Chair Pamensley(FWS) with Proxy for NPS

PNWCG Steering Committee November 2013 Meeting Notes

Nov. 20, 2013

Attendees:

Chair PamEnsley(FWS) with proxy for NPS

Cory Winnie, (BIA)

Albert Kassel(DNR) with proxy from WFS, WFM and OFS

David Summer (FS) with proxy from BLM and Bobbie Scopa

Doug Grafe, (ODF)

Jim Walker (OFM)

Dan O’Brien, NWCC

Ted Pierce, acting note taker

Pat Kelly, Executive Director

Guests-

CiCiChitwood, Business Section Lead

Ben McGrane, Supervisory Contracting Specialist

Tony Largaespada, Contract Operations Assistant

Contractors Association Attendees –

See the attached list

On the phone – Sarah Fischer, FS-WO, National Incident Business Coordinator

Administration

There are no current Task Orders or Tracking Items due.

The October SC DRAFT notes were handed out for review.

Contract Association Review of 2013

Pam – Introductions and affirming the commitment of the SC to meet annually with Contract Associations.

Today’s intent is for the Steering Committee to listen to contractor issues and work towards resolution.
Ground Rules – We’re here to listen.
Process—We’ll provide a brief update of a Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) being conducted on Contractor Fatalities from the 2013 Fire Season, and anupdate on the seven follow-up items from the November 2012 Steering Committee meeting with the Contractors Associations.

David – Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) of Contractors Fatalities

The 2013 fire season was tragic with 4 contract fatalities in August.
An additional Contractor Fatality occurred in Oct. 2012. A FLA is underway to look for lessons learned and common threads in the fatalities.
The review is intended to be done by January 2014.

Update from Steering Committee of Contract Association Issues Raised in 2012

1) Solve the dispatching situation. Have dispatchers attend a mandatory annual session which includes working with and dispatching contract resources.

DNR and NWCC worked together throughout the fire season for water handling dispatch solutions.
Early Nov. Cindy Beck, David Summer and Nancy Hirsch met with NWSA.
Albert, Nancy, Jim Walker work in progress for state of Oregon to bring dispatching more in line with NWCC.
Dispatch Workshop held Spring 2013 in conjunction with Incident Business/Contracting.

2) MOU’s ensure that the Community Colleges are held to a standard equivalent to the contractors.

David- briefing paper was mailed to all contractors association.
Cont. assoc had asked for more compliance.
PNWCG agreed to explore third party records inspections.

3) Get Best Value considerations into the VIPR agreements.

PNWCG has taken the concerns and shared with the national business working team chair Sarah Fischer during Contractor Association / PNWCG meeting.

New operations position national office filling a GS 12 position to respond to VIPER issues. Intent would be to have this position attend future PNWCG/ Contract association meetings.

4) Keep up a regular pattern of PNWCG Steering Committee and Contractors Associations meetings.

2014 affirms intent of regular meetings

5) Develop consistency between agreements. There is too much one size fits all. National Templates are seen as a step backward. Tender Operators may be at greater risk from fire than their fitness standard would indicate.

See bullets from #3 above.

6) Standardization is needed to bring fire department folks into fitness and experience levels comparable with contractors.

WA response--WAC 29630507010: if attacking a wildland fire, if last longer than 1 hour, need to meet 310-1 requirements.
OR response—participating agencies accept/meet standards; agencies operating within home jurisdiction meet only the local requirements.

7) FESSA group (Fire Equipment, Service and Supply Acquistion). Is made up of Contracting Officers. It badly needs operations side participation.

New operations position national office filling a GS 12 position to respond to VIPER issues.
Goal is to bridge contracting and operations standards.
Region 6 also intends to fill position to focus on these issues in 2014.

