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Incident Business Committee

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Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The Incident Business Committee (IBC) provides national leadership in all areas of wildland fire and non-fire incident business management. The IBC establishes and promulgates incident business management practices for wildland fire and non-fire emergency responses.

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Primary Objectives

photo of several firefighters on a hill at sunrise

  • Establish and disseminate interagency incident business management procedures.
  • Establish incident business management procedures for uniform application of human resource management regulations; acquisition of equipment and supplies; management of property; financial coordination and maintenance of financial records; sharing resources among federal, state, and local agencies, and the military; documentation of costs and cost management practices; administrative processes for all-hazard incidents.
  • Contribute to the standardization of information technology systems (such as FireNet, IROC, etc.) to collect and distribute data, processes, forms, and other operational elements.

Hot Topics

AD Pay Plan Matrix

NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902, and Supplemental Documents, including Summary of Changes

2023 Incident Business State Contacts (xlsx)

External Incident Procurement Website

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Rental Vehicles – Incident Assignment

General Incident Support

  • There are several contract instruments in place for the rental of vehicles on incidents:

  • Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) U.S. Government Rental Car Agreement used for temporary duty travel (TDY).
  • U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) rental programs.
  • National Emergency Rental Vehicle (NERV) program.
    1. Contract with Enterprise Rent-A-Car managed by the Unites States Forest Service (USFS) and available for use by federal and state entities.

  • U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has two programs for agencies to supplement their vehicle fleet:

    1. Rental Supplemental Vehicle Program (RSVP).
    2. Short-Term Rental (STR) program.

Pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), box vans, and sedans are on the schedule; however, not all vendors offer these vehicle types. Check the pricelist of each vendor.

For agency employees, only ¾-ton and 1-ton pickups with heavy-duty tires will be rented through National Emergency Rental Vehicle (NERV).  Any vehicles outside of those requirements must be rented through the employee’s agency Electronic Travel System (ETS) and paid with a travel card.  For Administratively Determined Employees (ADs), all rental vehicles must fall under the requirements of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTRs). For example, economy vehicles only. If an AD employee needs a pickup truck with heavy-duty tires to meet position requirements, that vehicle can be rented through the NERV program.

Yes, however the rental company must agree in writing at the time of the rental to the vehicle being driven off-road.  Off-road is defined as driving a vehicle off a federal, State, or professionally maintained road system and not just off pavement; many dirt or gravel roads are maintained by a county or other entity.

Both programs are designed to supplement the agency’s fleet for up to 60 days. A return date will need to be given to the vendor at the time the quote is obtained. You will need to inform the company if the original timeline will be exceeded.

Prices are found on the vendor’s pricelist in the terms and conditions on the GSA Advantage website. The prices are ceiling prices, the highest charge for that type of vehicle. The vendor may give lower pricing, depending on the quantity and length of rental.  For vehicles rented through National Emergency Rental Vehicle (NERV), approximate prices can be obtained by contacting the NERV program.

No, the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) contract will charge a Government Administrative Rate Supplement (GARS) rate of $5 per day to cover damage. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) programs will not charge this fee. Other fees, such as airport fees (if rented from an airport facility), will apply on both contracts.  Rates can differ between the contracts.

The cardholder will settle claims for a vehicle that sustains damage if the vehicle was rented through the RSVP program.  For vehicles rented through the STR program, a Contracting Officer will need to be involved.  For National Emergency Rental Vehicle (NERV) vehicles, the renter will follow their agency’s procedures, the claim, and all supporting documents that need to be submitted to the NERV program.

No, only government-issued purchase cards or purchase orders can be used for payment.

Personal credit cards can be used to rent vehicles on the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) agreement if the rental car is authorized in advance and noted on the resource order.  However, if the renter has a government-issued travel card, it is the mandatory payment method required under this agreement.

Not if the vehicle was being utilized under the terms of the agreement and within the scope of employment.

No, rentals through National Emergency Rental Vehicle (NERV) are paid through the NERV program.

Wildland Fire learning Portal (WFLP)

  • Rental Supplemental Vehicle Program (RSVP)

  • Payment may be made by purchase card.
  • The cardholder calls the vendors to obtain quotes and selects the vendor.
  • A fuel card is not provided for RSVP vehicles.
  • Short-Term Rental (STR)

  • Vehicles are billed through U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) fleet billing.
  • A Billing Office Address Code (BOAC) is needed to order vehicles and for billing purposes.
  • Once the call is made to the program office at 866-886-1232 or an email is sent to: gsa_rental@gsa.gov, or a request is made online through the STR website, they will obtain quotes for the unit. The program office will deliver quotes for the requesting unit to select a vendor. GSA will coordinate the order with the vendor.
  • A fuel credit card can be obtained for each vehicle and the fuel will be billed through the fleet billing.
  • National Emergency Rental Vehicle (NERV) Program

