Operations Branch Director

OPBD Incident Position Description

The Operations Branch Director (OPBD) is responsible for providing field leadership to Division/Group Supervisors (DIVS) and leading the execution of the tactical portion of the Incident Action Plan (IAP) applicable to the assigned branch. The OPBD coordinates and facilitates appropriate resource allocation both within the branch and between Branches. The OPBD reports to the Operations Section Chief (OSC) and works in the Operations functional area.

Prepare and Mobilize

• Ensure individual readiness.
• Gather critical information pertinent to the assignment.
• Travel to and check in at assignment.
• Confirm mobilization status of operational team members and/or assigned resources.
• Review current IAP, if applicable, and obtain incident status from OSC or ordering unit.

Build The Team

• Receive an in-brief of the current incident status and review established Incident Management Team (IMT)guidelines.
• Evaluate pertinent parts of the Delegation of Authority, Leaders Intent, Wildland Fire Decision Support System(WFDSS) or other incident decision documents as directed by the OSC.
• Ensure transfer of position duties.
• Facilitate and coordinate the ordering of operational resources.
• Establish and communicate a common operating picture with supervisors and subordinates.
• Facilitate operational briefings.
• Ensure distribution of IAPs and other relevant plans, maps, and local area information.
• Establish organizational structure, reporting procedures, and chain of command of assigned resources.

Lead, Supervise, Direct

• Model leadership values and principles. Provide a positive influence. Emphasize teamwork.
• Establish and communicate objectives, priorities, work assignments, and performance expectations.
• Formulate and communicate strategic plans and alternatives to OSC for approval.
• Identify, analyze, and use relevant situational information and take appropriate actions.
• Adjust actions based on changing information and evolving situational awareness.
• Communicate changing conditions to supervisors and subordinates.
• Ensure IAP objectives and performance standards are met.
• Monitor performance and provide immediate and regular feedback to subordinates.
• Develop and propagate consistent leaders intent up and down the chain of command.
• Apply knowledge of leadership styles and methods to diffuse conflict.
• Provide field leadership, while making sound and timely decisions in complex and high stress environments.
• Understand the effects of operational decision making and unintended impacts to other functional areas.
• Demonstrate the ability to develop and deliver appropriate messages to diverse audiences.
• Identify and provide training opportunities.

Perform Operations Branch Director-Specific Duties

• Plan and activate branch:
  • Recommend branch and division/group boundaries.
  • Organize branch, divisions/groups, and/or staging areas.
  • Order resources required for branch operations.
  • Recommend operational period for branch to OSC.
  • Recommend daily briefing/debriefing schedule for branch to OSC.
• Participate in operational period briefing and provide key information to branch leadership and personnel.
• Ensure host unit direction and policies are applied to daily operations.
• Manage operational periods to achieve objectives (eg. swing shift, night shift, holding).
• Ground truth proposed operational strategies.
• Identify kind, type, and number of resources required to achieve control objectives and operational strategies.
• Ensure assigned resources have all necessary equipment and supplies to meet objectives.
• Plan strategically to estimate immediate and long-range operational resource and logistical requirements.
• Continually evaluate resource status and tactical needs to determine if resource assignments are effective and efficient.
• Evaluate structure protection and wildland urban interface (WUI) needs as appropriate.
• Evaluate current situation and determine if current strategy and tactics will meet incident objectives and advise OSC.
• Make expedient changes to current operations based on the complexity or magnitude of the incident and report those changes to the OSC.
• Observe and review current operations to establish tactics for future operational periods.
• Use fire behavior prediction information to plan and organize tactical/strategic operations.
• Establish and maintain appropriate span of control.
• Obtain regular updates from assigned resources.
• Ensure assigned DIVS receive Fire Weather Watches/Warnings, Spot Weather Forecasts, and Fire Weather Forecasts.
• Ensure accuracy of IAP (ICS 204 WF):
  • Resource information for accountability
  • Work assignments - Task, purpose, end state
  • Special instructions (e.g., Medical, READ)
  • Communication summary
• Coordinate firing and holding operations in conjunction with DIVS, aerial supervision, and OSC.
• Coordinate tactical operations between DIVS, aerial supervision, and OSC. Ensure Air Operations Branch Director(AOBD) has clear understandings of branch priorities.
• Monitor aviation use and effectiveness and modify tactics as applicable.
• Report special occurrences (e.g., structure/improved property loss or damage, accidents, incident within an incident, political contacts) to OSC.
• Coordinate with assigned DIVS(s) and provide OSC a list of excess resources according to established IMT guidelines.
• Coordinate WUI operations with local law enforcement, local fire departments, and other agencies authorized to implement public evacuation, perform structure protection, control traffic, and road closures.

