INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM BRIEFING PAPER
PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTERAGENCY ENGINE/TENDER AGREEMENT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Briefing Paper is to provide an abbreviated reference highlighting the requirements of the Pacific
Northwest (PNW) Interagency Engine/Tender Agreement for IMTs who order and receive these PNW resources on their incidents.
The complete 2004 Pacific Northwest Interagency Agreement is posted at the following web site:
www.fs.fed.us/r6/ppm/fire_procurement.html
IMPORTANT NOTE:
WHEN ORDERING OR RECEIVING PNW INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT RESOURCES ON YOUR INCIDENT, DETERMINE
THE NEED FOR AN INTERAGENCY CONTRACT REPRESENTATIVE (IACR) TO ASSIST IN ADMINISTRATION OF THE
AGREEMENTS.
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IF YOUR INCIDENT HAS MULTIPLE PNW AGREEMENT RESOURCES IT IS RECOMMENDED YOU HAVE ONE
OR MORE PNW IACR’S.
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AN IACR CAN BE ORDERED THROUGH ANY DISPATCH CENTER IN THE PNW GEOGRAPHIC AREA. USE
NORMAL ORDERING PROCEDURES.
Subjects are listed alphabetically.
Accidents (C-5.8)
- Contractor’s insurance must cover all accidents of its employees.
- When contractor employees are injured on the incident, government will provide first aid.
- In life threatening injuries, first aid will be given and additional treatment will be charged to contractor.
- Government at contractor’s expense may evacuate crewmembers injured on fire line.
- If crewmember is in camp with an illness or injury and requires transport for treatment, contractor is responsible for cost.
- ENGB must have supply of insurance forms, insurance identification card, etc. These should accompany crewmember
for treatment.
Cleaning for Noxious Weeds (C-5.4)
- Contractor vehicles required to be cleaned to remove noxious weed seeds according to incident instructions.
- Time spent cleaning vehicles is on-shift.
- Cleaning facilities will normally be provided by government. Where commercial facilities are required, government will
reimburse contractor for cost based on written receipts.
Contractor Furnished Services (C-6, 7)
- Contractor required equipment for Engines/Tenders is listed on the Incident Inspection Forms. Additional equipment
specifications are provided in C-6 and C-7.
Dispatching (C-3.1)
- Travel To/From Incident and Between Incidents
 Travel time via ground transportation will be calculated by dividing travel distance by average speed of 45 mph,
plus applicable rest time (see Driver Limitations in 2.7 of the agreement).
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Arrival at Incident
 At check-in at incident, Contractor shall provide copy of Resource Order, Manifest, and Award Summary
Sheet.
 Contractor shall also carry a copy of the complete Agreement.
 Contractor shall maintain current manifest of personnel with Finance section at all times.
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Drugs/Alcohol Free Workplace and Firearms Prohibition (C-5.9)
- Manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of controlled substances and alcohol are prohibited.
- Possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons is prohibited at all times during performance under this agreement.
Dangerous weapon does not include pocketknife with blade less than 2½ inches in length or a multi-purpose tool.
English Speaking Requirement (C-5.6)
- Each engine boss and tender operator shall be able to fluently communicate in English and language of the crew, and
read and communicate the IAP, safety alerts, etc.
- All radio communications on government frequencies shall be in English.
General Requirements (C-5)
- Vehicles must be licensed and registered with the Oregon or Washington State Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Operator must have proper driver’s license (see 5.1 of the agreement).
- Vehicle standards and mechanical condition requirements listed in 5.2, and 5.3 of the agreement.
Harassment-Free/Violence Free Workplace Policy (C-5.10)
- National Forest Service policy applies to contractor personnel. (see Appendix L)
Identification of Personnel (C-5.5)
- Every crewmember must carry a current Incident Qualification Card (IQC) and a state or federal photo identification card
such as driver’s license, passport, state identification card, etc.
- Colored dots must be placed on IQC to identify seasons of experience (yellow—less than 1 season, red—over 1 season,
blue—supervisory person)
- Use the evaluation process and form found in the Agreements. (Appendix I)
Incident Inspection (C-4.2)
- Equipment should be inspected on arrival at incident.
- If equipment fails inspection, it may be rejected (no travel time will be paid) or placed off shift until deficiencies are
corrected (within 24 hours), and it may be subject to first release from incident.
- If deficiencies are not corrected within 24 hours, point of hire and point of release will be the incident and no travel time
to and from incident will be paid.
- Government may elect to hire non-compliant equipment under local EERA using current Emergency Equipment Rental
Rates.
Laundry (C-5.7)
- When laundry services are established in fire camp, the contractor may use the service at no cost.
- When no laundry services are established, contractor must provide this service and cover cost.
Maintenance, Fueling, and Repair (C-9)
- Contractor is responsible for all maintenance, fueling, and repair.
