Blue Group Breakout
Buying Teams/Expanded Dispatch
Problem
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Lack of experienced people
Lack of people
Prioritization of needs
They are trying to decide what is best for us
IBA guidance and pressure
Solution
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Subject Matter Expert w/buying team and expanded dispatch
Clarify roles/responsibilities of the IBA
o Works for L.O – solve at the inbrief
o Oversight – looks for anomalies
o Early meeting – IBA, IC, LSC, L.O. clarify
o Delegation of authority to order direct to the cache
Suggest face-to-face meet – why special needs
Team prioritize orders for the buying team/expanded dispatch
Utilize retirees (or experienced older folks) in expanded dispatch
Med unit leader talk direct to expanded to clarify medical needs and why special needs
SPUL do face-to-face in dealing with expanded and buying team
Logistics People – Funding/Lack of Personnel
Problem
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Majority of Logistics and Finance people are non-fire folks (critical shortage area)
Primary reason – lack of funding available (F.S.) for training
Indicators are dramatic shrinking pool of IMT’s and available resources
Solution
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Fire folks (Ops) need to develop skills in other areas
Fire management needs to provide funding to militia – 2 way street agreement –
individual/supervisor must make the person available
DR’s and Forest Sups (food chain management) MUST support training needs financially
MEL hires – 2 tracks – Ops AND ______________
Chief of Forest Service and Interior agency leads need to support that fire is a collateral
duty – job requirement
FEMA All Risk Training
Problem
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Trust factor between FEMA and the teams
Need understanding by FEMA of IMT capabilities
FEMA is territorial
Solution
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ICS and staff need to coordinate with FEMA teams on each incident
Training/briefing of FEMA re: IMT capabilities, organization, Ops, etc
Liaison officers
Invite FEMA to observe on wild land fire incidents
Train IMTs on the Federal Response Plan
D.O.T. Issues
Problem
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Equipment inspection standards perceived differences
Solution
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Order equipment with lots of detail/specifics – ICS 213
Utilize Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation book – call 1-800-621-5808
Utilize EQPI – Equipment Inspector and EIRS – Equipment Inspection Repair Specialist
o EIRS – 40 hr course EQPM; GSUL; Mechanics
o What’s coming – EQPI qualified to be EQPM
o “REJECT” Equipment standards using North American Standard out-of-service
criteria CVSA – Log Chief can mitigate (use equipment) safely -> fix before next
dispatch. (OF 296 Rev 4/2000)
o Now 13 EIRS in California
o All inspection info will be available on Log Net
Smart Cards
Problem
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Why did the program die?
Need some type of automated information management system for resource tracking
(could also help with fire use and loss tolerance)
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Original Smart Card system wasn’t implemented nationally/universally (couldn’t get
buy-in – budget problems, developed regionally – not locally
Solution
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Is I-Suite program with barcode an option?
Need national/comprehensive system
Logistics personnel need to keep bringing this need/problem up
Could it be incorporated into Red Card or other similar item?
Need standardized process that works for fed/state/county/local
Advances in IM may make a new system easier to implement
Pre-season Agreements – Local Resource Advisor Handbook
Problem
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Need for land-use, potable water source, recycling sites, wash stations, gray water
disposal, etc – 3 ring binder available with pre-use agreements available at the incident
Inadequate info for resources – noxious weeds, T & E
Solution
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Need to work with local forest procurement/contracting pre-season to identify needs,
locate sources, and prepare agreements
SME to work with developing agreements (especially if new/inexperienced procurement
personnel
Re-create and annual update of service & supply plan
Develop local resource advisor handbook – available at the beginning of the incident
(does not need to be agency specific – better if interagency resources)
Medical Units
Problem
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Need line EMT kits available in caches (both ALS/BLS and maybe ACLS)
Need Med Unit kits available in caches (and other equipment such as adequate
evacuation equipment, etc)
Need unit dose issues of common Med Unit items stocked in caches (available quicker, in
adequate quantities, at cheaper cost – IE: Tecnu)
Need to address issues of out-of-jurisdiction EMT certifications, EMS protocols, and onincident medical control
Solution
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Need national level working group to develop system-wide, not local or regional,
solutions to problems.
Communication
Solution
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Need to find more modern technology to gain better communications on fire