2012 Spring Center Manager Meeting
Vancouver, Washington
Tuesday April 03, 2012
Moderator:
Steve Arasim
Housekeeping Items
Introductions
Called to order at 0758 – Emergency Evacuation Route is to field south of parking lot
Restrooms and refreshments
Name tags-visitor badges
Intros
In Attendance:
Kurt Ranta – PISCC
Amy Davis -- CCC
Kathi May – NWC
Donna Snyder—UPC
Gary Moberly– MICC
Sherry Kessel – EICC
Coral Tily – EICC
Lynn Adams – Hanford
Jeannie Abott – DNR
Katie McConnell – BICC
Karen Hale – CCC
Renae Crippen – BMC
Jerry Garrett – BMC
Dan O’Brien – NWC
Brant Stanger – CWC
Jim Duck – CWC
Mark Hayes – CWC
Isaiah Hirschfield – NWCC
Bret Amick – VAC
George Smith – VAC
Kristi Cutler – KFC
John Saltenberger – NWCC
April Marchand – COA
Mike Leach – LCF
Theresa Youmans – JDIDC
Elwood Stout – JDIDC
Belinda Boston – ORC
Veronica Nee – COA
Lynn Kenworthy – NEWICC
Rette Bidstrup – NEWICC
Valerie Reed – COIDC
Jada Altman – COIDC
Carla King – BICC
On phone:
Becky Monroe – ROC
Roberta Runge – CVC
Laurie Bartel – UPC
Regina Shepherd
Notes:
Angie Bogut
Renae:
 Thanks for being here.
 We have good speakers coming in and leadership and conflict resolution training.
 Take risks; be honest about where we want this group to go.
 It’s our future – we need a voice in where we want to go
 We need to lead in change in our future
 We need honest communications
 There will be difficult communications to happen in next few years
 Excited about this group
 You’re here because you’re leaders.
Opening Comments
Dan O’Brien:
 In times with travel caps, hiring challenges… colors our priorities.
 Change – our agenda today is based on your agenda.
Dan O’Brien
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We are meeting as an advisory committee to PNWCG
Delivered a landmark proposal
Gone from a non-chartered group to delivering a proposal, that’s progress.
2 years ago, I had no knowledge of dispatch. Thanks for helping me to understand
relationships, reached out to various different groups –
Proud of progress and feel more effective as a center manager and leader.
I need to know customers’ business so we can respond better.
Would like to make leadership a theme for this meeting – ultimately, leadership is about taking
risk and inspiring people to be better or change direction from where they are.
We must connect with people to be effective.
Need to use our beliefs and values to get us to the place we need and want to go – a vehicle
for change.
Last year I asked you to share values, this time I want you to listen to values that my not be
your own. In 2012 take risks, accept change.
Serve by leading, lead by tapping commonalities.
Empower your staff… and bosses … to be better leaders.
Be proud you’re here
Challenge yourselves
Thanks for coming.
2012 Fire Season Forecast
John Saltenberger
Isaiah Hirschfield
Isaiah Herschfield-Predictive Services- Intelligence officer NWCC:
Fire reporting:
Situation 209 being redesigned – some trepidation, but should have nice product in the end.
 Should be getting better user face, added some checks and balances to enhance data quality.
 Can pull in incidents in WFDDS, incorporating NIMS 209, will be fields you will not be used to
seeing.
 Sit Report portion – Resource Reporting Block – this is going away, had not been consistent
reporting. Shared Resources tool should cover that element RRB being gone. FAMTEST –
you can look at it – not a full version, but can see what it looks like.
 Reporting – chart (in PowerPoint) illustrating when an ICS-209 needs to be done. Chart
available through predictive services intelligence page and in National Mobilization Guide.
 In fires managed for multiple objectives – how to report? NWC –would like to see a 209 to
reflect total acres.
 When do we stop updating 209? Out? Controlled? Contained?
 At what point do we do a 209 – if fire will be alive on the landscape for more than 72 hrs,
need a 209.
o If full suppression, is out, then no 209.
o Can be an initial and final 209 on the same 209…
 Submit by 2100 our time – allows NICC to compile reports.
o In typical day, submitting by 1800 local time – allows intelligence shop to review and
clarify before pulled in by NICC.
 Continue to submit 209s until containment—NWC requirement.
 RESOURCE REPORTING ON THE 209 IS STILL THERE.
