought under immediate control.
  2. To provide emergency assistance to States under formalized agreements.
  3. To meet mission assignments issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Incident Business Committee (IBC) reviews positions annually and establishes pay rate classifications for each position.

For more information on the AD Pay Plans, go to https://www.nwcg.gov/committees/incident-business-committee

Date: 
Jan 2023

Added: 

  • Finance/Administration Section Chief Complex (FSCC) to "These Positions Maintain Currency for COST."
  • Finance/Administration Section Chief Complex (FSCC) to "COST Maintains Currency for These Positions."

Date: 
Jan 2020

Added: Incident Position Description (IPD) approved.


Date: 
Oct 2019

Added: to Required Experience:  Note: Once qualified as a COST, the FSC3 qualification may be granted by the certifying official. Certification must be documented on a “verification/certification” page of the FSC3 Position Task Book (311-50).


Date: 
Oct 1984

Position created.

 

Page Last Modified / Reviewed: 
2023-02-09
Primary Committee: 
Incident Business Committee
Steward: 
Incident Business Committee

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