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Documentation

Purpose

Incident documentation refers to all records—including, but not limited to, word processing documents, spreadsheets, telephone and e-mail messages, tabular information, GPS-gathered files, kml/ kmz files, geodatabases, feature services, maps, and other output products—saved as official incident records. The Documentation Unit Leader (DOCL) in the Planning Section compiles this information for the entire incident and provides it to the host unit at the incident’s conclusion. All official incident records can be used for investigations and lawsuits and should provide an accurate record of what information was available to support decisions and actions by overhead/line personnel.

Documents = Records; anything used to support a decision is a document and should be retained.

Document Examples: Map requests, Geographic Information System Specialist (GISS) map production list, digital map products, feature service data, incident geodatabases, GPS coordinates, handwritten adjustments to maps, SMS/email/photo data changes, General Message forms, meeting notes

Non-Document Examples: Personal notes, emails about lunch contents, intermediate data

Specifications

The GISS must follow these specifications to ensure documentation is correctly collected, attributed, and stored.

  • Work with the Situation Unit Leader (SITL) and DOCL to understand process for documentation.
  • Document all work requests on a General Message form.
  • Use the Event Geodatabase data standard for storing any applicable incident data.
  • Adhere to the Directory Structure and File Naming standards to enable data discovery and retrieval.
  • Use FireNet for all incident related communications, document sharing, or public outreach.
  • Track and document work requirements, map changes, and special map requests using method required by SITL.
  • Store all electronic files in the GISS Directory Structure.
  • Maintain a contact list of incident GISS and any local contacts used for data acquisition and sharing.

References

Responsibilities

The GISS must correctly store all documents and ensure they are included in the incident documentation.

 

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Leadership Committee IAP Flyer Now Available

Date:  May 8, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee promotes and enables leadership development across the wildland fire service. The committee provides education, training opportunities, and support for leadership innovation and best practices throughout the community.

A new IAP flyer is now available on the committee website, offering an overview of the products, curriculum, and learning opportunities the Leadership Committee develops. This resource is ideal for posting in your office, sharing with new employees, or distributing through your incident management teams to engage new voices in the leadership journey and reinforce a culture of self‑reflection, development, and growth.

References:

Leadership Committee 2026 IAP Flyer

Incident Operations Subcommittee Updates the Next Generation Position Task Book for FFT1

Date:  May 7, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

The NWCG Incident Operations Subcommittee (IOSC) has updated the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14. The FFT1 Position Task Book transitioned to the Next Generation (Next Gen PTB) format in June 2025 through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. Since then, IOSC has received feedback from the wildland fire community regarding coding for one of the tasks. Task #13 has been updated to include the option of evaluation in a simulation.

See IOSC Memorandum 26‑01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Position Task Book for Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1), PMS 311‑14 for more information.

References:

IOSC Memorandum 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementation of Updates to the NWCG Postion Task Book for Firefighter Type 1

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss Position Page 

NEW! S-212, Intermediate Faller (Online) Course Available Now 

Date:  April 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce that the new S‑212, Intermediate Faller (Online), course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). This second course in the series provides students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of an Intermediate Faller (FAL2), as described in the FAL2 Incident Position Description. This course is intended for individuals seeking to advance from Basic Faller (FAL3) to FAL2.

S‑212, Intermediate Faller is a fully online, self‑paced training program consisting of 13 units. Learners will engage with interactive, scenario‑based content designed to progressively build foundational skills and knowledge essential for the FAL2 role.

Students must be qualified as a Basic Faller (FAL3) prior to enrolling in S‑212, Intermediate Faller course.

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 2027.

References:

S-212 Intermediate Faller (Online)

RMC Memo 26-01: Transition Plan for Implementing Updates to Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Qualifications

Intermediate Faller (FAL2) Position Page

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

New Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

Date:  April 17, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: National Coordination System Committee

A new publication from the National Coordination System Committee (NCSC) is now available. The NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249, will be used for aviation crews and dispatch to share flight information that is needed for resource tracking, and if needed, for emergency procedures.

For further details, please contact your NCSC representative. 

References:

NCSC Memo 26-01: Implementation of NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249