New for 2012:
Terminology change
 last year there were 3 options, this year there are 4 options
o Full Supp, Point Zone Protection, Monitor, confine.
Follow-up Action Item:
*Isaiah is going check on whether you can select more than one option at a time
Activity and Resource Reporting Page:
 Hoping to better capture Resources avail in units in NW
 Intent of sit report in general is to capture activity of fire on the landscape.
Discussion:
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Are we reporting ODF Resources on Sit 209? Supposed to? Need clarification for the field.
o ODF and DNR fires seem to be a point of confusion for under/over reporting.
o Intent is that they’re all getting reported. Threshold in Salem is 10 ac or larger. This
does not reflect all fires, misses reporting a great number of incidents.
o Must have access to both DNR and federal computers in order to report complete
information.
o Some double reporting happens as well.
o Should be reporting if in an interagency center.
Critical factor is accurate and complete reporting to best reflect current situation and
resources available.
John Saltenberger: Predictive Services:
Review of 7 day predictive products – what it is, what it isn’t
 National Fire Plan – brought about Predictive Services Program
 Looking from a regional and national level to paint a picture of current and potential fire
danger.
 ‘Weave together information for most complete picture possible of significant fire potential, or
the likelihood of a fire event necessitating resources from outside the area of origination.
 Costly fire events generally happen in groups, or high risk patterns. How to divide geographic
areas?
o Statistically key 73 stations for broad scale fire potential rating.
o 73 key stations clustered into 12 climatic rating zones.
o Daily, looking at key stations, NFDRS, 100hr Dead Fuel Moisture, ERC most
representative – based on Fuel Model G.
o Information from key stations all compiled and plotted on grid, and focus on instances of
fires that went larger.
o Weather contributions? Haines, Foehn, cold fronts, unstable air masses.
Ignitions: Human vs. nature.
 Only 7% of thunderstorm outbreaks result in large growth fires, 2-3% on West side
2012 Season Predictions:
 March – below average temperatures and above average rain and snow fall is making up for
deficits earlier in the year.
o SE Oregon still reporting snow deficits.
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Continued cool likely on the west side, wet in NW OR and WA. No strong signal as to weather
for rest of spring through June.
La Nina over, coming back to normal temps, possibly El Nino?
Final Thoughts:
Probably status quo, fire season may be a couple weeks late.
Task Group-Share Resource Report
Jeannie Abbott
Discussion:
Goal was to effectively capture shared resources in NW with reduced redundancy, in most effective
manner. May have come up with a good tool to reflect this in the ‘NW Area Fire Activity & Resource
Status Report’
 Google doc – includes ‘instructions’ link.
 Timely and thorough reporting will be the key to this tool working.
 Not currently password protected, could do that in the future but dispatch would need a Google
acct and then be granted access.
 If you experience technical difficulty, let Isaiah know.
 When reporting, use zero for no activity, blank = no report.
 Each day will have a blank sheet with current date, can still reference previous day’s data
sheet.
 Google doc. is the actual master document – you can ‘download as’ and use in any number of
formats. Saves every 3 seconds…not much danger of ‘undoing’ information previously added.
Availability – available, unavailable or committed.
If resource information is reported on a 209, is it necessary to report the same information in the
Google doc? Do you report crews that are currently hosting or only what you own?
Location where resource is currently assigned is the unit that shows that resource’s status. If a
resource leaves your unit, you no longer report its availability.
If the information is reported on a 209, do not report on the Google doc.
IHCs – only resource to be shown as ‘unavailable’ (not aircraft as determined previously by group)
Statusing options: Nationally Available, Locally Available, Committed or Unavailable
When we start using the Google doc as standard reporting, it will be daily. Start date will be
determined by NWCC. Will start using Google Doc as standard reporting on May 1 st, 2012, reporting
will be done daily.
Decisions:
Google doc
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Location where resource is currently assigned is the unit that shows that resource’s
status. If a resource leaves your unit, you no longer report its availability.
If the information is reported on a 209, do not report on the Google doc.
Rappellers and Smokejumpers – show Available and Committed columns only
Will start using Google Doc for standard reporting on May 1st, 2012. Reporting will be
done daily.
State of OR ODF Dispatcher meeting (April 9th-13th) will be next week and they will
determine if they will use the Google doc.
Task Group- Resource Mobilization
Valerie Reed
Valerie developed R-6 Agreement Resource Ordering Guide.
