Required XXX Initial Requirement/ Frequency XXX Delivery Method/
XXX THIS SECTION MOVED TO NFEP SECTION
XXX BLM Engine Equipment Inventory 26
BLM engines will be stocked as per the BLM National Engine Equipment 27
Inventory found at the BLM Fire Operations Website. 28
29
Fire Equipment Maintenance and Care Standards 30
BLM fire equipment will be maintained to reflect the highest standards in 31
performance and appearance. XXX, and will meet the following standards: 32
• XXX Equipment exterior: 33
o Clean and waxed 34
o Free of debris 35
o Items secured 36
o Windows and mirrors cleaned 37
o All mechanical systems in good working order 38
• Equipment interior: 39
o Cab and compartments free of dirt and debris 40
o Cab free of loose items 41
o Equipment stored in appropriate compartments and organized 42
o Windows and mirrors cleaned 43
o Mechanical systems in good working order 44
Equipment will be stored in sheltered areas away from environmental elements 1
whenever possible to prevent damage to critical seals, mechanical components, 2
and the high-visibility finish. 3
4
The Fire Engine Maintenance Procedure and Record (FEMPR) will be used to 5
document periodic maintenance on all engines. Apparatus safety and 6
operational inspections will be performed at the intervals recommended by the 7
manufacturer and on a daily and post-fire basis as required. All annual 8
inspections will include a pump gpm test to ensure the pump/plumbing system is 9
operating at or above the manufacturer’s minimum rating for the pump. The 10
Fire Engine Maintenance Procedure and Record (FEMPR) shall be maintained 11
and archived to record historic engine maintenance for the duration of the 12
vehicle’s service life. This historical data is beneficial in determining trends, 13
repair frequency, and repair costs. The FEMPR can be found at the BLM Fire 14 Operations website. 15 16 BLM Smokejumpers 17 18
BLM Smokejumpers operate in teams of 2-8 firefighters and are used primarily 19
for wildfire suppression, fuels reduction, and other fire management duties. 20
They are capable of performing self-contained initial attack suppression 21
operations, and commonly provide incident management capability at the Type 22
3 level. BLM Smokejumpers provide personnel to Type 1 and Type 2 incidents 23
as command and general staff or other miscellaneous single resource. The 24
primary locations of the BLM smokejumper bases are Boise, Idaho and 25 Fairbanks, Alaska. 26 27 BLM SMKJ Operations 28
BLM smokejumper operational and administrative procedures are located in the 29
Interagency Smokejumper Operations Guide (ISMOG), the BLM Ram-Air 30
Training Manual (RATM), the Great Basin Smokejumpers User Guide, Alaska 31
Geographic Area Coordination Center Mob Guide, and other pertinent 32
agreements and operating plans. 33
34
BLM Smokejumper Mission 35
BLM smokejumper aircraft are dispatched with a standard load of 8 36
smokejumpers and equipment to be self-sufficient for 48 hours. A typical 37
smokejumper mission takes 30 minutes over a fire. A spotter (senior 38
smokejumper in charge of smokejumper missions) serves as the mission 39
coordinator on smokejumper missions. This may include coordinating airspace 40
over a fire until a qualified ATGS arrives. 41
42
BLM SMKJ Coordination & Dispatch 43
Smokejumpers are a national shared resource and are ordered according to 44
geographic area or national mobilization guides. The operational unit for 45
Smokejumpers is “one load” (8-20 smokejumpers). Specific information on the 46
coordination, dispatch, ordering, and use of BLM smokejumpers can be found in 1
the BLM Great Basin Smokejumpers User Guide, and in the Alaska Geographic 2
Area Coordination Center Mob Guide. Contact BLM smokejumpers in Boise at 3
(208) 387-5426 or in Alaska at (907) 356-5540 for these publications. 4
5
BLM Ram-Air Parachute System Management 6
The BLM has exclusive authority for all aspects of BLM Ram-Air parachute 7
system management and operations. This includes: 8
• System Changes and Modifications- All BLM Ram-Air parachute system 9
modifications, research, and development will be documented and approved 10
using the BLM Smokejumper Modification Document (MODOC) System. 11
• Ram-Air Training- All smokejumpers utilizing the BLM Ram-Air 12
Parachute system will adhere to the training processes and procedures in the 13
BLM Ram-Air Training Manual. 14
