Employee XXX Responsibility Conduct
Type 2 Initial Attack Crews, Crews, and Fire Suppression Modules
• Engine Crews - Engine mobile firefighters that specialize in the use of 6
engines for tactical operations. 7
• Helitack - Helicopter mobile firefighters that specialize in the use of 8
helicopters for tactical and logistical operations. 9
• Smokejumpers - Fixed wing aircraft and parachute mobile firefighters that 10
specialize in the use hand tools, chainsaws, and ignition devices for tactical 11
operations. 12
13
BLM Firefighter Priority for Use 14
• Initial attack on lands for which the BLM has suppression responsibility. 15
• Other fire suppression/management assignments on BLM lands. 16
• Other fire suppression/management assignments on other agency lands. 17
• All Hazard - ESF#4 reference: 18 http://web.blm.gov/internal/fire/budget/Reference_docs/esf4/ESF4_page.ht 19 m 20 21 Mobilization of BLM Firefighters 22 23
BLM firefighters are mobilized to perform the following functions: 24
• Suppress fires and manage wildland fire incidents; 25
• Improve BLM initial attack capability; 26
• Maximize the utilization of limited BLM fire operational assets; 27
• Provide additional fire management capability in high tempo periods; 28
• Provide experience and developmental opportunities to BLM firefighters; 29
• Perform fire management project work or assignments; or 30
• Perform other project work or assignments. 31
32
There are XXX five six funding mechanisms for mobilizing BLM firefighters: 33
• Preparedness funding 34
• Suppression funding 35
• Short term severity (State/Regional Level Severity) funding 36
• National level severity funding 37
• National preposition funding 38
• XXX State discretionary preposition funding 39
40
Preparedness Funding 41
Preparedness funding may be used to mobilize resources for normal 42
preparedness activities such as: 43
• Movement of resources within a unit not associated with fire activity; 44
• Project work or normal preparedness activities; and/or 1
• Training. 2
3
Fire managers have the authority to expend preparedness funding for 4
preparedness activities. Mobilization of non-BLM federal resources with BLM 5
preparedness funding requires a reimbursable agreement. 6
7
Suppression Funding 8
Suppression funding is used to mobilize resources to wildland fire incidents. 9
BLM firefighters are mobilized directly to incidents using established methods 10
(resource orders, initial attack agreements, dispatch plans, response plans, etc.) 11
12
Short Term Severity (State Level Severity) 13
Short term severity funding may be used to mobilize resources for state/regional 14
short term severity needs that are expected to last less than one week, such as: 15
• Wind events; 16
• Cold dry front passage; 17
• Lightning events; and/or 18
• Unexpected events such as off-road rallies or recreational gatherings. 19
20
Each state director and the Fire and Aviation division chiefs for Operations and 21
Aviation have been delegated the authority to expend up to $300,000 for “short 22
term” severity needs per fiscal year. This discretionary severity authorization 23
can be expended for appropriate severity activities without approval from Fire 24
and Aviation. States will establish a process for requesting, approving, and 25
tracking short term severity funds. 26
27
National Level Severity Funding 28
National level severity funding is used to mobilize resources to areas where: 29
• Preparedness plans indicate the need for additional 30
preparedness/suppression resources; 31
• Anticipated fire activity will exceed the capabilities of local resources; 32
• Fire season has either started earlier or lasted longer than identified in the 33
fire management plan; and/or 34
• An abnormal increase in fire potential or fire danger not planned for in 35
existing preparedness plans exists. 36
37
Guidance for requesting and utilizing national level severity funding is found in 38
Chapter 10 and on the BLM Fire Operations website. Requests should be 39
consolidated by state, coordinated with Fire and Aviation, and then submitted to 40
Fire and Aviation by the State Director. The official memo requesting funds 41
should be mailed to the Assistant Director, Fire and Aviation. An electronic 42
copy should also be e-mailed to “[email protected]”. 43
Severity funding requests will be accepted and approved for a maximum of 30 1
days, regardless of the length of the authorization. Use of severity funding must 2
be terminated when abnormal conditions no longer exist. If the fire severity 3
situation extends beyond the 30-day authorization, the state must prepare a new 4
severity request. 5
6
An approval memo from Fire and Aviation will list authorized resources along 7
with a cost string code for each state and field office to use for all resources. All 8
resources authorized through this process will be counted in the state’s severity 9
authorization limit, including extension of exclusive use aircraft contracts. 10
11
In order to support the BLM national aviation strategy, which includes 12
prioritized allocation based on need, air resource mobility, and cost containment, 13
a state may be directed to release an air resource to another state. All charges 14
related to releasing an air resource will be covered by Fire and Aviation or the 15
receiving state. 16
17
National Preposition Funding 18
National preposition funding is used to mobilize resources to areas with 19
anticipated fire activity when other funding is not available. Units may request 20
national preposition funding from FA to acquire supplemental fire operations 21
assets to increase initial attack capability. National preposition funding may be 22
used to mobilize resources when BLM units: 23
• Do not have available preparedness funding; 24
• Do not have available short-term severity funding; or 25
• Do not meet the criteria for use of national severity funding. 26
27
Approved national preposition funding may be used only for travel and per diem 28
costs for the duration of the assignment, and overtime labor costs associated 29
with the original preposition move. 30
31
Each State Director has been delegated the authority to expend national 32
preposition funding within an allocation limit established annually through 33
issuance of an Instruction Memorandum. The criteria stated above apply to this 34
allocation. 35
36
• National Preposition Request Process 37
o Unit FMO identifies need and notifies State FOG representative. FOG 38
