Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group
Operations Working Team (OWT)
April 19, 2012
Operations Working Team: Brian Gales (USFWS), Bobby Scopa (USFS), Larry Nickey (NPS), Doug Grafe (ODF),
Robert Madden (OR Fire Service), John Szulc (BIA), Albert Kassel (WADNR), Carla Schamber (USFS, Facilitator)
Via conference call: Dave Lentz (BLM), Randy Johnson (WA Fire Service),
Absent: John Ketchum (OR Fire Marshall’s), Dave Quinn (NWCC),
Guests via conference call: Ron Knolls (Alaska), Robert Schmoll (Alaska Ops Committee Chair 907-356-9850), Peter
Paterie (Alaska Ops), Dave Whitmer (USFS), Steve Heptner (BIA), Peter Butteri (Alaska USFWS, representing Alaska
Ops)
Agenda Items:
Alaska team process
ICAP process and announcement dates
Get 3 focus areas and let PNWCG steering know what they are
Finalize the three Steering Task Orders
Review Best Value Proposal and Evaluation from Don Moritz and provide decision back to Moritz.
Discuss ICAP process, timing and collaboration with Type 2 team GEOC boards. Invite GEO board chairs.
ICAPS – changes, updates (separate Type 1teams from Oregon teams)
Aerial Delivered Retardant – ATGS
Staffing updates
WA GEO Board Decisions
National IC Availability
Old Business:
Alaska sister team support proposal – Draft letter completed and will be sent to PNWCG Steering.
Several members of the Alaska Ops Committee were present via conference call. Alaska has One Type 1 and two Type
2 teams (Black and Green Teams). Alaska is short on IC’s currently with short term issue for next 6-8 weeks with only
having one IC for 3 teams. Would have to either order IC out of alt pool, or would have to order full team from 48.
Action ItemsFor 2012 Alaska will need to send a list of needs and the team rotation to NWCC. NWCC will take the ownership of
insuring that any missing needs would be attempted to be filled by NWCC, Oregon and Washington dispatch offices
to see what can be filled. WA and OR IC’s would need to be in loop to work with those individuals from teams that
are being utilized to fill in by Alaska teams. Robert Schmoll will send out.
NWCC needs to keep NICC in the loop, so that team members are either rostered with the Alaska teams (preferred) or
get NICC in loop on the name request if done that way. John Szulc will contact Dave Quinn to make contact with
NICC on process to assist Alaska. Kassel/Graffe will be in Alaska and will discuss.
Kassell/Quinn to finalize Process to follow for 2012-topics to discuss
 Alaska provides needs list to NWCC
 NWCC checks available resources with OR/WA dispatch centers in alt pool of teams to fill needs.
 If no one in alt pool, NWCC checks ROSS to fill orders
 As last resort, negotiate with standing OR/WA teams to pull team members to fill the needs
 If no resources available, NWCC contacts Alaska and informs that we are unable to fill the request
Peter needs a password to ICAPs so he can see IC side of ICAPS. Lentz/Scopa to work with Dale Guenther (or
acting) to make this happen. Follow up with web meeting/tour of program.
Need to discuss with Dale changes that need to be made to ICAP to accommodate the Alaska Team. Scopa will have
Lentz follow up.
For 2013 and beyond, it is suggested to use ICAP for the Type 1 and 2 team to try to fill some holes and utilize PNW
personnel who may be available for Alaska’s fire season as the PNW may have some personnel available for Alaska’s
earlier fire season, but not available to serve on PNW teams due to fire activity on their home unit or normal work
duties during the summer. For any further holes, Alaska would contact NWCC to fill remaining holes, in
cooperation with Oregon and Washington dispatch offices. Try to get Alaska, Oregon and Washington teams all on
same announcement cycle. Alaska would post needs on web.
Discussion needs to be had about how we roster WA/OR personnel in 2013. Can a person be rostered on two teams
(i.e. Alaska and OR/WA? At present, it is preferred to have a person only serve on one team, but be available to fill
in on the Alaska teams if needed. This is to prevent issues if teams are ordered at the same time.