• Malfunction Abnormality and Reporting System (MARS)- The MARS is a 15
BLM smokejumper system used to report and document malfunctions and 16
abnormalities associated with BLM smokejumper parachute jumping, 17
parachute equipment, and parachute related aircraft operations. The MARS 18
database is used by BLM smokejumper management to analyze 19
malfunctions and abnormalities, identify trends, and initiate corrective 20
actions. BLM retains exclusive authority to apply corrective actions to all 21
MARS. 22
• BLM Approved Smokejumper Equipment List- All smokejumpers using the 23
BLM Ram-Air parachute system will only utilize equipment listed in the 24
BLM Approved Smokejumper Equipment List unless specific approval is 25
authorized through a BLM Smokejumper Modification Document 26
(MODOC). 27
• Incidents, Reviews, and Accident Investigations- BLM smokejumpers will 28
follow all procedures for accident review and investigation as outlined in 29
the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations Chapters 2 30
and 18. The BLM smokejumpers will report incidents/accidents as 31
appropriate, on the MTDC Injury Reporting Form, and the Interagency 32
Smokejumper Mission Incident Worksheet. A BLM Smokejumper subject 33
matter expert will participate in any investigation or review involving the 34
BLM Ram-Air Parachute System. 35
• Adherence to Agency Policies and Manuals- BLM will adhere to its own 36
policies, guidelines, manuals, handbooks and other operational documents 37
as they pertain to smokejumper parachuting operations. The Smokejumper 38
Base Managers will work through established command channels to change 39
BLM Ram-Air Parachute System policies, guidelines, manuals, handbooks 40
and other operational documents, and/or to request research and 41
development of new products. 42
43
BLM Smokejumper Aircraft 44
BLM Smokejumpers use aircraft approved by the Interagency Smokejumper 45
be performed according to agency policies and procedures. BLM Smokejumper 1
specific aviation standards are identified in the BLM Smokejumper Air 2 Operations Manual. 3 4 BLM SMKJ Training 5
To ensure proficiency and safety, smokejumpers complete annual training in 6
aviation, parachuting, fire suppression, administration, and safety. Experienced 7
jumpers receive annual refresher training in these areas. First year 8
smokejumpers undergo a rigorous 4-5 weeks long smokejumper training 9
program. 10
11
Candidates are evaluated to determine: 12
• Level of physical fitness 13
• Ability to learn and perform smokejumper skills 14
• Ability to work as a team member 15
• Attitude 16
• Ability to think clearly and remain productive in a stressful environment 17
18
BLM Smokejumper Training and Qualification Targets 19
Position IQCS Target SMKJ Training Target Dept Managers T1 and T2 C&G
Spotter ICT3, DIVS, ATGS
RXB2, SOFR
Lead Smokejumper STLD, TFLD Senior Rigger, FOBS
Smokejumper ICT4, CRWB, FIRB FEMO
Rookie Smokejumper ICT5, FFT1 20
XXX BLM SMKJ Jump Proficiency Guideline 21
XXX To ensure proficiency and safety, it is the goal of BLM smokejumpers to 22
perform a training or operational jump every 14 days. A longer duration time 23
period between jumps can occur due to fire assignments or other duties. 24
Guidelines for managing gaps between jumps beyond 14 days are included in 25
the BLM Ram-Air Training Manual. Funding for currency and/or training 26
jumps are included in the home unit's normal preparedness budgets. Units 27
hosting contingents or spike bases will not be charged for any proficiency jump 28
or related activities. 29
30
BLM Smokejumper Physical Fitness Standards 31
The national smokejumper physical fitness standards are mandatory. All BLM 32
smokejumpers must pass the national smokejumper physical fitness standards in 33
order to participate in smokejumper parachute training. 34
35
The BLM smokejumper physical fitness target standards are voluntary. The 36
target standards are established to provide BLM smokejumpers a common 37
standard against which to gauge their physical fitness level. BLM 1
smokejumpers are encouraged to meet or exceed these standards. 2
3
National SMKJ Standard BLM SMKJ Target Standard 1.5 mile run in 11:00 minutes or less (Three Options):
A. 1.5 mile run in 9:30 minutes or less, or B. 3 mile run in 22:30 minutes or less, or C. 1.5 mile run in 11:00 minutes or less in combination with backpacking a 90-pound load for three miles in less than 45 minutes.
