PNWCG Steering Committee
March 20, 2002
Meeting Minutes
Attendees:
Pam Ensley, USFWS
Leo Sidebotham, BLM
Bill Lafferty, ODF
Bob Anderson, Spokane County Fire District #9
Bruce Monell, DNR
Barbara Kennedy, SORO
Corrie Winnie, BIA
Mark Forbes, NPS
John Viada, DNR
Laurie Perrett, USFS
Presenters/Guests:
Gary Larson
Gerry Day
Blanche France
Ed Daniels
Dick Gromley
Bob Heaton
Terry Brown
Thomas Schmidt
Contractor Training Standards – Leo Sidebotham, Ed Daniels, Dick Gormley, Bob Heaton,
and Terry Brown
Discussed the Contractor Training Certification & Red Card process. Two Task Orders came out
of the discussion:
Task Order 1
PNWCG Training Working Team (WT) will establish an interagency process and identify staffing
to monitor contractor training and training records in accordance with the MOU. Training WT
will communicate and coordinate any identified contractor issues with the Contract WT.
Timeline:
Progress report on April 17, with completion in July.
PNWCG Steering Committee
March 20, 2002
Page 2
The Steering Committee (SC) provided direction to the Training WT to go ahead and begin the
necessary analysis and plan development, which resulted in Task Order 2.
Task Order 2
Interagency Analysis that explores the long term solutions for monitoring training, referring for
quality and monitoring, looking at and examine the following six alternatives, and include a cost
analysis:
1. Add permanent staff to the agencies currently administering the contract and agreement.
2. Spread the responsibilities for monitoring across all agencies by identifying additional
personnel than are currently involved.
3. Require a Firefighting Contractors License through an appropriate State-level licensing board.
The licensing board would do the monitoring.
4. Contract out the monitoring of private sector training.
5. Do only what’s being done now.
6. Agency provided training/certification.
Timeline:
November 20, PNWCG Meeting.
Ed Daniels agreed to notify the SC via e-mail if any suspension actions are taken.
Update on the Internet Contingency – Gerry Day and Blanche France
Blanche updated the SC on the February 26 meeting with all agency IT folks. Blanche asked that
each agency provide her with a contact/representative that has both IT knowledge and fire field
related experience to help identify the applications that are critical to each site. Blanche asked to
receive the name of each agencies contact by March 25. (See attached Plan of Action provided by
Blanche).
Availability of training slots for Wildland Courses – Bob Anderson
Bob discussed an issue that was brought up to him from William Mac Knight, regarding their
registration for various trainings. The consensus of the SC was to recognize them as the
DOE/Hanford Fire Department and allow them to attend any NWCG training courses as a public
fire agency. Bob and Pam will draft a letter to DOE encouraging their participation in the
PNWCG.
Prevention WT Task Order Revision Proposal - Bruce Monell
Bruce handed out a memo requesting an amendment to Task Order 9909-13, after discussion with
the SC, the consensus was for Bruce to clean up the language in the memo and send it to Barbara
Kennedy as implementation guidance not an amendment to the Task Order.
PNWCG Steering Committee
March 20, 2002
Page 3
National Fire Plan Update - Thomas Schmidt
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At the April 15 –17, Interagency Coordinators Meeting in Madison,WI, Thomas will be
giving a presentation on what is going on in the NW.
Compliance Issue - Thomas discussed the issuing of Federal Grants to states or
communities and how we are complying with NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, and
looking for a consistent view of how this is being accomplished.
They have received 149 grant applications. Of those 149, there are 73 WUI applications
(potentially ground-disturbing projects), 22 state of Oregon applications, and 4 state of
Washington applications. The other 47 potential grants are from communities. There are
more applications than dollars resulting in some of the projects not getting funded. Thomas
indicated that the WUI fuels treatments are the 1st priority.
The 2003 grant process may need to be moved up due to the fact that the decisions need to
be made on which projects to fund in 2003 by September 1. This would mean they would
need to be through NEPA/ESA etc., process as well.
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The Prioritization Team is making good progress and will make a more detailed report
later.
The 10 year Strategy is being redone. It will be out for review again soon. Thomas will
send out to the SC.
National Performance Measures for the NFP on an interagency basis will be out soon.
Thomas will email to the SC.
Pacific NW Strategy – if you have comments please provide those to Thomas. The intent
behind the Pacific NW Strategy is to go back to DC to inform them of our NW strategy.
Strategy Team’s accomplishment report is almost ready to go it just needs some DOI data
(other than BLM). If you have some data that you haven’t given to Ken Snell or Brenda
Lincoln please get it in ASAP.
Thomas handed out a contract with Ahtna and asked that the SC take a look at it and think
about it. Thomas will send an email asking if the SC is interested in hearing more, If so, he
will see if they are available to come talk to the SC.
30 Mile Information – Gary Larsen
Gary Larsen discussed with the SC his involvement in the Administrative Investigation and
described his experience in the Administrative Investigation process.
Strategic Plan and Strategies and Tactics – Task Groups
(To be sent out later).
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March 20, 2002
Page 4
Prevention Groups on Incidents – Bruce Monell
Bruce discussed the likelihood of the prevention groups going out on incidents. These groups
would be keyed as Local Prevention Specialists. The training would be paid by each agency’s
prevention budget, but if they go out to a fire their time could be charged to the fire. The Local
Prevention Specialist will work for the IIO. Friday, March 22, Bruce is taking this concept to
the Agency Administrator’s meeting in Spokane. This same message will be presented to the
Teams in late April at Team Training. Bob Anderson asked Bruce for a boiler plate of what is
going to be presented to the Washington Incident Management Teams, to provide to the 2
National Incident Management Teams in May.