Discussion:
Is it valuable? Additions? This is a handout for people who come to Valerie’s center.
Buses and Dozers
I-Team going away
Would like to see something about rental cars
INTENT: Providing incident teams a general protocol for ordering managers or LOGS chief
Dan O’Brien – thanks to Valerie for her initiative in developing a tool people find useful.
Isaiah -- Naming Conventions are critical when using ROSS Reporting
Follow-up Action Item:
Will do further checking with dispatch advisory council regarding re-tasking of mobilizing
resources
Task Group-Critical Incident Support
Dispatch Team Member Selection Process
Katie McConnell
Katie McConnell
Discussion:
Dispatch Teams
In the event of an emergency that needs to be dealt with by a dispatch center.
 For both critical incidents and workload overload
 Flexible -- may be available just to get you up and running, others may be able to stay through
the duration
 Teams will be ordered individually by position.
 For in NW Area only
Dispatch Emergency Response Plans
Renae Crippen
Remembering Andy Palmer (PowerPoint Presentation)
Medical Emergency Response Plans
 NWCG provided direction –Standardized Medical Emergency Procedure for Incident
Management
 Lessons Learned inserts for IRPG
 Incident Communication Center Protocol Standard Elements – would like to see this be the
new standard for emergency reporting from the field.
 Need to be responding this way with Type 3, 4 and 5 Incidents
 Dispatchers need to understand -- is it life-threatening, serious, urgent, routine? Be sure we
understand the nature of the injury.
 Document any changes in the on-scene commander or medical personnel as they occur.
 Create a communication tree so everybody knows who they are responsible to contact.
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Be sure we understand burn injury Criteria and Accredited Treatment Centers – you will have
many who do not understand this…dispatchers must.
 Need to create a standard response for the shared resources travelling throughout the state
 Need an Emergency Response Plan and be ready for an emergency medical situation.
Discussion:
 Be sure your people in the field have color copies of the 9-line – This has been an issue in the
past
 How do we mesh this with our current systems? The non-fire personnel have just created a
Critical Incident Plan, how do we incorporate?
 Some have involved Forest Safety personnel from the beginning of creating their Emergency
Response Plans, this has proven helpful.
 Some have laminated Medical Emergency Reporting Cards that are reviewed every year and
part of the plan.
 Nasty Fire (Willamette NF Incident - Rappellers) – there were a lot of conversations that
happened before personnel were put in to the Nasty Fire – a large reason for success in that
incident was because there was a plan in place and posted on the wall in case a medical
emergency happened. It was followed and it was successful. Preparation was key.
 When an IMT comes in you can hand them your plan, complete with critical phone numbers
and locations – everyone is on the same page.
 EMS Aircraft has a lot of limitations – know the limitations and do the leg work before
emergency happens
 Contingency plans are critical and may be what saves a life.
 Faxing air to ground frequencies to local medivac personnel
 Keeps operations personnel in the loop so they’ll know how to deal with these incidents and
they’ll know how the centers will deal with them
 Simulations can reveal capabilities and limitations and help prepare plans that will work in an
interagency setting so as not to duplicate efforts – dispatch will be the conduit for all the
information in the event of a non-fire situation and we need to be prepared for that.
Follow-up Action Items:
Please share plans if your unit has one in place.
Be sure your people in the field have color copies of the 9-line
Interagency Dispatch Optimization
Pilot Project (Southwest GACC)
Interagency Optimization -- two pilot programs
SW Rep
Kenan Jaycox (Southwest Coordination Center-Center Manager) on phone:
Dispatch Optimization in the Southwest
 7 centers in AZ
 5 centers in NM
 Had one center that was overlapping 6 other centers
 Budgets are dictating the need for efficiency and consolidations – sub task committee made up
of state and federal, who reported to agency directors
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Data call that is allowing for an analysis of workload, resource, cost, etc., allowing for ranking
by complexity.
 Phase 1 – potential to dissolve 4 dispatch centers -- end result – end of 2012 6 centers in AZ
and 4 centers in NM
 Phase 2 & 3 – Three centers in each state.
o Going to require new centers to accommodate.
o Safety factors to consider as well…
 Currently ½ way into phase 1
Questions?
 Santa Fe and Taos – how long will it take to consolidate and what will it look like?
o 2012 is planning stage
 State involved?
o Yes interagency.