45 sit-ups 60 sit-ups
25 push-ups 35 push-ups
7 pull-ups 10 pull-ups
Smokejumpers must pass a work performance standard for
backpacking a 110 pound load three miles in less than 90 minutes*
Smokejumpers must pass a work performance standard for backpacking a 110 pound load three miles in less than 90 minutes*
*This element is tested during Smokejumper Rookie Training. 4
5
Retesting 6
National smokejumper physical fitness retesting criteria closely follows similar 7
criteria for the Work Capacity Test stated in chapter 13 of this document. 8
9
Retesting criteria include: 10
• Returning BLM smokejumpers will be provided up to three opportunities to 11
pass the national smokejumper physical fitness standards. Each retest will 12
occur no sooner than 24 hours after failing the previous test, and will 13
consist of all elements of the smokejumper physical fitness test. 14
• BLM smokejumper candidates will be provided one opportunity to pass the 15
national smokejumper physical fitness standards. 16
• If an employee sustains an injury (verified by a licensed medical provider) 17
during a test, the test will not count as an attempt. Once an injured 18
employee has been released for full duty, the employee will be given time 19
to prepare for the test (not to exceed 4 weeks). 20
21
BLM Exclusive Use Helitack Crews 22
23
The BLM contracts for the exclusive use of vendor supplied and supported 24
helicopters. These aviation resources are Type 2 (Medium) or Type 3 (light) 25
helicopters and are located at BLM Districts throughout the western United 26
States. Helitack Crews are assigned to manage each contracted helicopter and 27
perform suppression and support operations to accomplish fire and resource 1
management objectives. 2
3
Each contract specifies a Mandatory Availability Period (MAP) that the aircraft 4
will be assigned for the exclusive use of the BLM. The National Aviation 5
Office provides the funding to pay for the aircraft’s availability costs. 6
7
The BLM host unit is responsible for providing a Helitack Crew that meets the 8
minimum experience and qualification requirements specified in the Exclusive 9
Use Fire Helicopter Position Prerequisites in Chapter 16 of this document. Each 10
functional or supervisory level must have met the experience and qualification 11
requirements of the next lower functional level. The minimum daily staffing 12
level (7 day staffing) must meet the level indicated in the Interagency Helicopter 13
Operations Guide (IHOG) Chapter 2, Chart 2-4. The host unit is also 14
responsible for providing administrative support, and Interagency Helicopter 15
Operations Guide (IHOG) specified equipment, vehicles, and facilities for their 16
Helitack Crews and any other associated specialized equipment. 17
18
The following chart indicates target IQCS qualifications for BLM exclusive use 19
helitack crews. These targets are NOT required, but provide direction for 20
increased program capabilities. This chart does not replace the minimum 21
requirements specified in chapter 16. 22
23
Target (Desired) Exclusive Use Helitack Crew Qualifications & 24
Composition 25
Role Target IQCS
Qualifications Training Target Fire Helicopter Crew
Supervisor ICT3 or DIVS, HEB1, PLDO,HLCO, ASGS
S-300 or S-339, S-378, L-381, S-375 Assistant Fire Helicopter
Crew Supervisor TFLD, HEB2, PLDO S-215, S-330, S-390, S-371, L-380 Fire Helicopter Squad Boss ICT4, HMGB S-200, S-230, S-290, M-410, S-230 Helicopter Senior Crew
Member ICT5, HMGB(T) S-372, L-280
Helicopter Crew Member FFT1, HECM S-131, S-133 26
XXX Management Actions for Noncompliant Remote Automatic Weather 27
Stations (RAWS) 28
29
XXX Fire managers must be cognizant that all RAWS will not be 100% 30
compliant with standards established in the Interagency Wildland Fire Weather 31
Station Standards & Guidelines (NWCG PMS 426-3) at all times. Furthermore, 32
even when RAWS are fully compliant and operational, RAWS data should be 33
used only in conjunction with other predictive services and fireline data sources 1
in fire management decision making, particularly at the tactical level. 2
3
XXX Fire managers must monitor RAWS status and recognize when a station is 4
noncompliant. Noncompliant stations are broadly categorized as follows: 5
• Inoperative station. This station is noncompliant but poses no danger of 6
providing inaccurate weather data because it is not transmitting data. 7
• Operating station that has exceeded the required maintenance cycle. These 8
stations are identified in the weekly “Wildland Fire Management 9
Information (WFMI) weather Noncompliance Report”, which is widely 10
