PNWCG Steering Committee
12 May 1999
Attending:
Laurie Perrett - SORO
Joe Stutler - SORO
Terry Brown - FS
Terry Hueth - BLM - Chair
Barbara Kennedy - FS
Cory Winnie - BIA
Mike Edrington - FS
John Viada - WADNR
Dennis Macomber - FWS
Mark Forbes - NPS
Bob Young - ODF
Bob Anderson - Wa. State Fire Chiefs
1. April Notes were approved as read.
2. Engine Staffing - Terry Brown
National standards, as recommended by NWCG, for staffing of type 3, 4, and 5
engines
(2 personnel/engine) were accepted. A letter from the Steering
Committee to this effect
will also state that PNWCG endorses the concept of
staffing these types of engines with
three people for purposes of safety and
effeciency.
3. NWCG Meeting Attendance - Hueth
Mike Edrington will attend the meeting of NWCG, to be held in Seattle on 6/10 at
0800.
4. Master Agreement Signatures - Kennedy
Operation plans for the Northwest were signed by the Fire Directors.
5. Strategic Planning - Hueth
Committee members and issues were reaffirmed. Each group will report on their
progress
towards goal implementation at the June 16 steering committee meeting.
6. IMT Update - Hueth
Integration of Alaska and Pacific Northwest type I teams is taking place in order
to help
mitigate the scarcity of qualified team personnel in both areas.
7. Agency Fire Weather Meteorologists Update Position descriptions have been written and will be sent to Personnel specialists at
BIA
and FWS for classification.
8. SAFENET - Stutler
SAFENET is a ground version of the SAFECOM process for documenting and
correcting
unsafe situations in fire operations. Federal agencies in the NW Area will
participate in
a pilot program in 1999 to evaluate its effectiveness. Oregon and Washington
state
committee members will determine if the state are interested in
participating in this
program.
9. National Weather Service Update - Ziolko
The Committee approved a letter drafted by the Weather Working Team
recommending
that the closure of 3 NW Area fire weather offices (Portland/Salem, Wenatchee,
Olympia)
not be certified at this time.
10. Resource Allocation in the NW Area - Perrett
Laurie Perrett presented the draft of a process paper concerning the
implementation
of the Federal Wild Land Fire Policy in the NW Area. The draft was accepted
without
modification by the Steering Committee.
10. Non-standard aircraft call signs - Group
Terry Hueth will draft a letter to area units reaffirming the use of standard aircraft
call sign
procedures.
11. June 16 Agenda Items:
•
PNWCG Strategic Planning- Each Steering committee task group to develop strategy
and tactics for one of their goals and discuss them June 16.
•
DNR and ODF report on strategies to move from 2 to 3 person engines/