Try to do one announcement, but Alaska may be an issue due to a number of Alaska people leaving in early Sept/Oct
due to seasonal personnel. Looking at having an application opening it in Sept. Currently application is Jan-Feb.
Needs further discussion for 2013.
Process needs to be shared with both OR and WA Geo Board. Oregon GEO will be meeting the week of April 25, so
list needs to be discussed with the GEO board. Bobbie Scopa will discuss at OR GEO board meeting. Szulc will
draft/finalize letter to GEO boards to make final, then on their agreement will finalize letter and forward to PNWCG
Steering.
New Business:
ICAPS Changes – programming changes that need to be made with Dale
 Adding State of Alaska to application process
 Separating OR, WA and National Teams into separate categories for selections (i.e. National are
currently lumped with OR)
 Oregon was looking at individual selection from a pool and then teams IC’s select from the pool. WA
currently has it where teams apply to individual teams. To standardize, ask Dale to add a default
selection for any team if the person has no preference, or a person would have the ability to select an
individual team(s).
 Need ICAPs adjusted so that non-selected primary applicants are automatically placed into ALT pool
(or remain active with other teams if applied to other teams).
 Need ICAPs to indicate when a person is selected by another team, so other teams know they have been
selected.
 Need to change CRNW to new name in ICAP for 2013.
Action Item – Lentz/Scopa to contact Dale Guenther to have him at next meeting in May to discuss needed changes
for 2013
National IC Availability – Staff work was accomplished in trying some of the outreach to other personnel in other
regions due to lack of IC’s for PNW Type 1 teams. To date has not been successful, due to persons other work at home
unit in their own region.
Action Item – Need to continue attempts to find replacement for Marcom, who has transferred out of Region. Need
to look for IC for 2013 and begin mentoring of candidates in 2012. Scopa will talk to main candidate under
consideration. Nickey/Lentz will talk Jeff Pendleton and Mike Morcom concerning people on short list to potential
candidates during the IC council meeting in May.
Review Best Value Proposal and Evaluation from Don Moritz. – Don is adjusting Best Value per Grafe after input
from OWT. 2012 will be same as last year. Adjustments will be for 2013.
Aerial Delivered Retardant/ ATGS update – Scopa gave update and discussion followed
Action Item – Will need to do further follow up on getting information out to all Air Attacks, along with maps to get
air attacks so that they know where sensitive areas are, including mutual threat zones.
Agency updates USFS
 Staffing - down about 200 plus firefighters from previous 1,600
 USFS will begin mandatory drug testing for all permanent positions (over 600) that have primary FF
retirement. Only seasonals with CDL’s will be tested at this time.
 Over last 3 years, suppression has cost approximately $1.3 billion/year, agency only has $930 million.
So cost savings is being looked out to make up differences.
 Looking at a different process for movement of resources into areas that have high risk that is short
term. Looking at using PSA, lightning activity, predicted weather to help look at short term
movement.
 Looking at possible change in preparedness funding allocation process.
BLM
 Down about 30 positions, but may have an extra fuels crew in Spokane
NPS
Taking cuts in both presuppersion and fuels. Expecting 6-10% cuts over the next few years.
BIA
Warms springs IHC will be on boards at end of Month
Budget cuts occurring with Fuels budgets taking major cuts
WA GEO Board Decisions – Brian updated OWT
 Availability for out of state dispatches has been adjusted to allow an additional team to be available for out
of area dispatches during various PL levels. PL1 will have 4 teams available for out of area, PL2&3 will
have 3 teams available for out of area and PL 4&5 will have 2 teams available for out of area. In PL 4& 5
an additional team could be negotiated for.
 GEO board adjusted guidelines for filling short teams (10-person) which will now be allowed to be filled by
a WIIMT team.
 When decisions need to be made on team dispatches will include NWCC predicted services briefing on
weather and regional status to help with the process.
