NW Center Managers Advisory Council:
Strategic Intent and Guiding Principles
Contents
1 Identification
2 Strategic Intent
2.1 Vision
2.2 Purpose
2.3 Mission
2.3 Guiding Principles
2.4 Responsibility
3 Scope
4 Authorities
4.1 Delegation of Authority
5 Organization Structure & Relationships
5.1 Relationships
5.2 Stakeholders & Partners
5.3 Task Teams
5.31 Purpose
5.32 Submitting and Assigning Tasks
5.33 Membership and Tenure
6 Meetings and Membership
6.1 General
6.11 Meeting Schedules and Logistics
6.12 Membership and Responsibilities
6.2 Primary
6.3 Associate
6.4 Decision Making
7 Products & Services
Attachments:
A. NW CMC Strategic Plan (In process)
NW CMC Strategic Intent: September 22, 2010
Page 1
1 Identification
The NW Center Managers Advisory Council is an interagency PNWCG/NW MAC Unit known herein as NW CMC.
2 Strategic Intent
2.1 Vision:
Clear leadership and direction facilitates a coordinated response within the local fire management community
and in partnership with Geographic Area and National response frameworks. The result is seamless and effective
resource allocation and mobilization. Open and direct communication and coordination ensures that the mutual
interests of the wildland fire and dispatch coordination communities are represented by PNWCG and NW MAC.
2.2 Purpose:
The purpose of the NW CMC is to provide interagency oversight and leadership to the interagency dispatch
coordination system and strive for cost effective and timely coordination when mobilizing wildland fire agency
and contracted emergency response resources for wildland fire and all-hazard response. The Council will serve as
an advisory group to provide advice to PNWCG on all Geographic Area dispatch related issues. They will serve
PNWCG as a formal source of advice and counsel on the validity and applicability of proposals from other entities
that have a direct or indirect effect on National and Geographic Area mobilization procedures.
2.3 Mission:
NW CMC provides clear leadership, consistency and organization in the planning and execution of initial/extended
attack and resource mobilization protocols established by the local governing board and NW Area Interagency
Mobilization Guide. They maintain dispatch capability through mentoring and inter-office cooperation. They
ensure program sustainability through training, coordination with partners and cooperators, and comprehensive
successional planning. NW CWC promotes consistent, safe and effective operations, within the Dispatch
Coordination System and on the Fire Ground, through standard practices and continuing communicating with
Agency Leadership.
2.4 Guiding Principles
Leadership
 Act with intention. Engage responsibility and follow through on commitments.
 Pursue a positive work environment that fosters inclusiveness, teamwork and personal growth.
 Be accountable to program succession , and success, over the long term.
 Inspire pride in the program and the mission.
 Be flexible in the face of change; advocate and support innovation.
 Promote safe and effective policy, programs, and practices in dispatch and throughout the fire
community.
Education
 Question assumptions.
 Value critical thinking over inflexible protocols.
 Improve efficiency and productivity through mentoring, learning, sharing, and implementing best
practices.
 Maintain Subject Matter Experts that can advise and guide.
Coordination
 Acknowledge policy differences; focus on common goals and shared problems as a means for achieving
resolution.
 Facilitate effective communication, cooperation , and coordination to establish partnerships and
functional relationship among all members of the wildland fire community.
 Work collaboratively to provide quality customer service.
NW CMC Strategic Intent: September 22, 2010
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2.5 Responsibility:
The NW Center Managers Advisory Council’s primary responsibility is to ensure strategic leadership exists in the
NW Dispatch Coordination System, to provide for a sustainable program in terms of the expertise and availability
of individuals within the Dispatch Coordination System, and to advocate best and consistent practices in support
of the interagency fire community and in alignment with Local, Geographic Area, and National direction.
NW CMC’s responsibilities include:
 Task NW CMC members and/or appoint task groups from outside the Council to work on specific projects.
 Maintain the official NW CMC membership and address list for communications.
 Distribute copies of NW CMC meeting/conference call minutes within a timely manner to members, and post
them to the NW CMC web page on the PNWCG website.
 Elevate issues/recommendations to PNWCG, other working teams, and as appropriate, to outside individuals
or groups.
 Recommend to the PNWCG Chair the need for further resources and authorities as they become evident.
 Keep the PNWCG Chair advised as to meeting dates and locations.
3 Scope
NW CMC incorporates Federal and State agencies and includes all aspects of dispatch coordination and resource allocation
and mobilization held in common across all agencies and Dispatch Offices in the NW.
4 Authorities
NW CMC is established pursuant to the charter authority granted to the parent group, the Pacific Northwest Wildfire
Coordinating Group (PNWCG) through the respective agency fire management leadership for the Department of
Agriculture and the Interior, plus the states of Oregon and Washington to assist in accomplishing the PNWCG’s mission
and goals.
4.1 Delegation of Authority
NW CMC is delegated the authority to:
 develop and execute an annual program of work
 create task groups.
5 Organization Structure & Relationships
5.1 Relationships:
Subunit of PNWCG
5.2 Member Organizations
 USDA Forest Service
 USDI Bureau of Land Management
 USDI National Park Service
 USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs
 USDI Fish and Wildlife Service
 Oregon Department of Forestry
 Washington Department of Natural Resources
NW CMC Strategic Intent: September 22, 2010
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5.3 Task Teams
5.31 Purpose
Task teams accomplish specific tasks on behalf of the NW CMC and for the purpose of fulfilling business strategies
as outlined in the NW CMC Strategic Plan. Additionally, task teams will be utilized to plan and organize regularly
scheduled business functions, such as the NW Dispatch Workshop.
5.32 Submitting and Assigning Tasks
Task proposals may be submitted by any member of the NW Dispatch Community. Written in the form of a
briefing paper, proposals will clearly describe the task’s need, intended purpose, and deliverable product.
Proposals will be delivered to the NWCC Center Manager who will review the task to ensure it meets the strategic
intent of the NW CMC and the needs of the Geographic Area. If it meets these requirements, NWCC Center
Manager will coordinate the delivery of the task proposal by its author to the NW CMC. Tasks will be assigned
upon approval of the Council. Approvals will follow internal decision-making procedures outlined in Section 6.4
below. The NW CMC Chair formally assigns tasks via a memo to the task team leader.
5.33 Membership and Tenure
Task teams provide a fruitful training ground for future leaders; this fact should be reflected in task team
membership. Each task team will have a team leader who is responsible for coordinating the task, setting a task
timeline, and reporting progress to the NW CMC Chair. The size of task team will depend on the scope and
complexity of a task.
Every task team will have at least one Dispatch Center Manager as a member; it’s expected that all Center
Managers will participate on task teams according to their individual talents and interests. Additional members
will be appointed by individual Dispatch Center Managers from his or her staff. Dispatch staff may also volunteer.
Task team members will serve through the duration of the task. When the task is completed, the task team will
be dissolved.
6 Meetings and Membership
6.1 General:
6.11 Meeting Schedules and Logistics
NW CMC will host face-to-face meetings twice a year, once in the Spring and again in the Fall; one of these will be
in association with the annual Dispatchers Workshop.
Monthly conference calls will be held to discuss strategic matters of interest or concern. These calls will be
separate from the regularly scheduled GACC Dispatch Center Conference Calls held throughout Fire Season.
6.12 Membership and Responsibilities
Council members include Center Managers from 19 Interagency Dispatch Centers, the 4 BIA/Agency Dispatch
Centers, the WA DNR-Olympia and ODF-Salem Coordination Centers, and the Center Manager and Emergency
Operations Manager from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. Additionally, two dispatch center
staff members, one from Oregon and one from Washington, will serve as representatives from the respective
state training zones.
Officers will consist of a Chair and Vice Chair. Officers will serve staggered 2-year terms. The transition to new
officers will normally occur at the Fall NW Center Managers Meeting.
The NWCC Center Manager serves in the interests of the Geographic Area, the NW MAC, and as a representative
from the National Center Managers Sub-Committee. Further, this individual serves as facilitator to the Council
and acts as the Council’s liaison to PNWCG.
Training zone representatives will serve 2-year terms and have the same role and responsibility as any other NW
CMC member. Representatives will be selected by the NW CMC membership from a pool of willing candidates
who have volunteered or been nominated by individual Dispatch Center Staff.
NW CMC Strategic Intent: September 22, 2010
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Membership responsibilities include:
Chair:
 Represents NW CMC to PNWCG.

