Cooperative Agreements
“Suppression”
What’s that Document?
Objectives
• Recognize the differences between an
agreement and procurement and when to
apply each.
• Identify common types of agreements and
authorities used by Wildland Fire Agencies.
• Identify national level agreements that allow
for interagency participation in Fire
Management activities.
Objectives - continued
• Define the use of Cooperative Agreements
and their operating plans.
Interagency Cooperation
• Interagency coordination and
cooperation are essential at the
federal, state, tribal, and local levels.
WHY?
Interagency Coordination
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Intermingled ownerships
Efficient use of resources
Landscape level planning and treatments
Common training, communication, and
inter-operability
• Reduced budgets
Interagency Cooperative Groups
• National: NWCG
• Geographic Area: PNWCG
• Local: Sub-geographic Area groups
Cooperative Fire Agreement Flow Chart
Cooperative Instruments
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Grants
Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)
Procurements
Agreements
MOU?? Procurement?? Agreement??
Grant??
Agreement
MOU
Grant
Procurement
MOU
• Informal Agreement that documents the who,
what, how, and why of an interagency
relationship
• Outlines procedures
• Does not allow for payments or “exchange” of
anything of value
Procurement
• Acquire goods or services for the direct
benefit of the federal agency.
Agreement
Many kinds of agreements and authorities.
• Mutual interest and benefit
• Agency substantially involved in
implementation
• Transfer something of value to others for
public benefit
Cooperative Agreements
• National Master Agreement signed by
the 5 Federal Wildland Fire Agencies
• Master Cooperative Wildland Fire
Management and Stafford Act Response
Agreement ( PNWCG)
• Local Cooperative Fire Protection
Agreements
Authorities
• Federal Agency must have legal authority
prior to entering any contract, grant, or
agreement, which could result in the use,
obligation or other commitment of any
agency resources.
Fire Related Authority
• Reciprocal Fire Protection Act of May 22,
1955 (42 USC 1856a; PL 84-46)
Authorizes any federal agency with fire
protection responsibilities to enter into
reciprocal agreements with any fire
organization maintaining fire protection
facilities adjacent to federal lands or
facilities.
Master Agreements
• List authorities
• Defines how agencies will cooperate in
broad terms
• Authorizes joint activities such as
training, dispatching, etc.
Operating Plans
• Multiple levels
–PNW Geographic Area
–Local Area
• Provides specific details on how the
agencies will cooperate.
• Reviewed annually and updated if
necessary.
Supplemental Fire Suppression
Agreement (Cost-Share)
Master Agreement Exhibit F
• Required for multi-jurisdictional fires between
federal and state agencies.
• Defines the process for sharing costs
• R6 and BLM Templates available
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/fire/incidentbusiness/agreements.shtml
Local Cooperative Fire Protection
Agreements
• Local fire protection entities, i.e. Fire
Districts
• R6 and BLM Templates available
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/fire/incidentbusiness/agreements.shtml
• State Entities have Mutual Aid
Agreements in place.
Tools
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Information Being Gathered from FMOs and Center Managers
Unit
Vale District
Type
Operating Plan
Agreement #
OR-RFPA09-1001
List of Fire Agreements
Expiration
Parties to the agreement Date
Remarks
Vale BLM; NE Oregon ODF
4/30/2014 Authorizing document is the Master Agreement
What Instruments?
• Situation 1
• To obtain goods and other services from nonsignatory parties to the R6 Master Agreement
during an incident for the exclusive use and
benefit of the Federal Government
• use a procurement action
What Instruments?
• Situation 2
• To establish incident cost-sharing
responsibilities with a non-Federal entity that
IS signatory to the R6 Master Agreement for a
multi-jurisdictional fire
• Supplemental Fire Suppression
What Instruments?
• Situation 3
• To obtain from or provide assistance to
another Federal agency that IS signatory to
the R6 Master Agreement (BLM, NPS, BIA,
USFWS) in a fire emergency
• no additional agreement is required because
"Federal agencies will not bill each other for
fire suppression support
What Instruments?
• Situation 4
• To establish a mutual aid relationship with, OR to
obtain from and/or provide services to a nonFederal party that IS NOT signatory to the R6
Master Agreement (e.g., County, City, or Rural
Fire District/Department, etc.) for: Personnel,
Equipment OR a combination of the above,
• http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/fire/incidentbusiness/cooperative-relations-andagreements.shtml
What Instruments?
• Situation 5
• To plan for and obtain emergency assistance
from another NON-wildland management
Federal agency (Federal agency NOT signatory
to the R6 Master Agreement)
• Interagency Agreement format of the
"Requesting Agency" (agency providing funds)
What Instruments?
• Situation 6
• To develop, or to revise (annual update), an
Operating Plan with another entity that IS
signatory to the R6 Master Agreement (Federal
or non- Federal) for suppression-related activity
and NOT transferring any funds
• Operating Plan Outline Guide in the R6 Master
Agreement
The Northwest Wildland Fire
Protection Agreement
(NW Compact Act)
INDIAN SPRINGS 2001
History
• CIVIL WAR - STATES PROHIBITED FROM
ENTERING INTO COMPACTS WITHOUT
PERMISSION OF CONGRESS.
Authority
• NOVEMBER 1998 CONGRESS GAVE PERMISSION
BY PASSING PUBLIC LAW 105-377.
Membership
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Oregon
Washington
Alaska
Idaho
Montana
Yukon Territory
Northwest Territories
Province of Saskatchewan
Province of British Columbia
Province of Alberta
Billing Procedure
• This entire subject is a hot topic.
• Under The Northwest Wildland Fire Protection
Agreement (NW Compact Act) Neither the FS
or the BLM are signatories to this agreement.
• Bills should be between the parties within the
agreement.
Remember!
• Since consistent application of interagency
policies and guidelines is essential,
procedures in the IIBMH will be followed.
• We all have responsibility to ensure that
any agreement initiated is in the best
interest of the agency.
• For Federal include the local Grants and
Agreements Coordinator in the
development process for all agreements.
QUESTIONS?
Objectives
• Recognize the differences between an
agreement and procurement and when to
apply each.
• Identify common types of agreements and
authorities used by Wildland Fire Agencies.
• Identify national level agreements that allow
for interagency participation in Fire
Management activities.
Objectives - continued
• Define the use of Cooperative Agreements
and their operating plans.