Pacific Northwest Coordination Group Steering Committee (PNWCG SC)
Meeting Notes Final
December 5, 2007 @ Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC)
Attending: Pat Kelly, Executive Director PNWCG SC; Sue Husari, NPS, Chair;
Cory Winnie, BIA-NWRO, Vice Chair; Ken Snell, USFS R6; Mark Kahley, WADNR; Bill
Lafferty, ODF; Earl Cordes, OR Fire Chiefs; Pam Ensley, USFWS, Jan Mathis, BLM-SORO
as notetaker; Gordon Foster, ODF as presenter, Mary Anne Sanford as presenter; USFS, Steve
Dickenson, NWCC, Ann Walker, ODF, guest.
Meeting CALLED TO ORDER at 9:00 a.m. Pat Kelly presented agenda overview.
(Handout #1)
I. Chair’s Remarks (Objective: Update, leaders intent) Sue Husari
Sue will meet with Cory to transition over the chair. (effective in January)
II. November Notes (Objective: Finalize and approve)
Notes approved with the addition of NMAC/GMAC attendees for meeting in January: Randy
Simpson, Cory, Sue and Gerry will attend.
III. Best Value Dispatch Proposal Gordon Foster, presenter
(Objective: Clarify and understand the proposal)
Currently contract resources on best value agreements are dispatched thru an interim process
adopted in 2006.
Gordon reviewed and explained Task Order 0606-02:
The Goal: Develop a single process for dispatching “Best Value” resources that can meet the
“Desired Delivery time” from across the geographic area.
Handout #2 – Implementation Plan for Dispatching Best Value Agreement Suppression
Resources in Oregon and Washington.
On a slow year or on a prescribed fire, we need to educate the crews to do a good job so they
will get a good ranking. (Earl Cordes)
There could be consequences of turning down an assignment and to avoid “cherry picking” –
something be written into the agreement such as a 48 hour time limit, then they would go to the
bottom of the list. (Pam Ensley)
Currently, only host units can view the resources that they host. Another area wouldn’t be able
to view the whole list of best value resources to find the one who would be able to fill requests
for “desired delivery time”.
ROSS has a way of doing this with certain permissions. It would have to be a fix from the
programmers since it is now a 3-tiered system. This needs to be worked out. (Steve
Dickenson)
The 3-tired system is an impediment to a lot of other issues, not just this. This process needs to
be addressed. (Sue Husari)
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A big drawback is there’s no mechanism for a coordinator response. We don’t have the tools
for it to work at the Geographic level. We need a good tool, ROSS won’t do it – it’s not fast or
agile enough. (Steve Dickenson)
There will be a need for compliance with dispatch procedures and we would all have to use
ROSS for this to be able to work.
- Database part – Best Value/Desired Delivery Time
- Get ROSS to do these things
- Communication Strategy - the interest groups you need to touch in dealing with these
issues. Got to pull all these together so they can understand how this process works.
Recommended Implementation Timeline –
Full implement by 2010 – which should be pushed back to one more year, to 2011
(Gordon Foster)
Conceptually this would work - it will be a slow process with ROSS, but will need to begin
implementation of the process. If ROSS can’t do it, then let’s find another tool to use in the
interim, however, there will be a need to link to the ROSS system.
3 issues: Pat Kelly
1. How to handle a contractor when refuses an assignment
- Further discussion decided that this is a non-issue and can be handled through the
contracting process.
2. Technology: enhancing ROSS functionality
Using another database product
3. Implementation time 2011 as a 2007 or 2008 product
1) 30,000 View (Info from flip chart)
- Fed Competitive Sourcing - complimentary
- Boundary less dispatch (GACC) – complimentary to the proposal
20,000 View
- Do a “map quest” at GAC/WA/OR level
- GAC specific tool?
- Need a tool in the toolbox
Issues:
- Tech functionality (ROSS)
a. Map Quest, etc.
- Consequence if a dispatch is refused
2) Must be a ROSS link
1. Work group?
3) 2010?
There is an interagency process going on which is looking at the dispatch process. GAO or
OIG suggestion – boundary less dispatch. More centralization (A76)
There is agreement that there is value to the proposal.
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IV. Best Value Dispatch Proposal
Could we all agree to a single set of assumptions before we send another task order to another
group to move forward? Can we do this between the two states? (Sue Husari)
Good discussion and clarification of the question.
(Info from flip chart)
Conceptually we are headed toward a boundary less system in PNW. Must be documented,
coherent and transparent.
Decision: Use 2006 interim process to be used until replaced by the process described in the
Implementation plan for dispatching best value resources Oregon and Washington with the
year for complete implementation being 2011.
Monitoring the decision: Gerry Day is requested to keep the SC informed regarding the
ability of the ROSS program to incorporate the functionality needed to implement this
decision.
3 Issues to address:
1. Tech functionality (ROSS)
2. Consequences if a dispatch is refused
3. 2010?
Technology (Info from flip chart)
1)
Action 1: Gerry to champion enhancements to National level.
Letter from PNW SC to Gerry with product to the change group.
- Sue will initiate a letter (with cc: Quinn)
Action 2: Edit role of Host Unit – a generic role (aligned with implementation)
Gordon’s group will do edits to Task Order 0606-02 and will send out a
draft to SC two weeks ahead of the March 19, 2008 meeting. SC will let
Gordon know the week before the meeting if they would like a
presentation.
Will need to address other items after we get the ROSS response.
2)
Group is comfortable dismissing the issue of “Consequences if a dispatch is
refused” at this time.
3)
Decision: Due 2011
V. Dates for Spring Meeting with WTs
April 28 & 29, 2008 Will be a noon to noon workshop. Site to be set.
