Pacific Northwest Coordination Center Steering Committee (PNWCG)
Steering Committee / Working Team Annual Workshop
14-15 February 2012 @ Robert Duncan Plaza, 333 SW 1st Ave, Portland OR 97204
Final notes
Attendees: Joe Shramek, WA DNR, Acting Chair PNWCG SC, liaison to AWT; David Summer,
R6 USFS, liaison to OWT (Proxy for BLM for Feb 14) Pam Ensley, USFWS, liaison to FMWT;
Cyndi Sidles, USFWS, Chair FWT; Tod Johnson, (representing Sue Husari) NPS, liaison to
GISWT; John Szulc, BIA, Chair OWT and representative for TWT; Cory Winnie, BIA, liaison to
IBPWT; Dan O’Brien, NWCC, Center Manager’s Advisory Council; Renae Crippen, USFS, Chair
Center Managers AC; Steve Arasim, Vice Chair Center Manager AC; Jason Loomis, NWCC, FEN
AC; Tom Knappenberger, representing Lauren Maloney, Chair CPIWT; Gerry Day, WA DNR,
Chair, Washington Geo Board (Feb 14); Brian Watts; BLM, Chair IC AC; Kurt Kleiner
(representing Shad Sitz) Chair AWT; Pam Ensley, USFWS, liaison for FWT; Dean Vendrasco,
Willamette NF/Eugene BLM, Chair, Oregon Geo Board (Feb 14); Dave LaFave WA Fire Chiefs;
Pat Kelly-Executive Director/Facilitator; Jan Mathis, BLM-SORO, notetaker. Presenters: Bob
Young, ODF, Chair TWT & Toni Chambers, ODF, representing the IBPWT; Bobbie Scopa, BLM,
liaison to TWT (Feb 15).
Feb 14, 2011 Session
Meeting called to order at 1300 hrs.
Welcome/Introductions/Objectives/Agenda
Joe Shramek / Pat Kelly
(Handout 1 - PNWCG SC/WT Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 agenda, 1 p)
Welcome and thanks for attending. There are three main objectives for our meeting:
1) Understand current status of each unit of PNWCG.
2) Reinforce & clarify PNWCG operating procedures.
3) Establish and communicate program direction for PNWCG.
Why PNWCG Works
Thoughts from former Chairs
Cory Winnie: Out of necessity, we have had to work together to meet the needs of our agency
administrators and constituents. This collaboration has been successful due to the cooperation and
coordinating efforts of its members. From humble beginnings, when the group met (informally?)
with a thick binder filled with notes, it has evolved into a more structured and efficient process that
you see today.
Pam Ensley: The main purpose of the PNWCG is relationships, creating and maintaining good
working relationships between agencies for the purpose of enhancing firefighter safety. Over a
decade of experience together, we have been able to use each other’s authorities and practices to
make everything work for that common goal. It works and in the process, builds a lot of synergy.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 1
As we go into travel caps and budget deficits, it will be more important than ever to keep our faceto-face time with our working teams and advisory councils. However, we should ask ourselves: Is
our model of PNWCG, as it has worked for us in the past, work for us in 2013 and beyond? What
can we do better or differently; or should we continue to work the same way and build on that?
The direction that DOI seems to be going – all bureaus are looking at fire programs and
efficiencies. This may result in one national fire service. Declining budgets continue to be a
challenge. Over 20% are dropping out of training due to travel costs. Need to keep our eye on
these issues.
The State of PNWCG
Joe Shramek
Thanks to everyone for attending today to spend some time together and share a common view of
the work of PNWCG, working teams and advisory council.
4 main objectives:
1) Understand the current status of each unit of PNWCG, WT & SC.
2) Help establish program direction for PNWCG & our respective.
3) Reinforce and clarify PNWCG operating procedures.
4) Provide focus time for the chairs of advisory councils and working teams.
The theme is firefighter safety and making good choices strategically and pragmatically, which
we’ll continue to do. We apply our collective brainpower to come up with solutions and
deliberately focus on our options to work towards the objectives we have set.
