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Frequently Asked Questions NICC Incident Management Report |
Frequently Asked Questions related to the National Interagency
Coordination Center Incident Management Reports.
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Discussion Items:
1. Type I and Type II Designations for Incident Management Teams
2. Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag Warning
3. Description of the Preparedness Levels
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1. Type I and Type II Designations for Incident Management Teams
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAMS
Teams will be ordered by type. Two types exist for National or
Interagency assignments. Type I National Interagency Teams and Type
II Geographic Area Teams. Each order for teams will require a request
for each team member.
Type I teams will be mobilized according to the National call-out
procedures and rotation. Type II teams will be mobilized by specific
geographic area policy.
The primary mission of these teams is for wildland fire incident
management. Non-fire incident management assignments on federal
wildland agency managed lands may occur under the following guidelines:
A. Planned events should be managed internally by the respective
agency.
B. Base eight salary, overtime, travel and per diem will be paid
by the receiving agency.
C. The planned length of assignment should not exceed two weeks
without negotiated approval.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mobilization under the
Federal Response Plan (FRP) will be accomplished using the national
call-out procedures.
The NIFC MAC Group will determine priorities, and approve National
Interagency Team assignment for non-fire use.
Type I Team Rotation Procedures:
A. Type I teams remain on call for a maximum of seven days.
B. At the time (clock hour and day of week) a team from the
National rotation is mobilized, the next geographic area in
rotation will be notified an placed in two hour call status and
will remain in call status for the next seven days. The next
two geographic areas in rotation will also be notified of the
2schedule change.
C. Geographic Areas with more than one team may decide which
"eligible" team responds to a National call (Geographic Area
must pass if no "eligible" team can meet the two hour call).
D. Teams will be considered "ineligible" for national assignment
if the primary Incident Commander is unavailable or it is
necessary to have more than two substitutes to fill
Command/General Staff positions.
E. Once a team has actually been committed to an incident, either
internally or nationally, it will remain ineligible for national
assignment until all national teams have had an assignment.
F. Any mobilization, locally or nationally, will be considered as
an assignment unless it is canceled prior to the team actually
being mobilized. Those teams which are mobilized but which do
not actually receive a fire assignment will be considered
eligible for assignment prior to beginning the second round of
teams eligibility for national assignment.
G. All assignments, both within an Area and Nationally, count as
experience.
H. Areas having two or more teams may commit two teams internally
at the same time prior to going to the National rotation.
I. Once a team(from the National Rotation List) is staged, the
Geographic Area can commit that team to any fire in the
Geographic Area. If NICC receives another request, the first
team from the National List will be mobilized.
J. The Geographic Area will coordinate with NICC before reassigning
an out of area team to another fire.
K. NIFC Directors retain the authority to adjust the national
schedule when necessary to archive team experience objectives.
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2. Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag Warning
Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings are used to convey the
possibility of severe fire weather to fire control agencies.
A Fire Weather Watch will be issued when the potential exists for
severe fire weather in the near future. A Watch is used when there is
a relatively low probability of occurrence and less chance of
2verifying. Usually fire danger is in the high to extreme category.
A Fire Weather Watch will normally be issued 12 to 24 hours in advance
of the expected onset of severe fire weather conditions. They will
typically be issued in conjunction with the routine narrative
forecasts. The area affected, onset time, and a statement describing
the conditions will be included in the forecast. Fire Weather Watches
will be cancelled if subsequent information indicates that the
conditions are no longer expected to develop. This cancellation will
be disseminated either by headline in the routine forecast or special
statement.
NOTE: You may see a Fire Weather Watch issued for a period less than
12 hours, but this can be done only for dry lightning and when there
is a low probability of the event developing. If there is a high
probability of dry lightning, then a Red Flag Warning will be used.
Red Flag Warning
A Red Flag Warning will be issued to indicate the imminent danger of
severe fire weather. These events stand a relatively high probability
of occurring. Usually the fire danger is in the high to extreme
category.
