S-420, Command and General Staff, 2020
Course Materials
These materials are for instructor-led delivery.
This instructor-led course has mandatory pre-course work (estimate 4 - 6 hours) intended to increase knowledge of Command and General Staff (C&G) position responsibilities on a Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT).
Instructions
Complete and submit the pre-course work as directed in your S-420 Course Selection Letter. Additional items may be required, or the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) may be utilized for the pre-course work.
Activities may be done in any order.
-
Review the Incident Position Descriptions (IPDs) of the Command and General Staff (C&G) positions in the NWCG Position Catalog:
Incident Commander Type 2 (ICT2)
Public Information Officer Type 2 (PIO2)
Operations Section Chief Type 2 (OSC2)
Planning Section Chief Type 2 (PSC2)
Logistics Section Chief Type 2 (LSC2)
Finance/Administration Section Chief Type 2 (FSC2)
This course is about functioning in the Incident Management Team (IMT) environment, not about demonstrating skill in a given functional area. It is important that each student know and understand how each C&G position contributes to the success of the IMT.
-
Watch each of the 11 short videos detailing the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Planning Process (Planning P).
All students should have a common baseline understanding of the NIMS Operational Planning Process.
-
Read the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) for the S-420 C&G. The exercise on page 5 is not required. Read the WFDSS Incident Objectives – Findings from Review of 2014 and 2015 Published Decisions and Recommendations.
Answer the following questions:
- What information does a WFDSS decision document provide an IMT?
-
What information does an IMT provide to update or validate a WFDSS decision?
-
Read Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, PMS 494-2.
You are expected to exhibit strong leadership characteristics in all C&G positions throughout the course. Effective teams attract people from all walks of life and with different leadership experiences and education. Some have extensive leadership training from within the organization, some from external sources. At this level it is important for you to be able to articulate your leadership philosophy. For your own development and for the betterment of your team, consider where, how, and from whom you acquired your leadership philosophy. What were those experiences? What leadership principles do you strive to practice? As your team cohesion grows, you are encouraged to share these answers with your team.
-
Review the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) for Student IMTs.
IMTs utilize SOPs to define how the incident will be managed. Bring the SOP for Student IMTs to class to use and discuss with your team.
-
Watch the TEDx video How Feedback from a Jerk Co-Worker Could Revolutionize Performance.
During S-420, you’ll be asked to practice the two strategies presented in the video. In order to be successful as an IMT member, we must be open to blind spot data and feedback from others that we might not appreciate.
-
Complete and submit the Pre-Course Student Self-Assessment.
This self-assessment will be a useful tool for you to evaluate your own performance, and it will be the framework for coaches to provide feedback for further development.
- Complete and submit the student biography.
Reference Materials
- Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book)
- National Interagency Mobilization Guide
Click the individual links to download material or download all materials in one zip file (note zip file is 7 MB).
Click the individual links to download material or download all materials in one zip file (note zip file is 423 MB).
Page Last Modified / Reviewed:
2022-12-23