Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group
2011 Accomplishments
Who we are
The Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group (PNWCG) is an association of eleven local, state and federal
agencies that either have wildland fire protection responsibilities or support agencies that do. The members
include:
Forest Service
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Fish and Wildlife Service
Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Washington Dept. of Natural Resources
National Park Service
Washington Association of Fire Chiefs
Oregon Fire Chiefs Association
Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office
Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office
Background
To provide for overall coordination of wildland fire training, preparedness and cooperation, the National
Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) was established in 1976. In 1984, the Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the States of
Oregon and Washington chartered the Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group (PNWCG)
Since then, wildland fire protection in the region has become a truly
collaborative interagency effort, encompassing fire prevention and
preparedness as well as training and execution. The PNWCG found
itself well poised to participate in the current development of the
National Cohesive Strategy, as directed by the 2009 FLAME Act.
The evolving Cohesive Strategy has three major emphasis areas that
align well with the work of the PNWCG: restoring and maintaining
resilient landscapes, creating Fire-Adapted Communities, and
responding to wildfires.
This report highlights activities of the PNWCG in 2011 through its working teams & advisory
councils.
Working Teams
To accomplish the array of tasks that arise in coordinating wildfire response across an entire region, the PNWCG
Steering Committee established various working teams. There are currently eight, each with a distinctive
mission, as follows:
Aviation Working Team (AWT)
Mission: To provide cooperative interagency aviation expertise in support of all-incident management in Oregon
and Washington. Primary focus of this team is aviation safety, including management and operations oversight.
Communication, Fire Prevention and Investigation (CPI) Working Team
Mission: To promote a better understanding of wildland fire through communication, prevention and investigation using a coordinated interagency effort.
Fuels Management Working Team
Mission: To better identify priority locations for future grants and fuels reduction/land management projects
using a collaborative, multi-level interagency approach.
Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group
2011 Accomplishments
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Working Team
Mission: To provide efficient and effective ways to meet fire program needs for geospatial information through an
interagency forum, and to develop a process for coordination of interagency sponsored geospatial information
initiatives. The GIS Working Team will work to support and implement strategic and tactical applications of GIS
for the Pacific Northwest wildland fire community.
Incident Business Practices Working Team (IBP WT)
Mission: To provide an efficient, effective, coordinated interagency approach to the fire business management
activities of wildland fire protection agencies in Oregon and Washington.
Operations Working Team (OWT)
Mission: To provide a coordinated interagency approach to operational activities of wildland fire management in
Oregon and Washington; additionally, to identify issues and recommend proactive solutions to potential problems
related to interagency fire pre-suppression and suppression programs.
Safety and Health Working Team (SH WT)
Mission: To improve firefighter health, safety and effectiveness through emphasis on excellence in workforce
development, leadership and the establishment of standards based on principles within a developing safety
culture. Through data collection and analysis the team will validate and prioritize safety issues for resolution
and communication to the field and management.
Training Working Team (TWT)
Mission: To provide a coordinated, interagency approach to fire management training in the Pacific Northwest
geographic area.
Advisory Councils
Four advisory councils provide advice to the PNWCG:
Incident Commander Advisory Council
Fire Environment Advisory Council
Fire Program Analysis Advisory Council
Northwest Center Managers Advisory Council
Incident Commander Advisory Council (IC AC)
Mission: To serve the PNWCG as a body of resident experts, providing advice, and developing recommendations,
processes and procedures to improve the consistency and performance of geographic area Interagency Incident
Management Team (IMT) operations.
Inside Story Headline
Fire Environment Advisory Council (FEN AC)
Mission: To provide interagency, strategic vision and direction relating to measuring, analyzing and predicting
the Pacific Northwest wildland fire environment.
Fire Program Analysis Advisory Council (FPA AC)
Mission: To provide advice, monitoring and assistance to field units in the interagency implementation of
Fire Program Assessment (FPA). FPA is an interagency analysis that includes an aggregation of all lands being
considered in the analysis called a Fire Planning Unit (FPU). Interagency FPUs have been identified in the
Pacific Northwest and are listed in the Advisory Council Program of Work.
Northwest Center Managers Advisory Council (NWCM AC)
Mission: To develop a formal interagency structure that would provide consistent oversight and organization to
matters concerning the governance and operation of the Interagency Dispatch Coordination System.
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Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group
2011 Accomplishments
What We Accomplished
Here are some of the key working team accomplishments in 2011:

Sponsored the Interagency Fire Crew Agreement through the
Oregon Department of Forestry. (IBP WT)

Working together, three teams finalized a map product
inventorying all Federal National Fire Plan grant hazardous
fuels reduction projects from 2001 to present.
(Fuels, GIS and CPI WTs)

Coordinated a regional Incident Business/Fire Procurement Workshop attended by over 150 people.
(IBP WT)

Maintained a contact list for Pacific Northwest Public Information Officers and provided key updates
by email. (CPI WT)

Reassessed and modified the standard support cost rates for interagency cost-share agreements. (IBP WT)

Coordinated with the PNW Prevention Conference work group, providing input and support. (CPI WT)

Focused on capacity building through increased skills by offering advanced cost and I-Suite training
courses. (IBP WT)

Refined the Incident Business and Procurement Working Team website to make it more user friendly
for agency employees and the public. (IBP WT)

Compiled regional success stories to accompany the Cohesive Strategy. (Fuels WT)

Led the 2011 Community Assistance Grants process, awarding approximately $1.7 Million. (Fuels WT)
Here are some of the advisory council accomplishments in 2011:

Led PNW IMTs in incorporating a deliberate risk-assessment process in team planning and decision making.
(IC AC)

Led IMTs in utilizing standardized medical response procedures to provide consistency to firefighters on
incidents. (IC AC)

Began identifying opportunities for improving interagency dispatch coordination through factors that
critically influence a dispatch center’s capability to successfully meet interagency workload demands.
(NWCM AC)

Created a uniform reporting standard that will facilitate daily shared resource status reporting through
an Internet-based program applicable to all dispatch centers in the Pacific Northwest. (NWCM AC)

Identified standard protocols and procedures for the safety and welfare of dispatch staff and operations
personnel, ensuring effective dispatch operations during critical incidents. (NWCM AC)

Planned and hosted a workshop on fire behavior and fire weather patterns specific to the Pacific Northwest,
as well as fire modeling. This led to the development of a partnership with the International Association of
Fire Ecology for planned 2012/2013 sessions. (FEN AC)

The Oregon GeoBoard has been chartered and staffed to provide a new level of leadership and guidance to
Oregon’s four interagency Type Two IMTs. (OWT with Support from the IC AC)

Continued to lead the development of succession plans for all Pacific Northwest IMTs. (OWT with Support from
the IC AC)
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