 Stress level and morale with the change?
o A lot of anxiety, the unknown, better over time…nobody is losing their job tomorrow –
possibility for attrition. 2-3 positions are going to be on the other side of town….Some
are driving same distance, just in the different direction. Overall ok. Ken was supposed
to be a voice for the dispatchers—
o Have to be open and honest, multi-year process, and involve the affected personnel.
 Assistant directors, etc. need to take it down through the Forest Sups and BLM District
Managers and garner support there and pass information down.
Susie Stingley-Russel (Operations, Northern California CC – Emergency Ops Coordinator) on phone:
 Numbers of centers for the state and actual cost of combining
o Combine workloads and get a larger footprint, building of a new center – costs diminish
over the years.
o Include LE or create new system for LE
o The larger the footprint, the less interagency it will be in nature.
24/7 Centers
List of issues that Center Managers need to address
Need to have standards out there, like IHC Guide, etc. inspections, facilities, etc. as well as operation
procedures, training procedures, etc.
Tease out what high, mod and low complexity centers look like – and decide where to go from there.
Questions:
 Are you taking on on your own?
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 Have they looked at consolidation North and South ops?
o Yes on the table – not interested in changing the current model. Decision will be made
at the Regional Forest level. Going to have to be willing parties, or mandated by
leadership.
o Out of 27 centers, only 7 are interagency with CalFire—will be interesting to see how
the budgets will shape peoples’ decisions. There is no huge cost savings at this time –
opportunity for us to build over the next decade what an ideal dispatch center should
look like.
o May cost us money to consolidate, but we’re investing in efficiency. That will have to be
stressed to management. Governance – how do we get our funding? Ability for
agencies to fluctuate? Would it be better to take the governance off the top -- then who
would we work for?
o There was an investment with the initial consolidation, but may recover that in future.
Dan – got mixed response to report that was turned in. Group wanted to be proactive and shape own
future. Only line officers have ability to decide – we created a possible framework.
Super Center Dispatch Concept Report
Dan O’Brien
Presentation on Proposal for Future NW Dispatch Organization and Service
2008 Dispatch Competitive Sourcing Study
Tiers1-4
Study was based on federal centers
System is not broken, but can we do business better?
Hosting Numerous Dispatch Centers:
 Allows for local interaction, etc. but will create competition for staff, budget and resources.
 Creates need for coordination.
 Interagency. Still follow agency protocols, but do it in an interagency setting.
 Put out scoping memo returned:
o Maintaining customer service
o Face to face connection to ground
o Risk becoming too centralized
 Looked at the geographic areas and fire activity in each.
o Concurrent workload
 3 Phases
 Would include modernizing upgrade costs, computer aided dispatching, etc.
 Propose having one point of contact for contract resources – one center only
 None of this will happen overnight – more like a decade
 Has to be willing buyers and willing sellers
 High degree of sensitivity to ongoing discussions – easy for some, difficult for others
 Some group members would have liked to have seen this before it was presented as a CMAC
Offering, members have confidence in leaders, would like to see the trust go both ways and
have transparency in what’s happening.
So what’s the next step?
 We have been asked as the subject matter experts what we would do and how it should look,
this is positive.
 This gives an opportunity to be at the center of this for the future
Wednesday April 04, 2012
Moderator:
Jada Altman
Lynn Kenworthy
Speaker: Gina Papke
ROSS Software/Program Update
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General users must change password every 60 days, no reminders
Must answer security questions -- everyone
For Microsoft Office 10 – need to use compatibility view –‘page torn in half’ in upper right hand
Will no longer change password in ROSS – NAP from now on
Admin users do not have power to reset passwords
When passwords are sent, they will reflect if for production or practice
Eventually will have on password for all through NAP
If out of the system for more than 270 days, must request new account
When requesting new account – must know the dispatch center to approve it
In password section of NAP-NESS Application Portal – can click on question mark in password
field to change password, but only if you’ve answered your security questions
 If bringing anyone in to your unit – they must be an active user – must go to NAP and answer
security questions
OIS (Organizational Information System)
 Select a structure
 OIS will replace the unit identifier database
 See org chart
ROSS Reports
Running ROSS Reports – Types of Reports
 How many Trainees sent out?
o Public Folders
o UC Resource assignment history
o Trainee Assignments by Resource Dispatch
o Clock/Calendar comes up – choose timeframe -- can go back as far as 2010
 How many Ads sent out?
o User Community
o UC User Geographic area folders
o NW
o Reports and progress
o Fill w/EFF AD and Statused ADs
 Fill with agreement
o Local Centers fill with Agreement – Query Studio
Future of ROSS
 ROSS 3.0
o Viper interface with ROSS – dispatch priority list – manual entry process
 Viper will populate in, but not State resources
 Can deviate from DPL if IA and won’t be used more than 24 hrs
 Talking about WildCad interface with ROSS, won’t be ready for 3.0
 Reference Cards coming out to help NAP, ROSS, etc.