XXX rep representative informs SFMO. 39
o FOG XXX rep representative coordinates with unit FMO to verify need 40
and determine asset types, numbers, and projected preposition location. 41
o Requesting FOG XXX rep representative queries FOG group and 42
identifies available assets. 43
o Requesting and sending FOG XXX rep representatives jointly complete 44
the BLM Preposition Request Form found on the BLM Fire Operations 45
website. 46
o Requesting FOG XXX rep representative will submit the request 1
electronically via e-mail to “[email protected]” to 2
acquire Division of Fire Operations (FA-300) approval. If aviation 3
assets are requested, FA-300 will coordinate with the National Aviation 4
Office (FA-500) and secure FA-500 approval. 5
o FA-300 will notify the requesting and sending FOG representatives via 6
e-mail when the request is approved. 7
o After securing FA-300/500 approval, the requesting FOG XXX rep 8
representative places name request order(s) for specified assets through 9
normal coordination system channels. 10
o Responding BLM assets will be assigned to a temporary host unit by 11
the receiving FOG XXX rep representative. 12
o Responding assets, sending/receiving FOG XXX rep representatives, 13
and the temporary host unit will negotiate length of assignment and 14
crew rotation, and ensure that prepositioned personnel meet work/rest 15
requirements. 16
BLM preposition funding request information can be found at the BLM Fire 17
Operations website. 18
19
XXX State Discretionary Preposition Funding 20
XXX Each State Director has been delegated the authority to expend preposition 21
funding for prepositioning activities in amounts determined by the BLM Fire 22
Leadership Team. This discretionary preposition funding authorization can be 23
expended for appropriate preposition activities (according to the criteria 24
established for National Preposition Funding) without approval from the AD, 25
FA. 26 27
XXX Each state will establish a process to document requests and approvals, 28
and maintain information in a file. 29
30
XXX BLM Asset, Intelligence, and Prepositioning (AIP) System 31
The BLM Asset, Intelligence, and Prepositioning (AIP) system provides BLM 32
State Fire Operations Specialists a formal process for providing collective input 33
into national decisions on BLM fire asset utilization. The intent of the AIP 34
system is to improve BLM decisions on prepositioning BLM fire suppression 35
assets from low fire danger areas to high fire danger areas. Preposition moves 36
are intended to maximize the overall capability and effectiveness of limited 37
BLM suppression assets. Prepositioning will be done primarily on a national 38
long-term scale, but the AIP system may be used to inform state and local asset 39
utilization decisions as well. The AIP system is not intended to duplicate or 40
contradict existing dispatch/coordination system processes. 41
42
The AIP system consists of a graphical display of geospatial data (asset 43
locations, predictive services information, etc.), and FOG procedures for 44
evaluating the data, making decisions, and securing funding for asset movement. 45
• AIP system process 1
o Each BLM Fire Operations Group (FOG) representative will 2
continually evaluate the National Wildland Significant Fire Potential 3
Outlook, National Early Season Assessment and other intelligence to 4
maintain situational awareness. 5
o Monthly (or as needed), the FOG will evaluate intelligence and 6
collectively determine if BLM fire suppression assets should be 7
mobilized across geographic area boundaries. 8
o If mobilization of assets is warranted, the FOG will collectively 9
determine receiving states, sending states, required suppression assets, 10
and the appropriate funding mechanism. 11
o Sending states will provide a list of resources and personnel to the 12
receiving states one month (or as soon as possible) prior to the date of 13
mobilization (movement date). 14
o Receiving states will request funding and mobilize assets using 15
established processes as identified above. 16
o When identified assets are outside of normal availability periods, 17
sending states will coordinate with unit fire program managers and 18
Human Resources Offices to ensure that hire/layoff dates are adjusted. 19
o The FOG will continually evaluate the need for prepositioned 20
resources. Prepositioned resources will be adjusted accordingly based 21
on conditions and predictions. 22
• AIP System Responsibilities: 23
o Fire Operations Group 24
Evaluate monthly predictive services forecasts and AIP 25
intelligence. 26
Determine need to mobilize and/or preposition resources. 27
o Receiving States 28
Determine, type, number, and proposed location of mobilized 29
assets. 30
Coordinate with sending states and FA-320 to adjust movement 31
date. 32
Place resource orders for mobilized/prepositioned resources. 33
Manage mobilized assets. 34
o Sending States 35
Identify available or potentially available assets. 36
Coordinate with local management and HR on hire/layoff dates. 37
Ensure assets are trained and available prior to proposed 38
mobilization date. 39
Coordinate with receiving states during mobilization and for 40
crew/resource rotations. 41
• FA 42
o Provide AIP system oversight. 43
o Work with FA Budget & Evaluation to secure funding and monitor 44
expenditures. 45
o Brief NMAC and NICC on BLM fire suppression asset mobilization. 46
BLM Fire Training and Workforce Development 1
2
BLM Fire Training and Workforce Development Program 3
The BLM National Fire Training and Workforce Development Program is 4
located at NIFC and works for the BLM Chief, Preparedness/Suppression 5
Standards. The program develops the wildland firefighting workforce through 6
qualification standards, training standards, and workforce development 7
programs in support of BLM fire management. 8
9
BLM Standards for Fire Training and Workforce Development 10
The BLM Fire Training and Workforce Development Program, in coordination 11
with the BLM Fire Operations Group and the BLM Fire Training Committee, is 12
responsible for publishing the BLM Standards for Fire Training and Workforce 13
Development. The BLM Standards for Fire Training and Workforce 14
Development provides fire and aviation training, qualifications, and workforce 15
development program management direction. This document is available at 16
http://www.blm.gov/nifc/st/en/prog/fire/training/fire_training.html. 17
18
BLM Firefighters General Non-Fire Training Requirements 19
XXX