- If fuel and oil are acquired from the government, cost will be deducted from the payment to contractor.
- Equipment that is in an unsafe or inoperable condition or the operator is not available for all or portions of an operational
period will not accrue further payment. Payment will be based on percentage of the operational period actually worked.
(See C-10, Measurement and Payment).
- Repair of equipment or replacement shall be within 24 hours.
- Government may elect to make such repairs when necessary to keep equipment operating. If government makes repair,
cost will be deducted from payment to contractor.
- Inoperable vehicles will be towed at contractor’s expense.
- After it’s accepted, equipment that cannot be repaired or replaced within 24 hours may be considered withdrawn by the
contractor and the government will pay return travel time to the point of hire
Marking of Durable Equipment (C-5.16)
- All hoses, nozzles, and gated wyes shall be stamped or engraved with contractors identifying marks.
- Hose brass or metal ends shall be painted.
- Contractor will maintain and be able to provide a list of all equipment that is carried on the engine/tender.
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Measurement and Payment (C-10)
- Rates of Payment
 Rates include all operator expenses.
 Payment will be at a daily rate for a calendar day (0001 to 2400 hours).
 If equipment is under hire less than 8 hours, payment will be 50 percent of daily rate.
 Equipment may be ordered and dispatched single shift (SS) or double shift (DS).
o single shift will have 1 crew as described in Staffing requirements, C-1.5 above.
o double shift will have 2 crews that meet Staffing requirements described in C-1.5 above.
o a double shift is two 12-hour shifts in a 24-hour period.
o shift basis may be changed, if needed, by written order of a section chief.
 When equipment is double shifted during any calendar day it is under hire, the double shift rate will apply.
 When equipment is double shifted, contractor may be required to make shift changes on the fire line at no cost
to the government.
 If contractor withdraws equipment and/or crew, or if it is released for cause, no further payment will accrue and
contractor will bear all costs of returning equipment and/or crew to point of hire.
 Equipment that is in an unsafe or inoperable condition or the operator is not available for all or portions of an
operational period will not accrue further payment. Payment will be based on percentage of the operational
period actually worked. Engine bosses and tender operators are required to attend shift briefings.
 No additional payment will be made for costs of equipment support, shift briefings, transportation of second
crew to and from fire line for shift change, camp check out, or invoice reconciliation.
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Severity
 Rate will be 75 percent of daily rate.
 Length of shift will be 10 hours or less including travel and lunch breaks.
 Shifts exceeding 10 hours will be paid at the daily rate.
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No fire camp
 where no fire camp is available, government will furnish subsistence or provide additional payment of:
* $50 per calendar day per crew member if under hire for 8 hours or more, or
*$25 per calendar day per crewmember if under hire for less than 8 hours
 during mobilization, reassignment, and associated travel, the government may, at its discretion, provide food to
contractor personnel at no charge.
Performance/Remedies (C-5.17)
- Contractor is responsible for satisfactory performance and behavior of crew.
- Violations of agreement must be documented. Adequate documentation of performance as required in 1.4 and 4.2b of
the Agreement is crucial for enforcing remedies.
- When documented violations of agreement occur, Contractor’s equipment and crew may be demobilized from shift or
incident. No payment will accrue including travel time to home unit if released from an incident for cause.
Personal Protective Equipment (C-8)
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Contractor’s employees are required to have and wear the standard PPE and clothing upon arrival and while performing
work on the incident.
There will be no exchange of clothing at the incident. Government may loan PPE and clothing.
Contractor is responsible for determining and providing personal protective clothing needs in excess of minimum
requirements
Programmable Radios (C-5.12)
 1 programmable radio with programming cables per engine and tender is required
 Must be Bendix King or Kenwood capable of communicating in 150 to 174 MHZ range.
 Frequency will be installed by agency at incident and will be removed prior to demob.
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Scope of Work (C-1)
- Provides NWCG compliant type 4-7 Wildland engines and type 2-3 water tenders for severity, initial attack, suppression
and mop-up.
- Contractor provides all services, supervision, equipment, supplies, transportation, and trained personnel to meet
specifications.
- To insure continued safe, efficient service at the incident, the Government may loan accountable and durable property
and consumable goods. The cost of consumable goods will be deducted from payment (except batteries and plastic
canteens may be provided at no cost to contractor).
- Upon completion of assignment at an incident, all accountable and durable property shall be returned to the Government.
Permanent replacement or exchange of accountable or durable Government property is prohibited (including fire
resistant clothing).
- Foam will either be replaced or reimbursed at actual cost to contractor
- The Contractor’s performance will be based on the Fire Crew Performance Rating, ICS-224, which should be completed
at the incident. 1 copy will be given to the contractor, 1 copy will be retained in incident records, and 1 copy will be
mailed to Attn: AQM-Contracting Officer, USFS, P.O. Box 3623, Portland, OR 97208.