FS Greening Fire Team
Jennifer Letz
Sustainable Ops for Deschutes and Ochoco
 Sustainable Ops for fire camps
o Fire Camps rely heavily on disposable items, etc.
o Overwhelming local landfills, etc.
o Making us appear wasteful to those communities
 Recycling Pilot program
o Trying to make it easier to reduce waste effectively
 Sometimes very difficult to find recycling trucks, etc.
o Recycle Spreadsheet to hand to IMTs as they come in to an incident
 R6 Team has requested dispatch to compile and maintain a recycling
spreadsheet
 Populate for individual areas
 Involve Procurement personnel
WildCad Software Update
Brant Stanger
Video
 Shortcut Keys
 Text/Email
o Added to Incident Log
 Mileposts
 Add/Dispatch Groups
o Must be managed individually once in incident
 New Tabs
 Build Incident Shape Files
 Track Dispatcher Time
Discussion:
 If you want the milepost data in your area, remove highways not in your area and then send to
Bighorn
 Questions Tab – can create questions for med. Emergencies, hazmat, towing, etc. You can
tailor to your center.
 Changing from Access to new format and for Irwin and WildWeb
 New version will still be local service based
 NAS
Aviation Program Update
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Kurt Kleiner
2011 there wasn’t national demand for T3 Helos
OR BLM is bringing on exclusive use SEATs again
As soon as we start getting fire numbers and can justify bringing a couple more SEATs in, will
be placing in Burns.
o Need to be communicating and sharing resources, manage own resources
Total of 67 carded SEATs on contract right now
COFMOS will have a SEAT base in Madras
Retardant avoidance area –
o BLM will follow Red Book 300’ from waterways
o FS –EIS – should be guidance coming out on use and monitoring
o Need to get retardant avoidance areas maps to the operations personnel
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o Can overlay into GIS layer in WildCad
Bulk Retardant Contract
o Burns SEAT base is having problems cleaning tanks – vendor now responsible for
quality of retardant delivered. ($2.07 per gallon per load delivered)
ODF – no change on verbiage in Master Agreement –business as usual
Aviation plan – split national aviation plans into BLM State Aviation plan and FS Aviation Plan
o Hoping to match up index numbering between 2 docs for ease in referencing
o Interagency plan was too cumbersome-perhaps feasible in future
DOI – National Business Center
o Any non-fire projects need to have funds obligated into DOI-FBMS before project
Reorganization of SORO State Office
 Looking at different models of leadership
o One Fire Director? Two?
 Go to IAT and complete as many modules as possible online – can be done on the field level
Air Attacks on local units and getting smoke reports
 Better to roll them earlier rather than later – have them, use them. Valuable.
Signing Aviation Plans
 Management needs to ensure they’re aware of what is in the Unit Aviation Plan, as they’re
accepting risk
Emergency Helicopter Extraction Source List
 Should be in email inboxes – came out 4/3/2012
Hotshot Program Update
James Osborne
Jeff Dimke
Hotshot Chair-Dimke
 Cost and Budget
 Contact List for IHC being sent out
o Please use for feedback to sups – good and bad
o Conduct – Dimke can take feedback to group
 IMS/EMT crews are working with IMTs
Rotation
 Worked on rotation last year – people seemed to like
 New version is out – verbiage changes
o Only for out of region rotation
 Order of crews
o Crews that go out together and come back together
o There will be one designated lead
o Lead will tell NW what order they’ll be in
o NW is managing the rotation
 ROSS Statusing
o Suggest waiting until 1700 or 1800 to status the crews as available
 Options
 Status before COB night before crew is available
 If done night prior, resources are showing available that aren’t actually
 Status in morning –wouldn’t show in web but could sent with updated
info
o Idea is that crews would be shown available on time after their R&R
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Rogue has a new Superintendent
Follow-up Action Items:
CMC going to work on statusing IHCs tomorrow
Double checking with Crews to confirm days off
Conclusion:
Centers that have IHCs
Decide how to show IHCs available
 Rotation to go out of geographic area
o Based on when they go available
 If using ROSS as the statusing tool, then will not work
o What about the IHCs the ability to set their own availability?
