Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management National Park Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Indian Affairs Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2017 January 2017 NFES 2724 Chapter 1 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy Overview Chapter 2 BLM Program Organization and Responsibilities Chapter 3 NPS Program Organization and Responsibilities Chapter 4 FWS Program Organization and Responsibilities Chapter 5 FS Program Organization and Responsibilities Chapter 6 BIA Program Organization and Responsibilities Chapter 7 Safety and Risk Management Chapter 8 Interagency Coordination and Cooperation Chapter 9 Fire Management Planning Chapter 10 Preparedness Chapter 11 Incident Management Chapter 12 Suppression Chemicals and Delivery Systems Chapter 13 Firefighting Training and Qualifications Chapter 14 Firefighting Equipment Chapter 15 Communications Chapter 16 Aviation Operations and Resources Chapter 17 Fuels Management Chapter 18 Reviews and Investigations Chapter 19 Dispatch and Coordination System Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations January 2017 NFES 2724 Produced by the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations Group, National Interagency Fire Center, Boise, ID. This document is posted at https://www.nifc.gov/policies/pol_intgncy_guides.html. Published copies of this document may be ordered from the National Interagency Fire Center, Great Basin Cache Supply Office, Boise, ID 83705- 5354. Consult the current NWCG National Fire Equipment System Catalog Part 2: Publications for current prices and ordering procedures posted at https://www.nwcg.gov/?q=publications/449-2. Release Date: January 2017 (This page intentionally left blank.) NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER 3833 S. Development Avenue Boise, Idaho 83705-5354 January 1, 2017 To: Agency Personnel From: Fire and Aviation Directors Bureau of Land Management U.S. Forest Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service Bureau of Indian Affairs Subject: Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations The Fire and Aviation Directors of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs have directed the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations Group (ISOG) to annually revise, publish, and distribute the federal Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations, and issue errata to this document. The Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations, states, references, or supplements policy and provides program direction for Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs fire and fire aviation program management. Employees engaged in fire suppression and fire management activities will comply with interagency and agency-specific health, safety, and fire management policy documents. For the Bureau of Land Management, this document provides policy and guidance as referenced in BLM Manual Section (MS) 9200 Fire Program Management. For the USDA Forest Service, this document provides guidance for implementing safe and effective fire and aviation management operations based on policy in Forest Service Manual 5100 and 5700. Release Date: January 2017 For the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this document provides guidance for implementaion of 621 FW 1. For the National Park Service this document supplements Reference Manual 18. For the Bureau of Indian Affairs, this document provides guidance on field level fire operations, in addition to policy referenced in the Indian Affairs Manual (IAM) Section 90. This document addresses specific action items that are contained in the Guidance for Implementaiton of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (February 13, 2009). The contents of this book are not to be modified. Supplemental agency-specific direction of a more restrictive nature may be issued separately. Suggestions for modification of the publication should be sent to your agency representatives listed on this page. Ronald Dunton Assistant Director, Fire & Aviation, Bureau of Land Management Larry Sutton Assistant Director, Operations, Fire & Aviation Management, U.S. Forest Service Chris Wilcox Chief, Fire Management Branch, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service William Kaage Chief, Division of Fire and Aviation, National Park Service ______________________________________ Aaron Baldwin Branch Chief, Wildland Fire Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations Group agency respresentatives: Marlene Eno-Hendren, BLM David Walker, FWS Brian Achziger, BLM Chad Fisher, NPS Bill Van Bruggen, FS Jordan McKnight, NPS Evans Kuo, FS Garth Fisher, BIA Ted Mason, FWS Release Date: January 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................ 1 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy Overview.................................... 1 Scope ............................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 1 Review and Update of the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (January 2001).............................................................................................................. 1 Guiding Principles of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy........................................ 1 Elements of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy ...................................................... 3 Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy (February 13, 2009) ...................................................................................................... 5 Definitions .................................................................................................................... 6 Wildland Fire ............................................................................................................................. 6 Fire Type .................................................................................................................................... 6 Wildfire Management Objectives ............................................................................................... 6 Response to Wildfire .................................................................................................................. 7 Initial Response .......................................................................................................................... 7 Initial Attack (IA) ....................................................................................................................... 7 Extended Attack ......................................................................................................................... 7 Extended Attack Incident ........................................................................................................... 7 Suppression ................................................................................................................................ 7 Protection ................................................................................................................................... 7 Prescribed Fire ........................................................................................................................... 8 Fire Operations Doctrine ............................................................................................ 8 Purpose of Fire Operations Doctrine .......................................................................................... 8 The Nature of Fire Operations .................................................................................................... 8 Wildland Fire Operations Risk Management ............................................................................. 8 Fire Preparedness ....................................................................................................................... 8 Fire Operations Command Philosophy ....................................................................................... 9 Fire Leadership .......................................................................................................................... 9 Fire Suppression ......................................................................................................................... 9 Principles of Suppression Operations ....................................................................................... 10 Principles of Fire Suppression Action ...................................................................................... 10 Cost Effective Fire Operations ................................................................................. 11 Chapter 2 .......................................................................................................... 13 BLM Wildland Fire and Aviation Program Organization and Responsibilities ................................................................................................. 13 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 13 BLM Fire Operations Website ................................................................................