Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group
Operations Working Team (OWT)
May 17, 2012
Operations Working Team: Brian Gales (USFWS), Bobby Scopa (USFS), Larry Nickey (NPS), Robert Madden (OR
Fire Service), John Szulc (BIA), Dave Quinn (NWCC), Dave Lentz (BLM), Carla Schamber (USFS, Facilitator)
Via conference call: Randy Johnson (WA Fire Service), Albert Kassel (WADNR),
Absent: John Ketchum (OR Fire Marshall’s), Doug Grafe (ODF),
Guests: Dan O’Brien (NWCC)
Guests via conference call: Dave Whitmer (USFS Alaska),
Agenda Items:
Alaska team process
ICAP process and announcement dates
ICAPS – changes, updates (separate Type 1teams from Oregon teams)
Retardant Avoidance
OR IMT/PNW T1 IMT update
Successional Plan
Incident within the Incident
IT support/hosted web
OWT Charter Review
Web-support
Old Business:
Alaska sister team support proposal –
Dave Whitmer of the Alaska Ops Committee was present via conference call.
John Szulc gave PNWCG steering a briefing on Alaska proposal process. The April 19th notes had a process described,
but Dave Quinn suggested for this year that they follow a slightly different process than what is suggested. OWT and
Whitmer adjusted to process as follows:
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Alaska IC queries Alaska personnel and determine needs for their teams rotation
Alaska IC sends needs list to AICC.
AICC sends out in advance needs list to NWCC dispatch center, with contact info for IC with team needing.
NWCC sends message to all dispatch centers in OR and WA (fed, state and interagency)
OR and WA dispatch centers send out to their mailing lists
If person is available, they contact the Alaska IC direct that they are available for the ten day rotation, and
the Alaska IC rosters the person in ROSS as a team member. Selection Priorities: IC selects agency
personnel first, AD second. If AD is sent, they will include an agency trainee with the AD. Non-affiliated
personnel.
ICAPS Changes – programming changes that need to be made with Dale. Dale is still on detail and has been
extended into June.
Added Alaska to application process (Peter Butteri). They have taken a look and looks like it will work
for them.
Any changes need to be made well before September to meet deadlines.
Need to have Alaska announcements sent to Pacific Northwest
Need to have Pacific Northwest team announcements sent to Alaska
Recap of items that need fixing in ICAPS
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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
current process-applicants 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.
Issue of some Alt pool personnel being put on teams by ICAP instead of alt pool
Action Item – Lentz/Scopa to contact Dale Guenther to have him at next meeting on June 14 to discuss needed
changes for 2013. Albert will work Dale on changes needed.
Retardant Avoidance – Kassel had asked for shape file so that DNR could add to their layers. Bobbie gave
background. Maps have gone out to units to check to see if they are correct. Avoidance areas are being corrected where
they are showing overlaps with private lands. Quality of mapping may include perennial mapping, so will need to get
further input from agencies during in-briefs. Maps are showing terrestrial avoidance but possibly with buffers not as
well defined in some units.
What has changed is not how we use retardant, but how we monitor if we have retardant go into a stream or within the
buffer zone.
At Air attack refresher this year, Pat McCabe gave presentation on avoidance zones.
Action Item – Info will be passed as it comes in.
Incident within the Incident – Larry discussed at IC council. 14 teams are utilizing the PNW incident within incident,
with three having additional guidelines as an appendix to their teams operating plan. One additional team will be
switching this year. OR state teams are utilizing theirs, but it is very similar to PNW. NIMO is going to a national
NIMO guide, but it is very similar to PNW’s. All Washington Interagency, National and most Oregon Interagency
teams have converted. Several T3 IC’s were at the meeting and the documents were forwarded to them.
Action Item: Continue to spread the document and begin sharing the PNW incident within incident down to standing
T3 teams for their use. Possible post PNW Incident within Incident on NWCC and OWT web sites.
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 June meeting, if IC’s
meet the request to have response in by IC Council meeting.