o Status crew whenever in ROSS, but communicate to NWC that they’ll be available at
0600
o Set the rotation at beginning of season and if a crew can’t meet the time date availableremoves ROSS from the equation
o Why not status the night before and make D.O. aware that IHC is available at 0600
Decision:
 Allow IHCs access to ROSS to status selves
 Set the rotation at beginning of season and if a crew can’t meet the time date available,
it moves to next crew and they would drop down to next on the list- removes ROSS
from the equation
Smokejumper Program Update
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Gary Atteberry
Redmond Air Center
Fewer Jumpers – call early – hoping to get boosters
o most bases are not having rookie classes
o Atrician accounting for some of the fewer numbers
Resource Orders -- Best and most complete information
Have trained their personnel to stay off the radios unless necessary
Demob plans for jumpers, RAC has drivers to go pick them up
Can do a lot without having to involve an IMT
o Paracargo
o Can staff 5 fires out of a Sherpa
 Speed, range, payload
You can request certain quals to be on a load of jumpers ICT3, FEMO, etc.
o Put it on the resource order
When you know you’re ordering jumpers for wilderness, make sure you get with Line Officers
right away to get allowances for saws
o Kurt spoke to discussion that is ongoing regarding a potential letter from Regional
Forester coming down (at some point) that would allow saws to be used for IA in the
Wilderness without Line approval
 Still in draft stage
 Just on FS side
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Has to have been determined to be a suppression fire
Going to be discussed at meeting this spring
May have some different things that things will need to be done – Wilderness
Sensitivity Training
Please offer feedback to Gary Attebury on the service they’re providing
EMTs are part of standard load – if you have special needs, ask for those positions to be on
the load
Rappeller Program Update
Evan Hsu
elhsu@fs.fed.us
541-471-6892
R6 Rappel Program – Explained for Non-Rappellers
 Arose from a pattern of miscommunications with dispatch
o Decoding some of the a-typical requests and verbiage
o http://www.siskiyourappellers.com/distribute/rapellingexlpained.pdf
Medivac Requests-- Rappeller was hoisted by Nat’l Guard from a wilderness fire
 9 Line Information
Rappel Status Site
 http://staffing.natrap.com
o Updated daily
o Password removed
o After 18 hours in system, turns yellow to show may be old information
o 6 national rappel crews in R6
 Official Contacts
o Mike Davis mjdavis02@fs.fed.us
o Amy Kazmier akazmier@fs.fed.us
Follow-up Action Items:
When Medivac plan information is decided, send info to Mike and Amy
Fall Elections:
This fall, the Jada’s and Lynn’s terms will be up as committee members and they will be looking for
nominations for representatives, one from OR and one from WA. Assistant Center Managers need to
be thinking about replacements.
Task Group Assignments
Jada Altman
Lynn Kenworthy
1. Develop an efficient Dispatch Organization -- What would it take to make your Organization a
success?
‘Super Center’ Dispatch Organization – what changes could be made to improve?
 Aircraft Coordinator – move under Operations/Center Manager
 Intel Coordinator – 8/9 under Center Manager
 Pay raises for all – add a layer of supervision
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Appropriate number of IA Coordinators
Must define the mission in order to define the organization
2. Develop a list of issues/concerns from the Assistant Center Manager point of view.
Areas needing improvement:
 Asst. Managers that have been operating as supervisors but do not have supervisory PDs
 Technology issues in interagency settings
 1000 Conference call information doesn’t get disseminated to field level
o Could IHC Chair or Co-chair be on phone call?
o Google Doc can help?