A Red Flag Warning may or may not be preceded by a Fire Weather Watch.
a Red Flag Warning Will normally be issued for severe fire weather
events less than 12 hours away from occurring. They will typically be
issued in conjunction with the routine narrative forecasts. The area
affected, onset time, and a statement describing the conditions will
be included in the forecast. Red flag warnings will be cancelled if
subsequent information indicates that the expected conditions are no
longer going to occur. This cancellation will be disseminated either
by headline in the routine forecast or special statement.
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3. Description of the Preparedness Levels
National Fire Preparedness Plan
Preparedness levels are established by the Directorate at NIFC
throughout the calendar year. Preparedness levels are dictated by
burning conditions, fire activity and resource availability. Resource
availability is the area of moat concern.
Why Preparedness Levels Are Established
Purpose:
A. To identify the level of wildland fire activity, severity
and resource commitment nationally.
B. To identify actions to be taken by NIFC to ensure an
appropriate level of preparedness/readiness for the existing
and potential situation.
C. To modify or curtail Geographic Area Fire Management
activities when essential to ensure national preparedness
or in response to the national situation.
The NICC Coordinator will monitor the National Wildland Fire
Situation and Geographic Area Preparedness Levels and will recommend
to the NIFC Directorate a National Preparedness Level.
National Preparedness Levels are determined from the ground up and
may constrain activities in Geographic Areas not experiencing
significant activity to ensure sufficient resources are available
for the national situation.
Geographic Area Preparedness Levels
Geographic Area Preparedness Plans should be prepared in accordance
with Agency Directives. Copies of Geographic Area Plans should be
forwarded to NICC.
Preparedness Level Descriptions
Preparedness Level I:
Description: No large fire activity nationally. Most Geographic
Areas have low to moderate fire danger. Little or no commitment
of National Resources.
A. Management Direction/Consideration: Agency/ Geographic Areas
will determine appropriate actions.
Responsibility: Agency Administrators within Geographic
Areas.
Preparedness Level II:
Description: One Geographic Area experiencing high fire danger.
Numerous Class A, B, and C fires are occurring and a potential
exists for escapes to larger (project) fires. Minimal
mobilization of resources from other Geographic Areas is
occurring. The potential exists for mobilizing additional
resources from other Geographic Areas.
A. Management Direction/Consideration: Agency/Geographic Areas
will determine appropriate actions.
Responsibility: Agency Administrators within Geographic
Areas.
B. Management/Direction Consideration: Daily morning briefings
conducted for the NIFC Directorate.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
C. Management Direction/Consideration-- Monitor Geographic Area
Fire Status.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
Preparedness Level III:
Description: Two or more Geographic Areas are experiencing
incidents requiring a major commitment of Notional Resources.
High number of fires becoming Class D and larger, Additional
resources are being ordered and mobilized through NICC, Type I
teams are committed in two or more areas, or 300 crews are
committed nationally.
A. Management Direction/ Consideration: Agency/ Geographic
Areas evaluate management ignited prescribed fire activities
to minimize need for suppression resources.
Responsibility: Agency Administrators within Geographic
Areas.
B. Management Direction/Consideration: Daily morning briefings
conducted for the NIFC Directorate.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
C. Management Direction/Consideration: Monitor Geographic Area
Fire Status.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
D. Management Direction/Consideration: Daily morning briefing
conducted for the NIFC Directorate.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
E. Management Direction/Consideration: Coordinate the
prepositioning of National Resources as may be appropriate.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
F. Management Direction/Consideration: Consider requesting
Severity Funds to strengthen Fire Preparedness capability
(Scarce National Resources).
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
G. Management Direction/Consideration: Assess resource
capability from Canada.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
H. Management Direction/Consideration: Monitor critical Fire
Cache Supply Inventories and provide appropriate direction
to Geographic Areas.
Responsibility: NIFC Directorate.
I. Management Direction/Consideration: Monitor prescribed fire
as reported in Daily Situation Reports.
Responsibility. NIFC Directorate. Agency Administrators
within Geographic Areas.
J. Management Direction/Consideration: Geographic Areas provide
NICC with timely intelligence on existing and emerging
situations.
Responsibility: Geographic Area Coordinator.