Action Item – Spreadsheet was sent out and waiting on IC’s responses after their team meetings. Larry will resend
request to IC’s that have not completed. Larry to send out information that has been collected to OWT for June
meeting, since he will not be able to attend. Szulc will forward results to TWT when analysis is completed.
New Business:
OR IMT/PNW T1 IMT update – Randy wanted to let OPS WT know that the National IC’s would like a little more
input, i.e. selection of 520/620 students and mentee. Brian suggested having a 15 minute conference call at beginning of
each meeting to allow IC’s and other type 1 team members interested in getting on conference call to discuss
issues/concerns and pass on information with National teams. Albert reminded that we should try to have OWT team
meeting in conjunction with two National Teams meetings to have joint meeting.
Randy discussed Alt list for OR Interagency teams and who is managing, how information is being dispersed to them.
Carla confirmed currently a single Alt and Trainee list that is pulled from ICAPS and is maintained by Carla and Dean
Vandrasco.
Looking at combining Type 1 team meeting with WA team meeting for 2013 team meeting.
Discussion on how we get operational information out to the field. At present, OWT agency reps are responsible for
passing on OWT information to their respective agencies. Question was how do we get information out to the AD’s and
this is more hit or miss, with some dispatch offices and units are sending out to their mailing list of AD’s that they host,
but others may not be as successful in passing out information.
Action Item – John Szulc will extend an invitation to the National IC/Deputy IC’s to attend via conference call.
IT support/hosted web – Dan O’Brien gave update on issue of information being spread out over numerous websites.
Dan is offering the suggestion that possibly personnel at NWCC could serve as a “host” on their website to link various
documents on other systems. Do we need someone in NWCC to serve as a central point as a web master/web support for
PNWCG, teams and units. Some teams and units are much more advanced than others. PNWCG utilizes various staff to
manage the various websites. Having a centralized person at NWCC could allow a more centralized process and
appearance.
Jim Edwards is current contact to have items posted on PNWCG website
Action Items: Larry will send Jim Edwards notes from PNWCG ops for 2011 to be posted
Fire OPS Safety Meeting – Bobbie gave an update. Main speaker Conklin cancelled, so meeting was moved to
accommodate, but many of the bigger units could only send a few people due to dates that were selected. Units were
polled to see how many people would be able to attend, some were able to. Wenatchee could send 250 or so, COFMAS,
Eugene and Winema did not have as many due to other trainings and unit meetings already scheduled. New speaker
will be Ivan Pupulidy. Will at least hold a meeting in Washington. Will have conference call on Monday (5/21) to
make final decisions.
S520/S620 nominations for 2014 course – OWT has not seen any nomination process for 2014 course.
Action Items – John Szulc will contact Renee to double check to see if NAFRE letter has been sent out for 2014.
Beams informed Szulc that NAFRE has not yet sent any info. Beams will forward to OWT when she receives it.
OWT Charter Review – Began yearly two year review of charter of OWT Charter, per charter requirements.
Action Items – OWT team members to review charter and bring comments and suggestions to June meeting. OWT
will then send updated charter to Steering for signature and posting on PNWCG web page.
Agency updates USFS - Budget update – cost savings and expenditures with fire teams will be closely looked at. USFS Management
has said if good risk management and planning is occurring; do not look at compromising safety or changing tactics
in keeping unwanted fires small just due to cost issues. Message is to make the right decision. Probably will be
giving direction on managing fires that have potential to get large.
BLM
NPS
BIA
OWT 2012 program of work – comments follow
S520/620 – 2012 completed. Letter sent out and Mentor teams assigned. Need to recruit mentees for the next group
of 520/620. Waiting for NAFRE to forward 2014 info.
Incident within Incident -Completed.
T1/T2 Team Successional Planning task order 1111-12
Successional Planning spreadsheet – data analysis beginning in June. Should be completed Fall 2012.
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 – Completed.
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:
May 17
June 14
June 21 (cancelled - moved to June 14 due to Operations/Safety Road Show June 19-21), G.P. Indian Heaven.
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