distributed by email and available at http://raws.fam.nwcg.gov/nfdrs.html. 11
Although transmitted data may be accurate, noncompliance means the data 12
should not be trusted. 13
• Operating station that transmits data outside of NWCG PMS 426-3 14
standards due to faulty sensors or components. These stations are most 15
easily identified by local users who are familiar with environmental trends 16
and conditions and can recognize data that seems abnormal or clearly 17
unrepresentative of current conditions. This usually indicates faulty sensors 18
or components. 19
20
XXX When noncompliant RAWS are identified or suspected, fire managers 21
should implement the following hazard mitigation actions to expedite RAWS 22
repair and to reduce risk to fire personnel: 23
• Contact the RAWS Help Desk (208-387-5475 or [email protected]). 24
Identify the station and discuss troubleshooting steps or schedule the 25
necessary repairs. If there are trained personnel in the local area, the Help 26
Desk may be able to ship the required parts and coordinate the repairs via 27
phone. If a professional technician needs to make a site visit, provide a 28
local individual to assist, and use this opportunity to provide training for 29
local personnel. 30
• Ensure that appropriate personnel and organizations know which stations 31
are out of compliance, and which sensors are affected, if possible. Direct 32
them to alternative weather data sources if possible. 33
• Use nearby compliant RAWS if available. 34
• Based on local knowledge of specific RAWS problems (e.g. which sensor is 35
out of compliance), separate reliable data from unreliable data. 36
• Consider using data from belt weather kit readings, other portable device 37
observations, Predictive Services or National Weather Service offices, or 38
non-fire weather sources such as airports. 39
40
XXX Fire managers should ensure that locally held portable RAWS are 41
compliant prior to use; noncompliant portable RAWS will not be activated for 42
data processing via WFMI-weather. 43
44 45
Sage Grouse Conservation Related to Wildland Fire and Fuels 1
Management 2
3
XXX The Gunnison sage-grouse and greater sage-grouse have been designated 4
as sensitive species by the Bureau. These sensitive species are managed to 5
promote their conservation and to minimize the need for listing under the 6
Endangered Species Act in accordance with the BLM’s special status species 7
policy (BLM Manual 6840). XXX BLM is currently taking unprecedented steps 8
to ensure conservation of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse and Greater Sage-Grouse 9
on public lands. Fire and fuels management functions will contribute to XXX 10
this these conservation XXX efforts through planning, utilization of sage-grouse 11
maps and data, and applying best management practices. While protecting sage- 12
grouse habitats and populations is critical, firefighter and public safety remain 13
our highest priorities. 14
15
Wildland Fire Operations 16
The BLM will strive to maintain a high initial attack success rate while being 17
cognizant of sage-grouse habitats by: 18
• Utilizing available maps and spatial data depicting sage-grouse habitats 19
during suppression activities; 20
• Using predictive services to prioritize and preposition firefighting resources 21
in critical habitat areas; 22
• Improving firefighter awareness of the importance of sagebrush habitat; 23
• Continuing the use of resource advisors familiar with local sage-grouse 24
habitat and management practices during initial and extended attack; 25
• Emphasizing habitat conservation during resource allocation decisions; and 26
• Applying local, state, and national-level best management practices. 27
28
Fuels Management 29
The fuels treatment planning process will use objectives from land use and fire 30
management plans as a framework for project design, treatment location, and 31
documentation. Fire program managers will XXX emphasize sage-grouse 32
conservation by XXX utilize utilizing local toolboxes, annual national 33
Instruction Memoranda and XXX apply applying state and national-level best 34
management practices XXX to which identify, enhance, and conserve sage- 35
grouse habitats. States may elect to issue detailed criteria regarding patch sizes, 36
cover requirements, or other habitat parameters in fuels project design. 37
38
Fire and fuels management best management practices for sage-grouse 39
conservation can be located at the BLM Fire Planning and Fuels Management 40 website at http://web.blm.gov/internal/fire/fpfm/sg/index.html 41 42 BLM Use of WFDSS 43 44