We meet each month to work together and talk thru the issues. Each meeting we leave knowing
that we’ve worked on our long term goals, current and short team goals, in addition to identifying
other issues that need to be addressed. This effort isn’t driven by an emergency. However, when
the inevitable emergency does come up, we have the ability to work through it from the
relationships that we’ve already developed. We know how to work with one another.
How we work:
 Our Strategic plan provides the broad structure.
 Implement the tactics from the POW which are deliberately chosen.
 Issues routinely come up on short notice, we build time into our meetings to deal with those
topics.
 Working teams and advisory councils are on loose coupling model. The Big T is the formal
task orders issued to the work teams by the PNWCG SC.
 Most of the work, however, is self directedby the working teams and are referred to as small
‘t’s, These tasks are carried our within the framework of the PNWCG Strategic Plan and
Program of Work with the guidance of their PNWCG liaisons.
We acknowledge that there has been tremendous turnover in the past year. Although we’ve lost a
lot of our tenure, there are many new energetic members who have joined us:
David Summer, USFS, has replaced Ken Snell (retired)
Bobbie Scopa, BLM, has replaced Carl Gossard (moved on to a new job)
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 2
Nancy Hirsch, ODF, has replaced Paul Bell (moved on to a new job)
Dave LaFave has replaced Bob Anderson (retired)
Gary Seidel (retired) replaced by Mark Havener
We have the benefit of new perspectives and new energy of 5 new members for PNWCG.
The focus will be the same as last year: Safety and what PNWCG’s role should be in safety.
(Handout 2 – Safety Focus Meeting draft meeting notes, v. 1, 7 pp)
(Handout 3 – PNWCG 2010 Accomplishment Report, 3 pp)
A few of our accomplishments:
 Formation of Oregon Interagency Geo Board (17 members)
 CPIWT continued producing an Annual Accomplishments Report,
 Tasking: By 15 Mar, please get your accomplishments into Rod Nichols , so it can be
included in the 2011 Annual Accomplishment Report.
 NW Center Mgr’s Group effort in defining the attributes of Interagency Dispatch Centers in
the area.
 Succession planning for IMTs. Significant national effort is going on. Pam Ensley and Sue
Husari have been working on this issue.
Today is about:
 To listen and to understand what, for each WT & AC, the main issues are.
 What the SC can do to help with these issues.
 What can be done collectively to help with this effort.
 What can we do, in context of declining budgets, to get the most from our efforts.
Working Team / Advisory Council Report outs
Fire Program Analysis Advisory Council
(Handout 4 – Pacific NW Incident Commander Council, 3 pp)
(Handout 5 – Fire Program Analysis (FPA) Update for 2012, 1p)
GISWST – report by Tod Johnson, Acting Liaison
(no handout)
Continuing with conference calls and completed work with the FWT to create an annual grants
map. Working to bring in fire and treatment data to use for a lot of different platforms.
GIS WT: Currently Jim Edmonds is acting for Dale Guenther.
Fuels Management Working Team
(Handout 6 – Fuels Management Working Team, 1 p)
Cyndi Sidles
The new Chair to be Darrell Johnston with Laura Mayer as new Vice Chair.
Meet 4 to 6 times a year. Completed the grants map this year and will continue to do that every
year.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 3
Compiled success stories for Cohesive Strategy. 2011 grants process has been completed.
Continue to update grants map.
Create a larger map to put all polygons in from 2005 up to now.
Work with the CPIWT to come up with a brochure or success story to take to job fairs.
Continue to work on FY12 grants process. Call letters have gone out
Suggestion on board to look at Communities at Risk.
Don’t have any Big T’s right now.
Website is up-to-date.
Barriers:
 Day job work commitments doesn’t allow a lot of additional time to devote to other work.
 Continued updates on National initiatives.
Communication Prevention Investigation Working Team Tom Knappenberger
(Handout 7 – Communication Prevention Investigation Working Team, 1p)
Maintain currency of website (Dale Guenther)
Annual Accomplishment Report Material to submit to Rod Nichols at rnichols@odf.state.or.us by
March 15.
