Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group
Operations Working Team (OWT)
March 20, 2014
Operations Working Team: Joe Krish (BLM), John Szulc (BIA), Brian Gales (USFWS), Ted Pierce, (NWCC Coordination Center), Carla Schamber (USFS, Facilitator)
Via conference call: Karen Swearingen (ODF), Larry Nickey (NPS), Liz Smith (WADNR), Randy Johnson (WA Fire Service)
Absent: John Ketchum (OR Fire Marshall’s), Robert Madden (OR Fire Service), Steve Rawlings (USFS),
Guests: Bobbie Scopa SORO, Allison Richards (fuels tech on Willamette NF, shadowing Bobbie FOR THE WEEK)
Agenda Items:
2013 Accomplishments
S520 Success and results
IMT Meetings next month
EIM discussion
Yarnell site Visit (Joe)
Type 1/OR rotation
PNWCG recap of 3/19 meetings
Round Robin
2013 Accomplishment Report – Joe covered what he sent to steering committee. Topics covered: successional planning, EIM, draft response to NWCG for EIM, S520 selection and mentoring process, coordinated activities with other team GEO boards, incorporated a lot the accomplishments that safety had worked on over the years
Action Item: Joe will share the document sent to Steering with the OWT.
S520 – Class held two weeks ago. Nominated PSC- Scott Koehler, LSC- Steve Bigbee, PIO- Kristen Allison, OSC-Cody Rohrbach, OSC- Kyle Cannon, IC- Brian Goff , PIO- Tom Hudson. Not all people sent to S520 passed and some passed conditionally (need to get task book signed off). People who did not pass have been notified and supervisors have been contacted.
Action Item: In past, non-successful personnel have been contacted by their agencies OWT rep and have discussed how we can make them successful if they wish to pursue again or not try to attempt.
Type 1 and OR IMT rotation schedule – Schedule is set and out. WA rotation is on the WA FTP site, as well as NWCG web Site.
IMT Team Meeting – At present all OWT members are planning to be at team meeting. Joe to work on OWT agenda. Tuesday April 14 GEO boards and ICs meet at 0730 to 1030, this includes OWT meeting. Team meeting April 15-16. PNWCG Operations in afternoon on Weds. April 16. Incident Business will be on afternoon on 16 and all day 17th.
EIM update – Bobbie updated OWT. Currently appears there is support to put a pause on the EIM process as it is further analyzed to make sure the prescription we are given meets the needs. The OWT draft response for EIM was discussed and needs to be finalized.
Action Item: Rawlings sent out a draft of OWT response to EIM (after comments from several OWT members). OWT to take one last look and send comments to Rawlings. Just about ready to forward.
PWNCG Steering Update of 3/19 – Bobbie briefed OWT on the meeting. Continue moving towards one GEO board. Will finish out this season as is, then move next season to one GEO board. Make up of single GEO board will probably be 13 people serving on board. Membership will be finalized at next PNWCG meeting.
Transformation of PNWCG and working teams: PNWCG Steering will just be called PNWCG, sub-committees were discussed and their liaisons and how they will work. Discussed NWCG oversight. Task groups can be put together for a finite time period to deal with a specific topic. When completed they would be disbanded. Smaller agencies can utilize a proxy concept with another agency to represent them if they do not have enough personnel to serve on each committee. Discussion as we come to one GEO board, still need to have further discussions how day to day management will occur.
There will be a virtual staff ride of South Canyon at the Fairgrounds in Prineville on Tuesday May 6 for agency administrators and again on May 9 for Captains, during the FALT meeting. All agencies welcome.
IC Council Meeting – Meeting held 3/18-19. Good paper on Manashtash Fire was presented by Kurt Ranta and Brian Gales on lessons learned on time sensitive and deliberate risk analysis processes, verses values at risk identified by agency. Good meeting and good agenda for all agencies that attended.
Big push for all SEAT aircraft to become a national resource.
New chair of IC committee will be Bob Albee with vice-chair is Bob Sheldon.
