In Attendance: Garrett Cooke (BIA), Jim Furlong (BLM), Larry Nickey (NPS), Robert Madden

Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group Operations Working Team (OWT)

September 18, 2014

Operations Working Team: John Szulc (BIA), Ted Pierce, (NWCC Coordination Center), Steve Rawlings (USFS), Brian Gales (USFWS), Larry Nickey (NPS), Bobbie Scopa (SORO), Carla Schamber (USFS, Facilitator) Via conference call: Randy Johnson (WA Fire Service), Liz Smith (WADNR), Absent: John Ketchum (OR Fire Marshall’s), Joe Krish (BLM), Robert Madden (OR Fire Service), Karen Swearingen (ODF) Guests:

520 Nominations Update from ICAPS conference Call (Carla) PNWCG Tasking (Bobbie) Future of OWT, charter Replacement for Larry 2014 Season Hot topics OWT website needs updating (last done in 2010) (Joe) Single GEO Board – move it forward

520 Nominations – Nominations are in, but we may not have all nominations in hand. OWT discussed current nominations and prioritized the current list.

ICAPs letter - Discussed ICAPs process. Joe has final draft letter. Rawlings will check with Joe and finalize draft and send out for review.

Dale Gunther – CA ICAP person rewriting instructions and Dale will reinsert the screen shots needed for the application letter.

Action Item: Rawlings will talk to Dale on time schedule to complete. Rawlings will check with Joe and finalize draft and adjust dates and send out for review.

Projected timeline: Open ICAPs October 6 Close ICAPs for IC on October 31 New GEO Board makes IC recommendations November 7 New GEO Board makes IC notifications November 14 Close ICAPs for all positions November 21 Team Selections at location TBA on December 9 PNWCG decision back on selections on December 10

PNWCG Tasking – Bobbie discussed new tasking that may be coming to OWT from PNWCG on writing a letter for PNWCG for NWCG on discussion of the possibility of Type 1 contract crews.

Also need to have OWT to come up with top items for long term work plan that PNWCG can vet and send back as a formal work plan. No date set yet but looking at January tasking. Possible items include:

S520/620 nominations and selection process Incident within Incident follow up – continue to monitor – out of region use and process when in PNW Alaska Share Task Order 1009-04 – monitor use for 2015 season. Adjust process as needed. Review Best Value Determination for Crew Contract 2015 Review typing of crews and returning back to standards that Type 2IA are self sufficient Rewrite OWT Charter

Under new alignment, OWT will continue as a work group, along with Training and Center Managers groups under operations.

Replacing Larry and Carla – Larry retires in January and Carla’s change in her position status and duties will not allow her to continue on as facilitator. NPS will need to make decision on who will replace Larry on OWT committee. Randy will have to take over as corporate knowledge.

Action Item - At next meeting when all OWT members are present, will discuss further options on who will serve as facilitator and who will take over as notes.

Ops working Team Webpage – Carry over from June notes: Information is dated. With change from OWT to a committee, items will need to be updated. Intent is to have basic information on what the OWT does, task orders, charter, meeting notes and other reasons for the purpose in life for the future of the operations meeting.

Action Item - Defer discussion until next meeting, since Joe was on fire assignment.

2014 Hot Topics – Round Robin of items to discuss at next meeting.  End of Season AAR planned with IC’s and IHC’s  Did not meet planned deployment with Type 1 teams, although team members were deployed with them in positions  Incident within an Incident for out of region teams deployed in the PNW, where they did not follow process (Need to discuss solution and process to inform incoming teams from out of region)  Using PACE model (primary, alternate, contingency and emergency Plan) when transitioning between teams. Develop an expectation.  Utilizing SOPL’s with teams  Contractors appear to be having more accidents and illness. Opinion is that we may be seeing more contractor injuries. Is this a factor of using more contractors or is there a different correlation.  How we report contractor injuries? They are not classified as reportable accidents on the 209 in this region.  IRWIN and data reporting. Creates so many accounting codes that need to be tracked in complexes.  Complex –Demob resources from State incident to reassign to a Fed. Fire within complex (Mills Canyon to Chiwaukum)  Terminology/209 Full Suppression, Full Perimeter, Other Objectives  Unified Command with ODF – ordering chain, when do we enter unified, what are the rules of engagement  Mobile Technology – phones and pads – get them in people’s hands. Buying verses renting. Cache check out to teams. Fire Service and State have moved to providing for their employees.  Team extensions vs new team  Safety Records 13-14,000 personnel out at one time and with few major injuries  Extraction Capable Aircraft, increased needs  Dutch Creek Protocol or Guideline? Policy?  Prepositioning of resources, including IMT’s (RAC Mob, other)  Inequity of number of assignments and number of days for teams  Quicker decisional process from jurisdictional agency to manage or suppress a fire  Business Rules around prepositioned resources cost  Business Rules around bringing in resources from outside region and having honest discussions with team from where they are coming from (i.e. East Coast) and the mobilization costs

GEO Board – Move it Forward for 2015 season – board will need to hold meeting soon as they take over at end of October Representatives include: DOI John Szulc BLM Carol Benkosky NPS Karen Taylor Goodrich PNWCG Albert Kassel PNWCG David Summers DNR Loren Torgenson FS Joe Reinarz FS Kevin Martin OR Fire Service/Fire Marshall Mark Haverner ODF Karen Swearingen WFS Randy Johnson WA Fire Marshal Angelee St John Chair of IC Council Bob Albee

2015 Program of Work -

Agency updates – No round robin USFS- BLM NPS – BIA- ODF – WA DNR – USFWS – WA Fire Service – OR Fire Service – NWCC –

OWT 2014 program of work – status

S520/620

Incident within Incident follow up – continue to monitor

Type 1 Team IC – Completed.

Alaska Share Task Order 1009-04 – monitor use for 2014 season. Adjust process as needed.

Re-advertise for the national teams – in the fall – coordinate with OR and WA GEO boards- Work with single GEO board to get set up prior to the single GEO board taking over in late Fall.

OWT member to mobilize with Type 1 team

Review Best Value Determination for Crew Contract 2015

SAIT team use in the PNW

Joe Krish to send Jim Edmonds notes from PNWCG OWT for 2014 to be posted on PNWCG website – delete out team members PII below in contact list

Agenda items for next meeting: TBA

Upcoming meetings of interest:

OWT Liaisons to other PNWCG working teams Training WT – John Szulc Contract WT – Albert Kassel/Liz Smith Aviation WT – Larry Nickey Health and Safety WT – Brian Gales

OWT Schedule for 2014 (0900-1530 approximate times) at Gifford Pinchot NF Supervisors Office unless otherwise noted: PNWCG OWT 2014 meeting schedule January 16 – complete program of work February 18 - February 19-20 PNWCG Steering Lloyd Center (Bob and Joe only) March 20-21 (21st only if needed) April 16 – Yakima afternoon after Team meeting May 15 June 19 September 18 October 16 November 20 tentative with IC fall council meeting

OPERATIONS WORKING TEAM MEMBERS 2014 Operations Working Team (OWT) members:

Joe Krish– BLM representative (Chairperson) Liz Smith – DNR representative (Vice Chairperson) Brian Gales – USFWS representative Karen Swearingen – ODF representative Steve Rawlings – USFS representative Randy Johnson – WA Fire Service representative Larry Nickey – NPS representative John Szulc – BIA representative Robert Madden - OR Fire Service representative John Ketchum – Ad Hoc member Bobbie Scopa – PNWCG Steering Liaison Carla Schamber – facilitator Ted Pierce – Dispatch Rep.