The Prevention Conference is being held in Salishan this week.
There are 250 PIOs in the PNW.. A list has been put together in ROSS. Tom Knappenberger
maintains this list.
Training – succession planning involves training. Make the training more understanding and get
the word out on 203 Information Officer.
Fire restrictions website is up which they are trying to improve. It would link to all of the different
areas.
Barriers:
 Declining budgets effects travel and the ability for folks to attend training.
Needs:
 Work team needs support with budget issues and staff. Have a good core group right now in
the work team.
Fire Environment Advisory Council
(Handout 8 – Fire Environment briefing paper, 1 p)
Jason Loomis
Held a very successful Fire Behavior Workshop in 2011. Had about 60 attendees. Has gained
national attention.
Theresa Vonn has stepped down. Jason Loomis is the new chair. Appointed Chris Ann Kosel as
Vice Chair.
2012 some priorities:
Continued successional planning. 13 folks going to 590 this year. We will have great
representation from most of the agencies. 10 of those are going for LTAN.
Not many are going for FBAN.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 4
1. Priority is to continue to train upcoming fire analysts.
2. Continue to construct a PNW common operating picture (a google earth function). Working
on a suite for analytical tools.
3. Maintain close coordination with the NWCG fire behavior subcommittee to stay consistent
with national products.
Barriers:
 Time and budget, logistical support for conferences.
 Consistent commitment from all the agencies to be part of our plan and mission.
Needs: Continued support for AC mission and folks that represent the Fire Environment AC.
Presence on NW Fire Danger Operating Plans.
Have created a sub-group for the RAWs stations in preparation for agency reduction.
Have created a fuels & fire danger page at NWCC to make more interactive with the field units.
Hope to have it working in the next couple of weeks, with some BETA testing.
Incident Business Practices Working Team
Toni Chambers
(Handout 9 – Incident Business Practices WT Annual Report, 2 pp)
Brenda is now acting as Chair of the committee. Toni acting as Vice-Chair this year.
2012 POW
Evaluation & analysis at end of 2012 on cost camp rate (incident support cost) in prep for 2014
master agreement.
Evaluate future incident business training needs at all levels.
Group works well together. Would like to see full representation of all the agencies.
Barriers:
 Staff time to complete tasks.
 Understanding the laws, policies and practices of the various agencies. What we can or
can’t do.
Needs:
 Support from the PNWCG SC: Continue to support representation of participation.
Update on Task Order Crew Agreement: Task Order 1109-03 is due by the end of February.
Training Working Team
(Handout 10 – Training Working Team, 2 pp)
Bob Young
Revised our TWT charter.
MOU operating plan.
Barriers:
 Spending too much time on the MOUs and Firefigher Contract issues. Hope to turn that
around somehow.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 5
How are we going to approach the MOUs, there are a lot of questions surrounding the MOUs.
Beyond the scope of our abilities. We can manage the training aspect of this, however the bigger
issues could perhaps be taken on by a Blue Ribbon Committee. That would help the TWT.
From a meeting with the NWSA today, David Summer said from the discussion with them that the
time is right for a Blue Ribbon Committee to be put together to tackle the big issues.
Center Manager Advisory Council
Renae Crippen
(Handout 11 – Center Manager Advisory Council, 1 p)
(Handout 12 – A Proposal for Future Organization and Service, 2 pp)
Work begin done on little “ts”
Shared resources recording standard (hopefully will be a google based doc).
Put together a task group to look at the IT infrastructure – what opportunities exist on a
national level.
Task group working on a critical incident support plan- put together a critical response team
and a dispatch response team. (teams up on a 1-week rotation)
Task group is working on a “how to manual” Mobilization 101.
Big T:
Dispatch Super Centers.
Scoping doc sent out to center manager group. Received response from a half of that group.
Some concerns from center managers:
Span of control
Customer service
Hardware capability
If it’s not broke, why are we looking at changing it?
Barriers:
 Budget & travel
 Serving multiple agencies with different policies can be a challenge at times.
Needs:
 Continued support from PNWCG and assistance in getting this message out to the
operations and line personnel on this effort.