In addition to WFDSS guidance in Chapter 11, the BLM has established the 45
following additional policy requirements for the WFDSS: 46
• Input of initial attack fires into the WFDSS is optional. All fires which 1
escape initial attack or are being managed for multiple objectives will be 2
input into the WFDSS and a decision will be published. 3
• Use of the web-based WFDSS application is required. If internet 4
connections or servers are unavailable, WFDSS documentation will be 5
completed using the “temporary WFDSS paper form” and entered into the 6
web-based application as soon as it becomes available. 7
• Minimum WFDSS documentation requirements are available at the BLM 8
Fire Operations Website. 9
• State and field units will ensure that WFDSS Strategic Objectives and 10
Management Requirements reflect guidance contained in current Fire 11
Management Plans and Land/Resource Management Plans. 12
• XXX the spatial planning process in WFDSS will not be utilized by the 13
BLM. Offices may experiment with Spatial Fire Planning (SFP) in the 14
training environment, but will not utilize SFP in the production environment 15
of WFDSS. 16
• BLM Agency Administrators must meet fire training requirements for 17
Agency Administrators, as specified in XXX Chapter 2 of the Red Book in 18
this chapter. 19
• BLM Agency Administrators will maintain WFDSS user profiles, allowing 20
them to approve wildfire decisions documented in WFDSS. 21
• BLM approvers of wildfire decisions documented in WFDSS are displayed 22
in the Department of the Interior (DOI) WFDSS Approval Requirements 23
Table in Chapter 11 of XXX the Red Book this document. 24
• Wildfire decisions, documented in WFDSS and approved by BLM Agency 25
Administrators, constitute awareness of estimated fire costs to date. This 26
cost, shown in the WFDSS Course of Action, will be developed from 27
sources such as I-Suite, ICS-209 summaries, finance units within incident 28
management teams, estimation spreadsheets, or other sources. 29
• XXX In December 2012 the BLM updated, through amendment of MS- 30
1203 Delegation of Authority, the approval authorities for wildfire decisions 31
and cost thresholds. To facilitate effective wildfire management, MS-1203 32
has been amended to delegate authority to local managers to approve all 33
wildfire decisions regardless of cost thresholds. BLM District/Field 34
Managers will approve wildfire decisions for fires which: 35
o Escape initial attack; 36
o Are managed for multiple objectives; or 37
o Exhibit high complexity due to one or more of the following: values at 38
risk, potential for growth, potential duration, or other factors requiring 39
Agency Administrator awareness. 40
• The BLM DM/FM is responsible for approval of wildfire decisions on 41
BLM-managed lands in Alaska. 42
• To ensure awareness of suppression expenditures at all levels, local agency 43
administrators will provide written notification to state directors or the 44
bureau director as cost thresholds (XXX Red Book, Chapter 11) are 1
approached or reached. 2
• As approvers of WFDSS decisions, Agency Administrators will ensure that 3
periodic assessments are completed until the fire is declared out. 4
5
Wildfire Decision Approval Process in Alaska for Non-BLM Lands: 6
• In Department Manual 620 Chapter 2, BLM is delegated the responsibility 7
to provide cost-effective wildland fire suppression services on DOI- 8
managed and Alaska Native lands. In this direction, BLM-Alaska Fire 9
Service (AFS) participates in the wildfire decision approval process for fires 10
on those lands. 11
• The AFS Manager and AFS Fire Management Officers serve as agency 12
administrators for approving wildfire decisions documented in WFDSS. 13
• In addition to the Jurisdictional Agency Administrator, AFS Fire 14
Management Officers serve as agency administrators for fires less than $5 15
million. 16
• In addition to the Jurisdictional Agency Administrator, the AFS Manager 17
serves as an agency administrator for fires $5 million and greater. 18
• To ensure awareness of suppression expenditures at all levels, the AFS 19
Manager will provide written notification to the state director or the bureau 20
director as cost thresholds (XXX Red Book, Chapter 11) are approached or 21
reached. 22
Chapter 03 1
National Park Service Program Organization & Responsibilities 2
3
Introduction 4
5
This chapter summarizes specific requirements for NPS fire management 6
programs. Fire managers should consult DO-18 Wildland Fire and RM-18 7
Wildland Fire for full guidance and descriptions of requirements summarized in