National Wildfire Coordinating Group

Operations Section Chief Type 3

OPS3 decorative banner: photos depicting OPS3 position.

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NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flow Chart, PMS 308

OPS3 Qualification Requirements

Required Training

Required Experience

  • Satisfactory performance as a Division/Group Supervisor (DIVS)

​OR

  • Satisfactory performance as an Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3)

Physical Fitness Level: Arduous

Duties involve fieldwork requiring physical performance calling for above-average endurance and superior conditioning. These duties may include an occasional demand for extraordinarily strenuous activities in emergencies under adverse environmental conditions and over extended periods of time. Requirements include running, walking, climbing, jumping, twisting, bending, and lifting more than 50 pounds; the pace of work typically is set by the emergency situation.

These Positions Maintain Currency For OPS3

  • Division/Group Supervisor (DIVS)
  • Incident Commander Complex (ICCI)
  • Incident Commander Type 2 (ICT2)
  • Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3)
  • Operations Branch Director (OPBD)
  • Operation Section Chief Complex (OSCC)
  • Operations Section Chief Type 1 (OSC1)
  • Operations Section Chief Type 2 (OSC2)
  • Strike Team Leader including (STCR, STEQ, STEN)
  • Structure Protection Specialist (STPS)
  • Task Force Leader (TFLD)

OPS3 Maintains Currency For These Positions

Other Training Which Supports Development Of Knowledge And Skills

Note

Once qualified as DIVS or ICT3, the OPS3 qualification may be granted by the certifying official. Certification must be documented.

This is an inherently wildland fire position. All-hazards Operations Section Chief Type 3 need to meet the wildland fire position qualification requirements. Rationale for not endorsing is based on prerequisite experience (e.g., fire behavior, strategic operations, burn planning).

Alternative Pathways to NWCG Qualification

 

PRINT QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

 

Page Last Modified / Reviewed: 
2023-03-24

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