A publication of the National Wildfire Interagency Coordinating Group Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation Procedures Guide PMS 484 JULY 2017 Interagency Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation Procedures Guide July 2017 PMS 484 The Interagency Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation Procedures Guide establishes national interagency standards for the planning and implementation of prescribed fire. These standards: • Describe what is minimally acceptable for prescribed fire planning and implementation. • Provide consistent interagency guidance, common terms and definitions, and standardized procedures. • Make clear that firefighter and public safety is the first priority. • Ensure that risk management is incorporated into all prescribed fire planning and implementation. • Support safe, carefully planned, and cost-efficient prescribed fire operations. • Support use of prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk to communities, municipal watersheds and other values, and to benefit, protect, maintain, sustain, and enhance natural and cultural resources. • Support use of prescribed fire to restore natural ecological processes and functions, and to achieve land-management objectives. The Prescribed Fire Plan, PMS 484-1, is supplemental to the Interagency Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation Procedures Guide, PMS 484. The plan is the site-specific legal implementation document that provides the agency administrator the information needed to approve the prescribed fire plan, and the prescribed fire burn boss the information needed to implement the prescribed fire plan. The Prescribed Fire Plan, PMS 484-1, is located at: https://www.nwcg.gov/publications/484-1. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) provides national leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, tribal, and local partners. NWCG operations standards are interagency by design; they are developed with the intent of universal adoption by the member agencies. However, the decision to adopt and utilize them is made independently by the individual member agencies and communicated through their respective directives systems. Table of Contents Summary of Changes ................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Authorities ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Prescribed Fire Planning Documents...................................................................................................... 3 Land/Resource Management Plan ........................................................................................................ 3 Fire Management Plan ......................................................................................................................... 3 Environmental Compliance required by the National Environmental Policy Act ............................... 3 Lessons Learned ........................................................................................................................................ 3 How Lessons Learned are used in the PMS 484 ..................................................................................... 4 Implementation Organization and Qualifications ................................................................................. 4 Refreshers: To Maintain Qualifications ................................................................................................. 5 Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 3 ........................................................................................................... 5 Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Agency Administrator ............................................................................................................................. 7 Fire Management Officer or Fire Program Manager or Fuels Program Manager ........................... 8 FMO, fire or fuels program manager responsibilities: ............................................................................ 8 Prescribed Fire Plan Preparer .................................................................................................................. 9 Technical Reviewer ................................................................................................................................. 9 Prescribed Fire Manager ........................................................................................................................ 10 Prescribed Fire Burn Boss ..................................................................................................................... 10 Firing Boss ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Holding Function ................................................................................................................................... 12 Fire Effects Monitor .............................................................................................................................. 13 Resource Specialist ................................................................................................................................ 13 Resource Advisor .................................................................................................................................. 13 Specialized Positions ............................................................................................................................. 14 Amendments ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Safety ........................................................................................................................................................ 15 Risk Management ................................................................................................................................... 16 Prescribed Fire Plan ............................................................................................................................... 17 Element 1: Signature Page .................................................................................................................... 18 Element 2: Agency Administrator Ignition Authorization and Prescribed Fire Go/No Go Checklist . 19 Element 2A. Agency Administrator Ignition Authorization .............................................................. 19 Element 2B. Prescribed Fire Go/No-Go Checklist ............................................................................ 20 Element 3: Complexity Analysis Summary and Final Complexity ...................................................... 20 Element 4: Description of Prescribed Fire Area ................................................................................... 21 A. Physical Description ..................................................................................................................... 21 B. Vegetation and Fuels Description ................................................................................................ 22 C. Description of Values ................................................................................................................... 22 D. Maps ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Element 5: Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 23 Element 6: Funding .............................................................................................................................. 23 Element 7: Prescription ........................................................................................................................ 24 Element 8: Scheduling .......................................................................................................................... 25 Element 9: Pre-burn Considerations and Weather ............................................................................... 26 A. Considerations .............................................................................................................................. 26 Interagency Prescribed Fire Planning and Implementation Procedures Guide i B. Method and Frequency for Obtaining Weather and Smoke Management Forecast(s): ............... 26 C. Notifications ................................................................................................................................. 26 Element 10: Briefing ............................................................................................................................ 27 Element 11: Organization and Equipment...........................................................................................