  • Vehicles are requested through the dispatch center.
  • The resource order must state: Rental Vehicle Authorized.
  • Payments are made through the NERV program.
  • Users must complete the Traveler Rental Vehicle Checklist and Payment Cover Sheet, as well as reviewing the NERV Q&A.
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Administratively Determined Employees (ADs) and Rental Vehicles

  1. The vehicle is provided to the AD by the hiring unit or the incident through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) program and a warranted procurement official.
  2. The vehicle is provided by the ordering unit through a geographic area agreement.
  3. The vehicle is rented by the AD through the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) temporary duty travel agreement using their personal credit card.  The cost of the rental vehicle will be reimbursed to the AD through the government travel voucher process.
  4. The vehicle is reserved by dispatch for the AD through the National Emergency Rental Vehicle (NERV) program.

If the AD employee will not be taking the vehicle off-road, the vehicle can be reserved using the TDY contract through the ETS and paid for with a personal credit card by the AD employee.  If the AD is not self-sufficient, the vehicle can be reserved by dispatch through NERV.

If the AD employee will be taking the vehicle off-road, the vehicle can be reserved by dispatch through NERV.

Under all rental programs, AD employees must follow the Federal Travel Regulations (FTRs) when renting a vehicle.

Guidance Documents

Interagency Buying Team Guide (formerly PMS 315)

Limited Control Flights – Hazard Pay (IBC memo dated 5/10/18)

NWCG Supplemental Food and Drink Guidance (updated 6/21)

Incident Records Management

Time Unit Field Guide

Procurement Unit Field Guide

Forms

Find forms and supplemental documents with the NWCG Standards for Interagency Incident Business Management, PMS 902

S-260 Interagency Incident Business Management

 

Chair: David Burley

NWCG Coordinator: Katy O'Hara

Parent Committee:

Meeting Schedule: Monthly on the second Wednesday

Page Last Modified or Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

NWCG Risk Management Committee Releases Safety Bulletin: 24-001 Use of Respirators on Wildland Fires

Date: November 7, 2024
Contact: Risk Management Committee

The Risk Management Committee (RMC) has released Safety Bulletin: 24-001 Use of Respirators on Wildland Fires. As wildland fire respirators are available through several established vendors, wildland fire personnel need to understand regulations and limitations of respirator use in the workplace.

Safety Bulletin 24-001 outlines the following topics regarding respirator use for wildland fires:

  • Requirements for Respirator Use
  • Voluntary Respirator Use
  • Current Respirator Options
  • Unknown Risks of Respirator Use

This bulletin also provides mitigation recommendations to help reduce smoke exposure for wildland firefighting efforts.

References:

NWCG Safety Bulletin: 24-001 Use of Respirators on Wildland Fires

NWCG Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed Fire, PMS 420-3

VIDEO: Protecting Wildfire Personnel from Smoke - How Incident Management Teams Address Smokes Risks

VIDEO: Smoke, Knowing the Risks

The Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL)

Date: October 16, 2024
Contact: Incident Medical Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Medical Unit Leader, PMS 350-39 and NWCG Position Task Book for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL), PMS 311-39 are now available.

The Performance Support Package, which for MEDL includes the Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book, were developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. The Performance Support Package will support trainees, those qualified in the position, and evaluators.

References:

NWCG Medical Unit Leader Position Page

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Medical Unit Leader, PMS 350-39

NWCG Position Task Book for Medical Unit Leader (MEDL), PMS 311-39

The Wildland Fire Learning Portal is Now Available

Date: October 9, 2024
Contact: Wildland Fire Learning Portal

The Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) is back online following a migration to a new learning management system (LMS) application. The WFLP team is actively addressing any issues that may arise as a result of the update, and appreciates your patience as the team works to enhance your experience. NWCG will share information from the WFLP as it is available.

Should you have any issues with accessing or using the WFLP, please use the link below to submit a ticket through the Help Center.

References:

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Wildland Fire Learning Portal Help Center

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee Releases New Equipment Bulletins

Date: September 27, 2024
Contact: Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released three new Equipment Bulletins:

  • ETC-EB-24-003 Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in fuel containers.
  • ETC-EB-24-004 Two-compartment fuel and oil container (Dolmar) unavailable in the United States (US) and reminders for upkeeping current inventories.
  • ETC-EB-24-005 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Inspection, Care, and Maintenance.

These bulletins remind field going personnel of important issues related to equipment for wildland firefighting efforts.

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC-EB-24-003 Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in fuel containers

ETC-EB-24-004 Two-compartment fuel and oil container (Dolmar) unavailable in the United States (US) and reminders for upkeeping current inventories

ETC-EB-24-005 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Inspection, Care, and Maintenance