Summary of 2013 Contractor Association Issues and Discussion:

Dispatchers not knowing how to dispatch the various contracts.
Biggest recurring issue, more education is needed within the dispatch community and contract community.
Kim Christensen will be presenting contracting dispatch procedures at the national contracting meeting.
R-6 Dispatch workshop to have a presentation on dispatching various contracts.
Utilize closest forces concept.
Self-Certification
VIPR templates unintentional shift resource quality back towards self-certification.
Greater oversight of certification needed.
Develop MOU for records inspection.
Utilizing Best value contracting
Need to look at something besides the price.
Consider contractor, training, experience. Have to look at what you’re getting for the money.
Conducting Needs analysis on engine contract
Helpful for contractors to know how many engines, for example, are needed year by year.
Chance to invest in quality over numbers of resources.
Need for good quality evaluation on performance
Making sure that this is shared at upcoming IMT training and distributed to units for Type 3 incidents.
Currently have different performance evaluation forms and committed to utilizing only ICS form and not the contracting form
Identify where the evaluations for instructors and courses go.
USFS has agreed to hold funding at regional level for improved monitoring of instructors and courses.
Associations have asked for a point of contact as we have had in the past.
USFS will be filling a new position in fire contracting to be the point of contact.
Contract resources are not always involved with AAR’s while in the field or on fires.
Contractors are asking for a forum to provide feedback on the incident.
Get a contract association rep. at the upcoming spring IC meeting.
Goal would be to talk about evaluations, performance, and overhead performance.
There is a need for more Language Skills Assessment sites.
LSA requirements must be completed byJune 1of eachcalendar year. All STCR, CRWB and FFT1 firefighters must attend and successfully pass pre-season LSA testing. Testing must be completed by either Clackamas Community College or Rogue Community College.
Concerns with reported hours versus worked hours—instances of 16 hour duty days being recorded regardless of time worked.
Would like appropriate time recorded as worked. (ie. 16-hr days)_
Match skills with job on specialty equipment (ie tactical tenders, fallers, and dozer operators)

Sarah Fisher FS-WO

Working to improve the program and appreciates ability to listen
Good to hear possible solutions from the Contractor Associations Perspective

After Action Review of the Contractors Association portion of the meeting:

Debbie- Liked seeing actions implemented that were talked about this year.
Doug- Impressed with the tone and professionalism
David- Will discuss this conv. Where he can, contact will be provided,
Cici- Glad Ben took part as the VIPER POC
Doug- knowing who key contacts are
Could have provided feedback to contract associations
Mike- Appreciate that R-6 is a model for contracting

##CLOSE OF CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATION MEETING##

Steering Committee Topics

New Master Agreement

Luann Grover – Draft provided, 2 days of meetings and several conference calls to draft revision:

Authorities changed – service first act – section 323
Section 9c second line– changed title more in line with national document
Additional page 10 – 17c
OP throughout document OP changed
Page 9 #12 – Interagency resources 3rd paragraph will change in 2015. Will need new language from PNWCG regarding geoboard oversight (provided suggested text (attached) through David), for once the decision regarding Dec. decision. Remove the word local
Page 5 Associations – the 3 Rangeland associations are not included as they are not a protection (Doug)
Section 13 – Accepting other agencies standards,
ODF utilizes state direction on some quals (i.e. Food Unit Leader for local nuances) ODF relates closely to 310-1.
David – why wouldn’t we want to adjust to one standard.
Albert relates this standard to 310-1 and thinks that we are all close. Operations and Safety will maintain 310-1 standards.
David suggests accept Section 13 as written. Food Unit leaders for feds need COR.
Section 29 – Management response for unplanned ignitions.
Removed suppression, installed management.
Washington DNR cannot add smoke management, need to base decision on firefighter safety. Potential damage, firefighter safety,
Section 29 – changed to land management consideration
Section 35 –
Section 42 – added fire danger
Section 49 – cleaned up verbiage
Section 52 – added second paragraph and will add to operating plan
Exhibit Changes – mirrors red book more closely
Exhibit c – changes may be made in the operating plan

Will review Operating plan annually

David – Utilize Cohesive wildfire strategy verbiage (group consensus to add into purpose or intent) will work with Luann to add a sentence into the document regarding this.