Operations Working Team
(Handout 13 – Operations Working Team, 2 pp)
John Szulc
John Szulc is the Chair, Dave Lentz is the Vice Chair.
Bobbie Scopa has been formally selected as the liaison for the OWT to the Oregon & Washington
Geo Boards.
Barriers:
 Staff time to complete tasks.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 6
Needs:
 Continue to receive clear and concise task orders.
Incident Commander Advisory Council
Brian Watts
(Handout 14 – Incident Commander Advisory Council, 1 p)
Priority areas:
Risk Assessment Process
Support OWT successional planning efforts
State Geo Boards
Developing strategies to incorporate T3 IMT IC’s within IC Council.
Barriers:
 Time commitments of IC Council members.
 Team management responsibilities. (managing rosters, etc. is year-round)
Needs:
 Continued support and course correction(s) by PNWCG SC.
Spring IC Meeting to be held on May 3 & 4 at a location along the river somewhere (hopefully
Hood River). Would like a member of the PNWCG SC to provide an update at the meeting, Brian
is currently working on the agenda.
Aviation Working Team
(Handout 15 – Aviation Working Team,1 p)
Kurt Kleiner
Meet 4 times a year.
Priorities:
Being poised and sensitive to be available, ready and alert to respond to PL4.
Would like some state support in the future.
Challenges: by April or shortly after, we’re going to get the implementation on the
Retardant EIS. This will have some short term reactionary work which will involve GIS
and other groups.
Aquatic invasive issue. That will have an effect, haven’t heard much about it recently, but
we know it’s coming.
Helicopter extraction protocols.Maybe ask Kurt to expand on this.
Barriers:
 Limited travel dollars.
 Time commitments from day job.
A big issue is the Retardant EIS (quite a bit of discussion on this item).
Meeting adjourned at 1700 hrs.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 7
Feb 15 Session
Meeting called to order at 0800 hrs.
Introductions & Welcome
Pat Kelly
Set expectations for the day
Joe Shramek
Strategic Plan Review
(Handout 16 – PNWCG Strategic Plan, Program & Annual Accomplishment Report, Feb 14,, 1 p)
(Handout 17 – PNWCG SC Mission Statement, Charter and Working Guidelines, 7 pp)
(Handout 18 – PNWCG Strategic Plan – January 2011, 4 pp)
(Handout 19 – PNWCG Program of Work – November 2011, 7 pp)
(Handout 20 – PNWCG SC/WT/AC meeting Feb 15-16, 2011, final notes, 12 pp)
(Handout 21 – Success Stories, 18 pp)
Action: Strategic Plan document – please take back to your work teams for feedback.
Give inputs to Pat Kelly by April 1, 2012.
Break out into groups for review and feedback for POW:
Brian Watts Group input:
Strategic Direction #1
Strategy A
o Tactic 2: clarification of intent of this statement (beyond ICs & OWT?)
Strategy B – no change
Strategy C – no change
Strategic Direction #2
Strategy A – no change
Strategy B – clarification of intent to better understand relationship between IA Dispatch Centers
and sub-geo coordination groups.
o Tactic 1: better define tactic / task.
Strategy C – this is completed.
Strategy D – fix numbering
o Tactic 1 – review communications plan and incorporate other methods/tools besides email
to reach customers. There are other methods of delivery that can be used now.
o Tactic 3 – review webpage annually to make sure things its functional.
Strategy E – look at ways to increase the GAC to GAC interface. Unclear how it works its way up.
o Tactic 4 – reword “to/from” communicate issues.
Strategy F – no change
Strategic Direction #3
Strategy A
o Tactic 1 – is it happening annually?
o Tactic 2 – completed?
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 8
o
o
o
o
Tactic 3 – update on status
Tactic 4 – no change
Tactic 5 – no change
Tactic 6 – task group/leader to compile stats annual and distribute.
Strategy B – no change. Maybe add a tactic.
Strategy C – feedback/success?