K. Management Direction/Consideration: OAS and FS Aviation
inspect all Type I and Type II helicopters.
Responsibility: National Aviation Officer, FS and Director,
OAS.
L. Management Direction/Consideration: Advise the military of
the need for a Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO) to be
assigned to NIFC.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
Preparedness Level IV:
Description; Two or more Geographic Areas experiencing incidents
requiring Type I teams. Competition exists for resources between
Geographic Areas. 450 crews or nine Type I teams committed
nationally.
A. Management Direction/Consideration: Establish MAC Group at
NIFC and conduct MAC Group Meetings at MDT dally.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group.
B. Management Direction/Consideration: Include State Forester
Representative on NIFC MAC Group.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group.
C. Management Direction/Consideration: Suspend declaration of
Prescribed Natural Fires, except those that are of no
significance or risk.
Responsibility: Agency Administrators within Geographic
Areas.
D. Management Direction/Consideration: Establish IR Coordinator
position at NICC, as appropriate.
Responsibility: NICC Coordinator.
E. Management Direction/Consideration: Allocate/Preposition
National Resources.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group.
F. Management Direction/Consideration: Train additional
emergency firefighters as may be appropriate.
Responsibility: Agency Administrators within Geographic
Areas.
G. Management Direction/Consideration: Coordinate "off-site"
training of emergency firefighters with Geographic Areas.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group Coordinator.
H. Management Direction/Consideration: Encourage: (1)
assignment of communications Frequency Managers and Aviation
Specialists to all complex multiple incidents; (2)
activation of MAC Group as may be appropriate.
Responsibility: Agency Administrators within Geographic
Areas.
I. Management Direction/Consideration. Geographic Areas provide
NICC with fire priorities and other pertinent information
at 0300 and 1700 daily.
Responsibility: Agency Administrator's within Geographic
Areas.
J. Management Direction/Consideration: Implement Military
Training Plan. Assemble Training Cadre for training
Military.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group Coordinator.
K. Management Direction/Consideration: OAS and FS Aviation
contract, award, and inspect additional CWN Type I and Type
II helicopters.
Responsibility: National Aviation Officer. FS and Director,
OAS.
Preparedness Level V:
Description: Several Geographic Areas are experiencing major
incidents which have the potential to exhaust all Agency Fire
Resources. 625 crews committed nationally.
A. Management Direction/Consideration: Continue with Planning
Level IV activities.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group Coordinator.
B. Management Direction/Consideration: Request Canadian Liaison
for NIFC MAC Group.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group Coordinator.
C. Management Direction/Consideration: Add Coordinator position
at NICC to coordinate Military mobilizations.
Responsibility: NIFC MAC Group Coordinator.
D. Management Direction/Consideration: Curtail ail new
Management Ignited Prescribed Fires.
Responsibility: Agency Administrators within Geographic
Areas.
E. Management Direction/Consideration: Prepare Geographic Area
evaluation/assessment of current and projected fire
situation when requested by the NIFC MAC Group.
Responsibility: Geographic Area MAC Groups.
F. Management Direction/Consideration: When requested by the
NIFC MAC Group, make available and incorporate project
equipment into the NFES Fire Cache System.
Responsibility: Geographic Area MAC Groups.
Preparedness Level V to IV:
Description: There are no resource shortages or competition for
resources. Fifty rested crews are available for new fires. No
Red Flag conditions forecasted for the next 24 hours and
favorable weather conditions are forecast for the upcoming 3 to
5 day period.
Preparedness Level IV to III:
Description: Significant demobilization is occurring. Fifty plus
crews are being released daily and sent to home units. One
hundred rested crews are available for now fires. All Military
resources have been released. No Red Flag conditions are
forecasted for the next 24 hours and higher humidities and lower
temperatures are forecast for the major fire areas.
Preparedness Level III to II:
Description: All large fires are contained. Initial attack
resources are again available. Geographic Area crew availability
is at or above the 50% level. No Red Flag conditions are
forecast for the next 24 hours and large fire areas are expected
to receive wetting showers with associated higher humidities and
lower temperatures.