Yarnell Site Visit – Joe discussed a Yarnell site visit he attended while at a BLM meeting in Arizona.
Agency updates –
USFS- Finishing up large fire program review. Interviewed IC’s and members of C&G for Vinegar and Whiskey fire over last couple of months and forwarded to NIMO team leader for lessons learned report. FS PR budget is up nationally. Region may be up around $1.8 million. PR and HF budgets bumped up in field. Staffing should stay the same but reduce the risk in P code saving.
BLM – discussion of fuel transport cans (current ones don’t work and manufacturers don’t seem interested in making a forestry type can to meet DOT regs). Discussion of making as a cache item medevac extraction kits. Ordering of fire supplies for restocking go through Defense Logistics and not GSA starting in May. April 8-9 fire operations supervisors meeting.
NPS – working on agreements, waiting on final budgets in field and will be close to 2012 levels.
BIA- Had spring FMO meeting last week, with good representation from Tribes and National Office. Budget at about 2012 level with a little additional fuels money. 2015 budget showing $30 million preparedness and significant increase for work on reservations and trust lands. May have effect for partners. Corey is retiring and cert is in regional office.
ODF – Working on agreements, updating current agreements, routine seasonal preparedness.
WA DNR – working on agreements, getting team information into ROSS, finishing up two reviews and completing National Fire Report.
USFWS – Pam Ensley is retiring around June. Looking forward to second season working with CWICC. Budget -region went up about 10%, 2015 service as a whole will be down 25-50% in fuels.
WA Fire Service – No report due to having to leave meeting early
OR Fire Service – No report due to rep unable to attend meeting
NWCC – mostly working on topics covered today and finalizing mob guide.
OWT 2014 program of work – Status:
S520/620
Incident within Incident follow up – continue to monitor
Type 1 Team IC – Recommendations forwarded to steering for 2014.
Alaska Share Task Order 1009-04 – monitor use for 2014 season. Adjust process as needed.
Re-advertise for the national teams – in the fall – coordinate with OR and WA GEO boards- Work with single GEO board to get set up.
OWT member to mobilize with Type 1 team
Review Best Value Determination for Crew Contract 2015
Joe Krish to send Jim Edmonds notes from PNWCG OWT for 2014 to be posted on PNWCG website – delete out team members PII below in contact list
Agenda items for next meeting:
TBA
Upcoming meetings of interest:
April 14 GEO board, April 15-16 Team Meeting, PNWCG OWT April 16, April 16-17 Incident Business group
May 6-8 agency administrator preseason meeting/Staff Ride Prineville
OWT Liaisons to other PNWCG working teams
Training WT – John Szulc
Contract WT – Albert Kassel/Liz Smith
Aviation WT – Larry Nickey
Health and Safety WT – Brian Gales
OWT Schedule for 2014 (0900-1530 approximate times) at Gifford Pinchot NF Supervisors Office unless otherwise noted:
PNWCG OWT 2014 meeting schedule
January 16 – complete program of work
February 18 -
February 19-20 PNWCG Steering Lloyd Center (Bob and Joe only)
March 20-21 (21st only if needed)
April 16 – Yakima afternoon after Team meeting
May 15
June 19
September 18
October 16
November 20 tentative with IC fall council meeting
OPERATIONS WORKING TEAM MEMBER ADDRESSES
2014 Operations Working Team (OWT) member contact numbers and email addresses (Names listed in order of which agency is next chairperson).
Joe Krish– BLM representative (Chairperson)
Liz Smith – DNR representative (Vice Chairperson)
Brian Gales – USFWS representative
Karen Swearingen – ODF representative
Steve Rawlings – USFS representative
Randy Johnson – WA Fire Service representative
Larry Nickey – NPS representative
John Szulc – BIA representative
Robert Madden - OR Fire Service representative
John Ketchum – Ad Hoc member
Bobbie Scopa – PNWCG Operations Liaison
Carla Schamber – Facilitator
Ted Pierce – Dispatch Rep.