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Week of Remembrance

Taking A Nap Near The Fireline

 

18. Taking a nap near fireline. A fire is burning on the left side. Four firefighters lie on the ground napping on the right side.

18. Taking a nap near fireline.

Managing fatigue during wildland fire suppression is important for firefighter health and safety. This Watch Out depicts fire behavior increasing while firefighters take a nap without a lookout.

Read about all 18 Watch Out Situations.

Firefighting is often exhausting work and firefighters can find themselves needing to sleep while on the fireline. Before pausing to rest, firefighters must weigh the following:

  • Are lookouts posted? Discuss who that lookout can be. Can the lookout on the knob across the draw watch over you, or does it need to be your partner on the fireline alternating rest times?
  • Is the area free of hazards (falling snags or rolling materials, etc.)? Discuss what you need to do to create a safe resting area.
  • Are you still within agency work and rest guidelines? Review these guidelines.
  • Does your crew need a break? Have they been pushed too hard? Talk about situations where you need to simply take yourself and/or your crew off the fireline for uninterrupted rest.

To reduce risks:

  • Keep lookouts posted and rotate them.
  • Communicate crew conditions and status to supervisor or chain-of-command contact.

Discuss ways to rest on the fireline and suggestions for methods to alternate shifts for more effective firefighting.

 

Category
Operational Engagement
References
10 Standard Firefighting Orders, PMS 110
10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18
18 Watch Out Situations, PMS 118

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NWCG Latest Announcements

Updated NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS 515

Date: May 10, 2024
Contact: IFUASS Qualification and Curriculum Board (IFUASS) 

The 2024 revision of the NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS 515 is now available. PMS 515 standardizes the processes and procedures for interagency use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including pilot inspections and approvals. This publication is now available as a PDF for easy use offline.

References:

NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS 515

Memorandum 24-003: Removal of Type 1 Command and General Staff (C&G) Incident Position Qualification Pathways

Date: May 10, 2024
Contact: Aitor Bidaburu 

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide NWCG direction for removal of the Type 1 Command and General Staff (C&G) incident position qualification pathways to transition to Complex Incident Management (CIM). Responders may continue to utilize available NWCG pathways to attain Type 1 C&G qualifications until December 31, 2024.

References:

Memorandum 24-003

CIM Story Map

2024 Professional Reading Program

Date: April 26, 2024
Contact: Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP) 

The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program is announcing the 2024 Professional Reading list! The intent of the Professional Reading Program is to promote the reading and discussion of these books throughout the year. Discussion guides are provided and the corresponding Wildland Fire Leadership Levels have been identified.

The five books chosen for this year are: Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog by William H. McRaven, The Art of Clear Thinking by Hasard Lee, Emotional Agility by Susan David, and Writing to Persuade by Trish Hall.

References:

Professional Reading Program

Wildland Fire Leadership Levels

NWCG Training Catalog now on Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Date: April 25, 2023
Contact: NWCG Training  

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has migrated the training catalog from the NWCG website to the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline processes and improve efficiency. To facilitate this transition, the training catalog remains available on www.nwcg.gov through April 2024.

Starting May 2024, the training catalog will no longer be accessible on www.nwcg.gov. However, you can still access the complete training catalog by logging in as a guest to the WFLP.

References:

Wildland Fire Learning Portal