 IMOSP process and how the teams in Washington Interagency Teams will fit in is still a work in process.
Get 3 focus areas and let PNWCG steering know what they are
 Complete remaining two task orders
 Standardize Incident within Incident between all T1 and T2 Teams within OR and WA
 Incident Management Team coordination to include ICAPS and coordination with GEO
Boards
Incident within the Incident – Currently 14 teams have responded to the OWT survey on which teams are using the
PNW Incident within and Incident plan and need for updating.
Action Item –Larry earlier sent out reminder letter to IC’s to try to get remainder of IC’s to respond.
Successional Plan – for both T1 & T2 teams – Task order from Steering –
We should have data from all teams by early May from IC’s. May be able to look at data at OWT May meeting, if IC’s
meet the request to have response in by IC Council meeting. Have a working meeting on June 14 to discuss meeting.
Action Item – Spreadsheet was sent out and waiting on IC’s responses after their team meetings.
OWT 2012 program of work – comments follow
S520/620 – completed. Letter sent out and Mentor teams assigned. Need to recruit mentees for the next group of
520/620. For May meeting will need to have names for 520/620 mentees.
Incident within Incident follow up – survey still open. Will have results at April Meeting.
T1/T2 Team Successional Planning task order 1111-12
Successional Planning spreadsheet – complete in May
Type 1 Team IC – went over potential candidates and discussed how to fill in behind current IC’s as they retire or
move on. Will put out an announcement in 2013.
IMT Type 1 team member tenure task order 1104-01- memo was sent out. Will need to insure the next application
announcement spells out that type 1 teams will be on one year
Alaska Share Task Order 1009-04 – see above action item. Need to finalize at next OWT meeting.
Re-advertise for the national teams – in the fall
OWT member to mobilize with Type 1 team
Review Best Value Determination for Crew Contract
Agenda items for next meeting:
TBA
Upcoming meetings of interest:
OWT Liaisons to other PNWCG working teams
Training WT – John Szulc
Contract WT – Albert Kassel
Aviation WT – Larry Nickey
Health and Safety WT – Brian Gales
OWT Schedule of remaining 2012 (0900-1530 approximate times) at Gifford Pinchot NF Supervisors Office
unless otherwise noted:
April 19 (Federal Building, USFWS Lloyd Center conference room 3)
May 17
June 14
June 21 (cancelled - moved to June 14 due to Operations/Safety Road Show June 19-21)
July – NO MEETING - attempt to have OWT rep go out with Type 1 team if on assignment
August - NO MEETING – attempt to have OWT rep go out with Type 1 team if on assignment
September – 20 Location TBA
October – 18 Location TBA
November – 16 Location TBA
December – TBA if needed
OPERATIONS WORKING TEAM MEMBER ADDRESSES
2012 Operations Working Team (OWT) member contact numbers and email addresses (Names listed in
order of which agency is next chairperson).
John Szulc – BIA representative (Chairperson)
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Northwest Regional Office
Dave Lentz – BLM representative (Vice-Chairperson)
USDI-Bureau of Land Management, OR/WA State Office
Fire and Aviation Management
Robert Madden - OR Fire Service representative
Bend Fire Department
Albert Kassel – DNR representative
Department of Natural Resources, Resource Protection Division
Brian Gales – USFWS representative
US Fish and Wildlife
Doug Grafe – ODF representative
Oregon Department of Forestry
Bobbie R. Scopa – USFS representative
USDA-Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region
Fire and Aviation Management
Randy Johnson – WA Fire Service representative
Spokane County Fire District 4
Larry Nickey – NPS representative
Olympic National Park
John Ketchum – Ad Hoc member
Oregon State Fire Marshall’s Office
Vacant - Vice Ken Snell – PNWCG Steering Liaison
USDA-Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region
Carla Schamber – facilitator
Siuslaw National Forest
Dave Quinn – Dispatch Rep.
NW Coordination Center