Preferences: near an airport, captive audience site.
VI. PNWCG Logo
Agreement to use the logo with the agencies listed on the left hand side. Pat will put together a
sample for the next meeting for review.
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Lunch Break at noon. Reconvened at 12:30pm
VII. SC Team Room/Web Page (Objective: Define desired functionality)
Mary Anne Sanford, presenter
Team Room – Mary Anne demonstrated how to use the site; explained the features and
functions.
Handout #3 PNWCG Quickplace Teamroom
Team Room is a secure, private site for Working Groups to use to discuss issues, collaborate,
track tasks, and share information. It’s available to all agencies via the internet, accessible by
using your Lotus shortname.
The address for PNWCG Quickplace Teamroom is:
http://wwwnotes.fs.fed.us:81/QuickPlace/pnwcg/Main.nsf
Pat and Cory will be administrators for the site.
Thoughts on functionalities. Would like to see something like the following:
1. The Strategic Plan – monitor and track
2. Track Task Orders
3. Agenda and Agenda Development
4. Documents for Review
5. Calendars
6. Score Card type of system
Add: (Info from flip chart)
 Strategic Plan
 Task Orders
 Agendas
 Documents for Review
It would be nice to have the calendar accessible for the whole PNWCG.
Every member needs to make a good effort to get a password and log onto the site. Pat and
Mary Anne will develop some other functionalities to go over with the group at the next
meeting.
Quick Place is good for working documents and items being processed. The
private storage area and archives is available to BLM and FS only. It can be sent to Jan by
email and she can store in archives for members from other agencies.
The process works something like this (Info from flip chart)
QUICKPLACE
Private
Draft
Working
PNWCG
WWW WEBSITE
Public
Completed
FS WEB
FS/BLM Intranet
Library
Archives/Storage
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Next meeting, address: Status and Functionality of Working Team Assignments
The site appears to be blackberry friendly. (Ken Snell)
Regarding the external site: Mary Anne and Pat are working on the PNWCG website up-todate, validated and current by March 2008. Then it would be a matter of maintenance.
VIII. PNWCG SC Charter (Objective: Establish process for update)
Handout #4 PNWCG Steering Committee Mission Statement, Charter, and Working Guidelines
Handout #5 – PNWCG Meeting Agenda from Jan 18, 2006
SC Reviewed charter.
Sue will edit the document and bring a draft back to the next meeting
- Add rotations
- Fix the spelling – standardize the capitalization
- Change the names of the Working Teams
Sue will edit and put in the Team Room and email it to the SC members.
Placeholder for January meeting – to go over the draft of the charter, edit and provide
input.
During review of the charter, these were some of the items found to be missing:
- Rotation Schedule
- Adjusting the names of the groups
- Combine the National Fire Plan (NFP) with the Fire and Fuels Plan. (see Sept
notes)
- FPA Group needs to be in the charter. In May 2006, the SC approved the FPA
Group Steering Committee and Implementation Team. They were never
included in the charter. Need to revisit this issue. Does the SC still agree with
the decision?
- Found documents, FPA Group Steering Committee and Implementation Team
Contracting, Communications to integrate the workings of the FPA
IX. Extension of BV Crew Contract (BV=Best Value) Bill Lafferty
Decision: The SC agreed to the extension of the Best Value Crew Contract as proposed by Bill
Lafferty.
X. IHC Issue Ken Snell
Met with the IHCs and found that they would like a better feedback loop between other
members up the line (the ICs, AAs) to address issues relating to safety and efficiencies.
Wanted to bring this to the SC and to suggest the idea of and develop a system-wide feedback
approach to safety and efficiencies.
Good discussion on this issue. Sarah Robertson is putting together a briefing paper to present
to the Ops Working Group.
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This information is a heads up to the SC that this will be coming up in the future.
XI. Bin Items Pat Kelly
Vice Chair 2008 Tentative Vice Chair for 2008 is Randy Simpson.
Sue and Pat will look to find an old agency charter with the Rotation information in it.
Cost Sharing: A good discussion on PNWCG costs and sharing. The way it is worked for the
federal agencies is using a percentage formula and for other agencies, it could be modeled on a
case by case basis. Sue will draft something up
Placeholder for next meeting: Cost Sharing
XI. AAR
+ Agenda about right
+ Good job of getting through Best Value Dispatch
- Some members miss the Round Robin (Agency specific, hot topics) (mixed opinions)
Tidbits:
Regarding Task Order 0704. Gotten concerns in training area for college providers. Made a
mod proposal that makes good sense. Wants to slightly modify it and wants to send to SC for
January meeting for re-review.
Bill Lafferty –There’s going to be a Westside Risk Assessment (similar to what the South has
done). ODF is taking on the project and will receive a 1.2 million contract to do an assessment
which will include 17 Western states, Alaska included. They’ll be needing land, fire data and
historical fire information from fed agencies from across the West. They will begin this
project in Jan 2008 and will be working on it over the next 2 years. Jim Wolf, will be the
project lead/coordinator. When completed, the information will be presented to Congress.
This is Earl Cordes last meeting, Doug Koellermeier will be taking his place.
Gerry was happy with what we decided in regards to Best Value Dispatch.
XII. Adjourned at 1500 hrs.
HANDOUTS:
1. Agenda for December 5th meeting at NWCC & Tentative Agenda for January (2 pp)
2. Implementation Plan for Dispatching Best Value Agreement Suppression Resources in
Oregon and Washington (21 pp)
3. PNWCG Quickplace Teamroom (6 pp)
4. PNWCG Steering Committee Mission Statement, Charter, and Working Guidelines (6 pp)
5. PNWCG Meeting Agenda from Jan 18, 2006 (2 pp)
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