- Failure to perform duties listed in Position Task Book will be cause for immediate release from an incident.
Staffing (C-1.5)
- Equipment may be ordered for single shifts or double shifts. For each shift ordered, contractor will furnish the following:
 Type 4 and 5 engines will have 1 Single Resource Boss (ENGB) and 2 crew persons.
 Type 6 and 7 engines will have 1 Single Resource Boss (ENGB) and 1 crew person.
 Water tenders will have 1 water tender operator (WTOP).
 More or less staffing may be ordered. If more or less staffing is ordered, $250 per person per shift will be added
or deducted accordingly.
- All personnel under this agreement shall be a minimum of 18 years of age.
Subsistence (C-5.13)
- Lodging
 Contractor is responsible for providing lodging for its employees unless directed by government to a designated
facility.
- Food and water
 Contractor is responsible for providing food and water from point of hire through first shift.
 Government will furnish food and water after first shift if the personnel are not released or they are required to
stay in fire camp.
 When contract personnel are allowed to return home during off shift time, subsistence will not be provided.
- No fire camp
 Where no fire camp is available, government will furnish subsistence or provide additional payment. (E/T - C10)
During mobilization, reassignment, and associated travel, the government may, at its discretion, provide food to contractor
personnel at no charge.
Timekeeping (C-5.15)
- Time will be recorded by the government employee responsible for directing the use of each piece of equipment.
- Time will be submitted daily.
Contractor’s representative is required to sign Emergency Equipment Use Invoice at demob time.
Training Requirements (C-2)
Personnel Qualifications (C-2.1)
- For this Agreement Four (4) positions are recognized: Single Resource Boss - Engine (ENGB), Advanced
Firefighter/Squad Boss (FFT-1), Firefighter Type 2 (FFT-2), and Water Tender Operator (WTOP).
- All contract personnel under this agreement must meet or exceed the training and experience requirements as identified in
PMS 310-1 and physical fitness requirements (arduous for engine personnel and light for water tender operators) for the
positions they are expected to perform when assigned.
- Contractor trainees on incident
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Contractor may qualify no more than 1 FFT1 or 1 ENGB at a time on an incident as long as minimum ENGB
position requirements are maintained by personnel not in trainee status.
Trainees must be identified at initial check-in.
Trainee status must be clearly identified on crew manifest.
Trainee status must be clearly identified on the daily timekeeping record for each shift the employee is in
trainee status.
Contractor’s evaluator should request an incident personnel evaluation form (ICS-225) at initial check-in and
IMT should provide it.
Position task book (PTB) administration
 Contractor is responsible for administering PTBs. IMTs will not provide PTBs.
 Incident training specialist will not be involved with PTB administration for contractors except to answer
technical questions.
 Incident personnel will not sign the certification portion of the PTB.
 Contractor’s evaluator will complete a written performance rating for the trainee and provide a copy to the IMT.
IMT should place this in the incident records.
 IMT will provide contractor’s evaluator a completed Fire Crew Performance Rating that covers the trainee’s
assignment. The crew performance rating needs to identify the phase of the fire covered by the rating, i.e. hot
line construction, mop-up, etc.
Vehicle Identification (C-5.14)
- Vehicle must have external identification on front driver side and passenger side doors that includes, as a minimum, the
contractor’s business name. See 5.12 of agreement for additional requirements.
Work/Rest (C-2.7 & C-5.11)
- Contractor & IMT must ensure minimum of 2:1 work to rest ratio. IC must monitor compliance.
- All shifts exceeding 16 hours must be approved in advance by the Agency Administrator or their designee.
- Driver limitations when driving to and from an assignment.
 A single driver shall not exceed 10 hours driving time in a 15-hour duty day with 8 consecutive hours off duty
between shifts.
 Multiple drivers shall not exceed 15 hours in a 15-hour duty day.
- Computing the 2:1 work to rest ratio.
 Work is all time spent on shift including meal breaks, both compensable and non-compensable, and all
individual rest breaks less than 1½ hours.
 Rest is all time off shift and any individual rest breaks 1½ hours or longer.
- Rest and Recuperation
 IC can determine need for rest and recuperation.
 On days off, when contract personnel are directed to use authorized facilities, government will provide food and
lodging.
 On days off, when contract personnel are required to stay under government control, contractor will be
compensated at the established rate(s). (E/T - C-10.2 ) (Crew – Minimum Guarantee).
- Length of Commitment
 Government’s options to ensure compliance.
o Request contractor to provide replacement personnel, or
o Release the resource after 14 days on incident, or
o Retain the resource under hire but leave off shift (R&R) to allow proper rest. Compensation will be at the
established rate(s).
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