Doug- suggested recognition to landowner resources within their own jurisdiction. Will forward to legal review for possible verbiage.

PNWCG concurs with proposed adjustments to Master agreement pending legal review.

Albert inquired about dates w/in exhibit d – Luann will follow up (may go into Operating Plan)
Enter into legal review Dec. 10 expecting 60-day decision.

March meeting review/ discuss Master Agreement

Should reviews back before PNWCG Feb. 19-20 meeting

IIMT spring 2014 meetings

11 IMT’s all going to meeting in Yakima (15 feds for each team, total of 165 federal employees)April 15-16, 2014
WAIIMT 2,ORIIMT 4, taking leads for agendas
David- Jeff: suggest the need for PNWCG approval of the agenda

Annual (February) Workshop

Planning for annual workshop will be deferred to the December 2013 Steering Committee meeting.

2014 vision for Fire Safety Sessions

David- Will be looking for support from different sections to form a team to assist with Fire Operations Safety Training sessions

Shelby – Handout, outline of 3 options to continue momentum.

Pam- Suggest Storm King staff ride to use as part of safety session.

Dan- Suggest creating a “YouTube” style approach to disseminating info.

Albert- We need to reactivate the safety and health working team,

David- Made a public commitment to learn and need to utilize south canyon staff rides as a learning point.

– 3 options –

Build data deliverable to the field (like a YouTube Video)
Build up the (Prineville—South Canyon) staff ride greater participation
Move staff ride to different venue and open to all.

Identify safety when discussing what we will not do, need to push forward with the safety working team amidst the reduction of working groups.

Hot Topics

2014 Chair-V. Chair – Pam proposes continue with rotation, with Nancy as Chair and David as V. Chair
Topics 2014 NMAC/GMAC meeting – Jan 4-8 in Boise. Pam will be going, As well as Dan
Geoboard/ Geoboards- Will be discussed Dec. 11
Ops working team completed June paper with analysis, Oregon and Washington Geoboards Need to be available and address issues; Familiarize with governing rules and documents before Dec. meeting.
David – Need to invite additional people from geoboards, probably leads and anyone else who would have input
Pam – continue to move forward towards one governing board
Dan – develop the operating plan to give the future group direction
Interagency Incident Management Teams will try to have rosters selected Dec. 10
Team Review, teams are looking for direction

Pat will be gone after Thanksgiving-Dec. 9

AAR

5 contract associations felt heard
Appreciate the open Feedback
Values group involvement and input regarding other groups
Safety sessions may revolve around South Canyon Staff Ride
Sharing key

Name / Email / Association / Phone
Dan O’Brien / / NWCC / 503-808-2732
Debbie Miley / / NWSA / 877-676-6972
Lee Miller / / NWSA / 541-929-2840
Dale Jenner / / NWSA / 541-969-2177
David Summer / / FS/ BLM / 503-808-2143
Stan Kunzman / / NWSA / 541-389-3526
Harry Winston / / OFCA / 541-643-1924
1-800-447-3558
Pat Kelly / / 503-235-9999
Pam Ensley / / 503-231-6174
Rick Dice / / 541-915-6373
James Walker / / 503-510-2388
Tim LogozzoSr / / 509-949-2825
Warren Giles / / NFCA / 541-963-7993
Richard Scholl / / NFCA / 509-529-2848
Michael D. Wheelock / / NWSA / 541-218-2748
Doug Grafe / / 503-945-7437
Dan Boettner / / TSWCA / 541-815-2030
Paul Asher / / TSWCA / 503-724-2597
Christian Jckowski / / NFTCH / 541-610-3023
Jamie Olsen / / NFTCH / 541-602-2637
CiCiChitwood / / USFS/ BLM / 503-808-2466
Ben McGrane / / USFS / 541-410-5714
Tony Largaespada / / USFS/ BLM / 503-808-2328
Ted Pierce (notes) / / NWCC / 503-808-2722

PNWCG Sign-in Sheet 11-20-13