 Issue with deviating from the National Standard of WildCad
o Cad System pushed from top-down and national standard (didn’t like communication
on how that happened)
 Hiring of Temporary Workforce (IFPM standard, retention, 2151 series-no upward mobility)
 IFPM Standards in general (EDRC, 90 days)
 Need to refocus on the fact that the system is not broken – change may not be necessary
 Training/Cross-training Between Centers
 ‘Militia’ is getting slim
 AD Workload/Keeping "their heads above water”
o Keep informed
o Lower reliance on them
 Need better support from Fire Staff/Management for Dispatch
o Desire for appreciation and recognition
 With ‘Super Dispatch Centers’ concept – will be hard to accurately analyze workloads
o FireOrg/Etc. is not it
 Increasing Complexity of Centers
o Bigger Organizations – will training/staffing be supported?
o Make sure we’re not doing more with less
 Recruiting and retention – applicant pools are waning
 Co-location vs. interagency (service first)
 Budgets declining – heading toward burnout
o Extra duties keep coming in and it falls to dispatch ‘a dumping ground for duties’
o Used to feel like there were things we were really good at – now we just know enough
to get into trouble with a lot of different things. (or just enough to pass ASC’s filters)
 BIA offices getting WildCad?
 Tribal vs. BIA in NW –Need an understanding -- neighbors struggle
o Some are both – some are split – point of confusion
 Answer:
o Self determination act of 1976 – you know what you’re doing, go do it
o Left it up to each tribe to determine what self determination meant to them
o Each tribe determined how they wanted to do things base on needs, lifestyle, desires
o Tribal corporations – took funding that BIA had Alaska
o Took funding from BIA to use as they saw fit
o
o
o
o
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Some wanted all the money 95% of program
Some wanted to keep fire in BIA to fund other programs
Each Tribe and each BIA office is different – need to respect that
US Government still has trust responsibility on those lands
 BIA can act as a liaison between the US Gov and the Tribal Nations
Workforce capacity – unable to fill positions. Crippled by IFPM?
Stress from all above (people’s health)
Each center has local knowledge – when you start to combine this you lose some of that and
the field personnel will suffer
There has not been definition as to what the ‘Super Center’ is supposed to do – can’t plan for
an unknown mission?
Dispatch Teams
o Inclusion
o Exclusion
o Structure and Direction
 Case by case basis
 Coordinator speaking to requesting unit
o Protocols
 Hoping to build depth within the dispatch community by offering training
opportunities
o Will likely generate more interest in teams as teams are utilized
3. Discuss 9 Line –Critical Items to put in a Medical Response Plan


Used for the Bee Sting in 2011 Nasty Fire
Color
Emergency and Medical Evacuation Plans
Intent
 To get a template for the Emergency Plans that can be reflected in all the plans
Critical Items:
1. Dispatch Procedures
o 9 Line
o ICS 206 (medivac, hospitals, etc.)
o Dispatch Procedures
o Phone Tree/Notifications
o Roles and Responsibilities
o Burn Injury Protocol
o Back Country Helispots
o Ordering Procedures (Hoist/Lifeflight)
Task Group Recommends:
Incorporate a standard 9 Line for the region (IMTs, Resources, and Dispatch Centers)
Thursday April 05, 2012
Unit Center Manager Open Forum
Katie McConnell, note taker
Incident Business Update
Moderator: Renae Crippen
Speaker: Renae/Steve
Brenda Johnson
Incident Business Specialist for BLM
 Updated every 4 years
o Going to be in a different format
o Will now look like the Red Book
Chapter 10
 Off-Site Remote Incident Assignments
o ADs working from home – caution against that – hard to manage remotely
o Telework Agreement – easier to manage
o No guaranteed 8 hour minimum when working from home
 Updated Exempt/Non-Exempt chart
 Meal Reimbursement
 Travel Arrangements
o POV use must be approved at home unit
 Injury/Illness
o First Aid cannot have time loss
 Length of Assignment
o 21 Day Assignment – can work 21 days straight
o 30 Day Assignment – work 14, two days off required before 22nd day on asst.
 If you exceed a 30 day assignment, per diem will be reduced.