Planning Duties

• Provide OSC with resource needs within specified timeframe. Notify OSC when resources are moved or shared between DIVS to ensure coordination with other functional areas.
• Communicate IAP (ICS 204 WF) updates following IMT guidelines.
  • Resource information for accountability
  • Work assignments - Task, purpose, end state
  • Special instructions (e.g., Medical, READ)
  • Communication summary
• Coordinate with Situation Unit to validate updates (e.g., drop points, control line status).
• Validate strategic plans and/or provide recommendations for alternative control line locations.
• Communicate relevant information for planning meetings following IMT guidelines.

Communicate and Coordinate

• Communicate with the OSC and other functional areas to coordinate support for operational needs (e.g. land use agreements, EERA, meals).
• Establish communications and exchange necessary information with the following:
  • Other ICS functional areas.
  • Adjacent OPBD/DIVS.
  • READ.
• Ensure strategies, tactics, priorities, and changes are communicated and understood throughout the branch.
• Coordinate with OSC and DIVS(s) to recommend priorities for Safety Officers, Line Medics, READs, and FOBs.
• Work with responsible land management agency and/or assigned REAC/READ/REAF/ARCH to mitigate impacts to natural, cultural, social, and other resources. Notify OSC when such resources are discovered and document suppression impacts.
• Conduct and/or participate in After Action Reviews (AAR).

Manage Risk

• Ensure the Risk Management Process is established and maintained throughout the Branch.
• Apply the Risk Management Process as stated in the NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461:
  • Identify Hazards Assess Hazards
  • Develop Controls and Make Risk Decisions Implement Controls
  • Supervise and Evaluate
• Utilize a variety of communication methods, including listening and questioning, to identify gaps in understanding of risks to the operation.
• Ensure operational safety measures are in place prior to engagement (e.g., IRPG, 10 and 18, LCES, Look Up, Down, and Around).
• Ensure contingency plans and trigger points are developed and communicated.
• Consider resource effectiveness and modify tactics to balance probability of success and acceptable risk.
• Monitor and address air quality/smoke impacts to personnel, the public, and operations (e.g., roads, communities, incident facilities).
• Validate aviation use and effectiveness and ensure coordination between aviation and ground resources.
• Monitor and update aerial supervision regarding effectiveness of aviation tactics and adjust accordingly as necessary.
• Coordinate with Safety Officers (SOF) to assist with the risk management process and provide input into the safety of operations.
• Follow IMT guidelines to coordinate with incident medical personnel and ensure appropriate medical resources are assigned to respond to a medical incident.
• Ensure all branch personnel understand assigned medical resource capabilities, communication procedures, and transportation plan.
• Provide oversight of medical emergencies based on procedures stated in the IAP (ICS 206 WF), the Medical Incident Report, and IMT guidelines.
• Monitor resources for signs and symptoms of smoke exposure, fatigue, illness, injury, and work/rest ratios, and communicate mitigation needs.
• Account for location, health, safety, and welfare of assigned resources.

Document

• Follow IMT guidelines for the tracking and documentation of accountable property.
• Complete, authorize, ensure timeliness of, and route as required:
  • Incident Personnel Performance Rating (ICS 225 WF).
  • General Message (ICS 213)
  • Activity Log (ICS 214)
  • Crew Time Report (CTR), SF-261 (Watch: How to correctly fill out a CTR)
  • SAFECOM
  • SAFENET
  • Agency-specific forms
  • Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket, OF-297 (Watch: How to Correctly Fill Out The Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket)
  • Required Contractor Performance Evaluation

Demobilize

• Provide demobilization recommendations of resources to OSC to ensure appropriate span of control and staffing for changing complexity within the branch.
• Assemble and submit relevant documents prior to demobilization (e.g., ICS 213, ICS 214).
• Plan for demobilization and brief assigned resources on demobilization procedures and responsibilities.
• Ensure incident and agency demobilization procedures are followed.
• During transfer of command:
  • Ensure continuity of operations
  • Exchange critical information (e.g. safety, contacts, cooperators)
  • Communicate transfer of authority through established chain of command

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