Strategy D
o Tactic 1 – which website? put in PNWCG to clarify
Strategy E – add verbiage on implementing National Succession Plan.
o Tactic 5 (New) – targeted training for IMT Succession, budget shortages.
Note: it may be time to take a hard look at who we’re putting our training into.
A new task for the TWT?
Strategy F (New) – emphasis on interagency dispatch center to facilitate sustainable/flexible
incident response.
o Tactic 1 – develop plan to integrate IA dispatch centers into sub-geo corrdination.
Strategy G (New) – support interagency efforts which improve operational efficiency
o Tactic 1 – look for opportunities for shared resources/functions across agency.
Strategic Direction #4
o Tactic 3 – status?
Strategic Direction #5
Strategy B
o Tactic 1 – update language “Fire Use Working Team”
Strategy C
o Tactic 1 – update naming of teams assigned this task
o Tactic 2 – update status to Done!
Joe Shramek’s Group input:
Continue to monitor and integrate Cohesive Strategy. Needs assessment and operational capability)
This could fit under Strategic Direction #4.
Strategic Direction #2
Strategy B – “sub-geo boundaries?”
o provide clear text for what this means
o need tactic that speaks to on-going work of center manager advisory council – interagency
and meeting needs.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 9
Strategic Direction #3 – good learning but need to share more.
o create PNWCG vision for health & safety (create a new tactic)
o NIMO - think of using NIMO expertise and capacity to accomplish needs.
Strategy E – add tactic – (Joe) prioritize IMT classes for needs
o transition to a new future
Prioritization:
o Strategic plan as a whole
o Within working groups
o Add-drop-prioritize
Add a tactic about prioritizing the focus training, needs assessment, where are our critical shortages,
how can we meet them over the long haul.
Prioritization, can we do everything, should we pick out the top 2 to 3 items to focus on. The same
concept for the working teams.
**Great Suggestion** Program of work – a tactic use the existing POW and have the working
teams and advisory councils take a look at it and ask if there is something that needs to be on the
POW that isn’t. Then prioritize what is most important and what can be dropped. That way we
have alignment. What are the 3 or 4 things that are most important. Develop and investment plan
from that list. With everyone having limited time to work on tasks, it’s important to invest time
wisely for the most benefit. (David Summer)
The big 3:
Safety & Health
IMT Succession Planning
Cohesive Strategy
Pam Ensley: Need to triage, pick the most important points (3 to 4) and go with them to focus our
energies.
Joe Shramek: As we finalize the POW, important to draw out and highlight those items that are
most important.
On the Cohesive Strategy, we want to stay engaged with developments, including the completion
and use of the Westwide Risk Assessment, provide input when/if appropriate, and use the resulting
strategy to help guide PNWCG’s focus and priorities.
As Chairs go back to WT & AC. Ask those questions to the teams and councils to get the members
feedback.
Need to frame up our questions a bit more, but those can come a bit later.
Get POW updated and out using a variety of media. Take a deliberate course and stay focused.
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 10
Open Discussion
If we put the agenda items over the last 5 years and put into 4 buckets, these are the topics that we
have spent the most time on, with number 1 being the most. Get a perspective of current
operations.
1) Leading category was fire events & reactions to fire events. (June mtg devoted to
MAC simulation)
2) Internal mgmt of working teams: hearing reports, giving delegations, writing task
orders WT/AC reorganization
3) Interagency crew agreement. Getting briefed, crew number thresholds,
consequences of non-awards, series of lawsuits.
4) National initiatives: NMAC/GMAC, Cohesive Strategy
Is the model that we’ve developed over the past two decades sustainable in where we’re going?
(Pam Ensley) Is this what we need for our future? Something to think about.
How can you have a “short team” approach toward PNWCG model? Could there be proxy for
DNR to speak for ODF or FS for DOI? Think about: does every committee have to have all the
agencies represented at every meeting? Have to figure out what we can do collectively. (David
Summer)
Perhaps in some cases, allow the interagency processes to work out organically, rather than a top
down model. Give them sideboards to work from, and provide guidance when needed.