Serves as the NW CMC spokesperson.

Convenes meetings as deemed necessary by the Council members or PNWCG.

Presides over the meetings.

Recommends the need for further resources and authority.

Assigns work to task groups.

Selects ad hoc subject matter experts to assist in issue resolution.

Prepares and signs correspondence approved by voting members.

Sends meeting announcements, agenda items, etc., to membership.
Vice-Chair:
 Assumes Chair responsibilities in the absence of the Chair.

Monitors on-going projects and the development and implementation of Council procedures.

Ensures a note taker is available for record keeping.

Maintains the permanent record of Council activities.

Coordinates publication of meeting minutes and other NW CMC documentation on the PNWCG web
page.

Distributes meeting minutes to the Council and PNWCG, and to other working team and advisory
group chairs as appropriate.
Members:
 Participate in all regularly scheduled meetings or sends a designated representative. Solicits topics
from agency and other constituents for inclusion on meeting agendas.

Submit sufficiently in advance any briefing papers concerning issues to be included on an upcoming
meeting agenda.

Relay council activities and developments to constituents.
6.2 Primary (voting):
Primary members consist of the 25 NW Dispatch Coordination Center Managers, the NWCC Emergency Operations
Manager, and the Oregon and Washington Training Zone representatives.
Voting members may provide a designate to vote in his or her absence.
6.3 Associate (non-voting):
NWCC Center Manager
Assistant Center Managers
NW CMC Strategic Intent: September 22, 2010
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6.4 Decision-Making
A quorum is necessary for all decisions. A “quorum” is defined by those voting members, or designates, present at a
scheduled meeting, conference call, or who have responded to a decision submitted by email. Issues requiring a
decision will be announced prior to a meeting or call to solicit active member participation.

For selecting officers, a simple majority is required.

For all other internal decision-making, a 2/3 majority is required if consensus can’t be reached.

The NWCC Center Manager will resolve any tie vote should one occur.
7 Products & Services
 Provide a forum for Local Unit Level Dispatchers, Center Managers, or Fire Managers; PNWCG Working
Teams or Advisory Councils and their task groups; and Incident Management Teams to elevate
initial/extended attack dispatch, mobilization, and coordination related issues, innovations, and concerns that
impact national mobilization. Similarly, the Council provides a forum to address changes in National
policy/direction that significantly impacts local dispatch protocols or operations.
 Communicate to NW MAC and PNWCG, issues and concerns that are common among NW Dispatch Centers
related to Local, Geographic Area and National multi agency coordination and resource mobilization.
 Provide representation to PNWCG Working Teams as necessary.
 Provides members for strategic working teams to support specific projects or tasks related to Geographic
Area and National Interagency coordination and resource mobilization.
 Complete an Annual Accomplishment Report; this will be delivered at the annual meeting between PNWCG
Working Teams and the PNWCG Steering Committee.
 Coordinate relevant training, workshops, and conferences.
 Prepare white papers.
 Complete specific PNWCG-directed tasks.
NW CMC Strategic Intent: September 22, 2010
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