Interagency Standards for
Fire and Fire Aviation
Operations
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
National Park Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
2010
January 2010
NFES 2724
Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations
January 2010
NFES 2724
Produced by the Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations Task Group, National Interagency Fire Center, Boise, ID.
This document is posted at http://www.nifc.gov/policies/guides.htm
Published copies of this document may be ordered from the National Interagency Fire Center, Great Basin Cache Supply Office, Boise, Idaho 83705-5354. Consult the current NWCG National Fire Equipment System Catalog Part 2: Publications for current prices and ordering procedures posted at http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/pubs.htm
Chapter-01 Federal Fire Program Policy and Guidance Overview
Chapter-02 BLM Program Organization and Responsibilities
Chapter-03 NPS Program Organization and Responsibilities
Chapter-04 FWS Program Organization and Responsibilities
Chapter-05 FS Program Organization and Responsibilities
Chapter-06 Left Intentionally Blank
Chapter-07 Safety
Chapter-08 Interagency Coordination and Cooperation
Chapter-09 Planning
Chapter-10 Preparedness
Chapter-11 Incident Management
Chapter-12 Suppression Chemicals and Delivery Systems
Chapter-13 Firefighting Training and Qualifications
Chapter-14 Firefighting Equipment
Chapter-15 Communications
Chapter-16 Aviation Operations/Resources
Chapter-17 Prescribed Fire
Chapter-18 Reviews and Investigations
Risk Management Process
Step 1 Situation Awareness
Gather Information
o Objective(s) o Previous Fire Behavior
o Communication o Weather Forecast
o Who’s in Charge o Local Factors
Scout the Fire
Step 2 Hazard Assessment
Estimate Potential Fire Behavior Hazards
o Look up/Down/Around Indicators
Identify Tactical Hazards
o Watch Outs
What other safety hazards exist?
Consider severity vs. probability?
Step 3 Hazard Control
Fire Orders à LCES Checklist – MANDATORY
o Anchor Point
o Downhill Checklist (if applicable)
What other controls are necessary?
Step 4 Decision Point
Are controls in place for identified hazards?
NO - Reassess situation YES - Next question
Are selected tactics based on expected fire behavior?
NO - Reassess situation YES - Next question
Have instructions been given and understood?
NO - Reassess situation YES - Initiate action
Step 5 Evaluate
Personnel: Low experience level with local factors?
Distracted from primary tasks?
Fatigue or stress reaction?
Hazardous attitude?
The Situation: What is changing?
Are strategy and tactics working?
Standard Firefighting Orders
· Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
· Know what your fire is doing at all times.
· Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire.
· Identify escape routes and safety zones and make them known.
· Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
· Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
· Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor and adjoining forces.
· Give clear instructions and insure they are understood.
· Maintain control of your forces at all times.
· Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.
Watch out Situations
· Fire not scouted and sized up.
· In country not seen in daylight.
· Safety zones and escape routes not identified.
· Unfamiliar with weather and local factors influencing fire behavior.
· Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.
· Instructions and assignments not clear.
· No communication link with crew members/supervisor.
· Constructing fireline without safe anchor point.
· Building fireline downhill with fire below.
· Attempting frontal assault on fire.
· Unburned fuel between you and fire.
· Cannot see main fire, not in contact with anyone who can.
· On a hillside where rolling material can ignite fuel below.
· Weather is getting hotter and drier.
· Wind increases and/or changes direction.
· Getting frequent spot fires across line.
· Terrain and fuels make escape to safety zones difficult.
· Taking nap near fireline.