o Safety of employee at forefront -- Don’t push the envelope, safety first
Chapter 30
 Limits replacement items to consumed/damage/loss or rendered unserviceable on the fire
 IMT or IBA can only replace standard items in the cache
 No replacement of prototype items on fire funds
Chapter 60
 Section removed on vehicle accidents – moved to Chapter 70
Chapter 80
 Added language on Complexes/Merges/Splits
o Scenario 1 – Multiple IMTs managing one incident – (i.e. Biscuit Fire)
o Block #s – keep costs separate for I-Suite
 Careful of the default block numbers
AD Pay Plan
 No pay increase
 Phased out rates for AK and HI
 Clarified that when you hire ADs for training does not include travel
o 80 for Training
o 120 for Instructing

Added Special Tracked Equip Operator (STOP)
o Management can choose Point Of Hire
 DOI/BLM has re-instated language regarding RX Fire and Wildland Fire Ops Account
o Term of hire is no greater than 24 hours before burn period and 24 hours after
o Not good for mechanical or chemical treatments
 BLM cannot hire ADs on FS land
 Hiring Officials
 Responsibilities
o We have the rights as to whether or not they are hired
o Held to the same conduct standards
Need a list of personnel with written delegation authorized to hire ADs
BLM Boot Stipend
 BLM IM-2012-16
o Authorizes BLM employees and hired ADs an annual $100/year for purchase of boots
General Topics
 IBA Assignments
o Can work with Brenda through July/August
 ODF Crew Agreement
o Have a 2 hour window to report for assignment
o Want to bump it back to 1.5 hours
 no objections
 Proposal to remove the severity rates
o Very difficult for tracking
EMT/IMS able to send out of state
 You can only hire them at level at which you know they have the authority to perform
Incident Contracting
Update
Ben McGrane
Fire Procurement in R6
Policy Changes
 All the IBPAs must be done in VIPR
o No more ITEAM ‘Local IBPAs’
 Alternatives
o No preseason EERAs
o If not in VIPR, cannot have preseason
 Ordering
o Vendor will be paid for travel to and from the incident from the city/state designated in
their offer
o Vendor must meet date and time needed
 Really looking at date and time as compliance component
 Drive Time
o D.21.8 Driving limitations for contract employees
o All contractors are held to same standards as regular employees as per handbook
 Physical drive time behind the wheel, not duty day
o In some cases, this can be used as a criteria for deciding which vendor to use
 If vendor has to drive 4 hours to duty station and will have only 6 hours left
 Agreement Status
o Rollovers – estimate May 1
o New IBPAs – estimate May 1
 Rental Cars
o BPAs in process
o Ordering – same as last year
o Inc. Admin. -- same as last year
o Invoice Submittal – send to FACT in Redmond, OR
o Payment – FACT sends payment to vendor
 Enterprise has good system for tracking and invoicing
 Any local vendors that you want on model, have them call Ben McGrane
 Everything Else
o Source List
 Pre-establishing rates, etc., just no agreements
 Can’t order off source list
 Must still do EERA
 Extra step will be to get them signed up
o RT-130
 Still required for vendors working on or going to fireline
Aviation
 Helos
 Fixed Wing
o Lost 3 Vendors this year
o ATGS
o On Demand –closes next week
IBPA & VIPR Change Boards
 Scope
o Policy Boards to manage “change requests”
o National Board with Field Rep
 Actions
o Scope of IBPA
 Hoping for clarification
o Transports
 Clarification on transports
 We don’t order stand-alone transports
 Need to be able to hire equipment to put firefighter safety first.
Committee Updates
 Crew Committee
 Equipment Rates
ICPI – Incident Contract Project Inspector
 Will be able to order as and ICPI instead of THSP
Finance Copy Search Tool

http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/workingtogether/contracting/fact
o Finance Copies
o References
o Aviation Agreements/Schedules
Rural Fires Association/Districts
Katie McConnell
How are the communications with the RFDs?
 Building relationships – 24 hour response
 Some use 911 to notify RFDs, some call directly
 Some down phone tree – call – if no response then we respond
 Unprotected lands are most confusing
 FS Rep that sits on RFD Board
o Some have a requirement that all lands have fire protection
 Some have response blocks, covered by ODF, BLM, USFS and mutual aid
o Fire reports are all through 911
Anything that CMAC Group would like to have brought to the Rural Fire Protection Rangeland
Summit Meeting?
 Communicating is key
o Tactical frequencies
o Air to Ground frequencies
o Predetermined frequency/areas are currently working
Recognition Ceremony
Renae Crippen
Red Solo Cups with Pink Sparkly Juice!
 Renae to Jada and Lynn -- Thank You!
Dispatcher of the Year
o Letter From Randall Bailey nominating Darren Yazzie for the Dispatcher Of The Year
o Award name changed to Darren Yazzie Award
Meeting Close out
Dan O’Brien
Has been great to watch you work, heads up in fire season and safe travels home.
Follow-up Action:
Reporting of ODF Fires and Resources on Sit Report
Oregon IMT Ordering
R6 SOP for Contract – Standard Naming
NWCC Webpage needs updating – fill agreements
ROSS Catalog Items needs updating
Tips & Tricks Review/Update