A place-based rather than agency-based system can be a good way to go. It’s getting a lot of
attention with the FS right now. (David Summer)
Are we doing sufficient recognition for the thousands who are doing good work out there?
An interagency non-monetary award could go a long way to show appreciation. (David Summer)
Currently looking at our organization in a strategic way and trying to find a way to do business
differently. What are the connections at the national level & regional level? How can we focus on
the top 3 issues and still do our work. Perhaps it’s a matter of saying no to some things right now,
and communicating to staff that it’s okay to say no. Work-life balance needs to be sustained and
not sure if that’s possible with the current way we do business right now. (Nancy Hirsch)
At every level, at every agency seems to be experiencing the same thing that we’re taking about. At
a conference call this morning, there were staff unable to attend because they are overcommitted.
The work still gets done because of their passion for the work that they do. (Jason Loomis)
Are we’re going to operate interagency or as one agency?t. The question is finding the path that
will work best for us. (David Summer)
Frequently Asked Questions
(Handout 21 – PNWCG FAQs, Feb 21, 2012, v3, 2 pp)
The FAQs are also on the PNWCG website. If anyone has any thoughts or edits to the FAQs,
please contact Pat Kelly at pjk_4@comcast.net
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 11
AAR
Jason Loomis
What were the workshop objectives?
 Forum for all members, past & present, to reflect and develop for future
 Communication opportunity for PNWCG to hear from WT & AC what we need to do more
to help them.
 Pathway for future and success. Review Strategies and objectives.
 What message do we want to carry forward?
 All agencies have similar constraints: declining budgets, staffing, priorities.
 Dedication, commitment and the courage to take on tough issues.
 Interagency commitment and support.
Shortcomings:
- Access to facilities for non Federal employees was time consuming
- AC/WT: Chair and/or vice Chair, pre-meeting to set expectations was only attended by
1 WT.
- Advancement or involvement of multiple WT/ACs for future follow-up or discussion.
- Better transition between incoming and outgoing members.
- PNWCG SC – continue working on liaison roles.
What can we incorporate in subsequent PNWCG SC meetings.
 Early recognition/vision/expectations from PNWCG.
Renae Crippen appreciates the opportunity to be a part of the PNWCG SC. We need to get the
message out to the folks on the ground on the work that you do. A YouTube?
Adjourned at 1200 hrs.
Handouts
Handout 1 – PNWCG SC/WT Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 201 agenda, 1 p
Handout 2 – Safety Focus Meeting draft meeting notes, v. 1, 7 pp
Handout 3 – PNWCG 2010 Accomplishment Report, 3 pp
Handout 4 – Pacific NW Incident Commander Council, 3 pp
Handout 5 – Fire Program Analysis (FPA) Update for 2012, 1p
Handout 6 – Fuels Management Working Team, 1 p
Handout 7 – Communication Prevention Investigation Working Team, 1 p
Handout 8 – Fire Environment briefing paper, 1 p
Handout 9 – Incident Business Practices WT Annual Report, 2 pp
Handout 10 – Training Working Team, 2 pp
Handout 11 – Center Manager Advisory Council, 1 p
Handout 12 – A Proposal for Future Organization and Service, 2 pp
Handout 13 – Operations Working Team, 2 pp
Handout 14 – Incident Commander Advisory Council, 1 p
Handout 15 – Aviation Working Team,1 p
Handout 16 – PNWCG Strategic Plan, Program & Annual Accomplishment Report, Feb 14, 1 p
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 12
Handout 17 – PNWCG SC Mission Statement, Charter and Working Guidelines, 7 pp
Handout 18 – PNWCG Strategic Plan – January 2011, 4 pp
Handout 19 – PNWCG Program of Work – November 2011, 7 pp
Handout 20 – PNWCG SC/WT/AC meeting Feb 15-16, 2011, final notes, 12 pp
Handout 21 – Success Stories, 18 pp
Handout 22 – PNWCG FAQ’s, Feb 21, 2011, v3, 2 pp
Handout 23 – List of Attendees, work phone numbers & email addresses, 1 p
PNWCG SC/WT/AC Annual Workshop Feb 14-15, 2012 pg 13