Pacific Northwest Coordination Group Steering Committee (PNWCG SC)
Meeting Notes final
18 Mar 2009 @ Northwest Coordination Center (NWCC)
Attending: Paul Bell, ODF Chair; Ken Snell, R6 USFS; Carl Gossard, BLM-SORO,
Cory Winnie, BIA; Dave LaFave, WA Fire Chiefs (filling in for Bob Anderson); John Ingrao, OR Fire Chiefs; Tod Johnson (filling in for Sue Husari) NPS; Joe Shramek, DNR; Pat Kelly, Executive Director PNWCG; Jan Mathis, BLM-SORO, notetaker; Chris Hoff, Rico George, Jon Rollens, Jim Furlong, presenters.
Chair’s remarks Paul
We have a very full agenda today. If we can get it all done, we will have accomplished a lot. After today, we will have only one remaining task order open. There are several new members to the Steering Committee: John Ingrao, Tod Johnson and Mariana Temple-Ruiz. I’m relatively new also and still learning how things work. Also, the very severe budget issues are having an impact as quite a few of us are working on these issues. Our last meeting with the Working Teams and Geoboard was fantastic, a lot of good information was exchanged and processed. Our April meeting can be utilized to work through some of the issues that were brought up by the teams. Three other issues I want to bring up are: the crew contract agreement process (direct costs); the current process on the RFP 2009 agreement; and the Master Agreement.
February Notes Jan
(Handout #1 – SC Meeting Notes for Feb 18, 2009, draft v. 1, 4 pp)
(Handout #2 – SC/WT Meeting Notes, Feb 18-19, 2009, draft v. 1, 9 pp)
(Handout #3 – Geoboard Meeting Notes Feb 19, 2009, draft v.1, 7 pp)
Some of the information needs to be reviewed before the notes are finalized. Working to compile all of the WT briefing papers for the SC/WT notes.
Finalize Agenda & misc Pat
(Handout #4 - PNWCG SC Mar 18, 2009 Agenda v.3, 2 pp)
(Handout #5 – PNW Incident Business Practice Working Team, 1 p)
(Handout #6 – PNWCG SC 2009 meeting dates, 1 p)
The PNWCG Website that Jim Edmonds is working on is progressing nicely.
3 IC Council reports Chris Hoff, Jim Furlong, Dave LaFave
(Handout #7 – “Right Sizing” Incident Management Teams Briefing Paper, 5 pp)
We looked at alternatives:
1. Maintain the current process
2. Modification of the current process where you mobilize the 50 person team, once they arrive, they determine the workload, then downsize in place or move them into other jobs where they can help with the management. Would occur within 48 to 72 hours.
3. One team in WA and one team in OR would be a 27 person team the whole year. If a unit needed something less, then that team would roll.
4. Maintain the teams in the current 50 person configuration with 1 team in the rotation configured as a short team.
Other considerations were for more use of Type 3 teams, rapid assessment teams, fire use teams.
Our recommendation is to move forward with option 4: maintaining a 27 person team in the current rotation.
Joe’s proposal is item #4 modified (basically following National Guidelines)
o Roster 50
o Default to National Standard (27 + 6)
o As each time an IMT is orders, the AA/IC talk & IC has support to make an acceptance.
Ø Actions:
1. Write statement of intent for PNWCG, Jim & Chris
2. Share with ICs at Eugene (Jim & Paul) & Washington (Dave LaFave pre-meeting) + GeoBoards (Paul & Pat will get it to the GeoBoards)
a) Reaction
b) Implementation (09/10)
3. Revisit in April
What goes in the Mob Guide?
Note: it’s important to use the terminology “National Standard” rather than “short-team”
Master Agreement Paul
(Handout #8 – Master Agreement and Northwest Operating Plan revisions, 2 pp)
Discussed the revisions and new language.
Feedback:
· Delete the first sentence (in the first red paragraph) “Escaped fires resulting from wildland fire managed for multiple objectives shall be the responsibility of the Jurisdictional Agency.”
· Add a 4th example under the Northwest Operating Plan.
· Change the statement 29 to: Management Response for unplanned ignitions.
Ø Paul Bell will relay this information back to Barbara.
Ø Paul has an agency person who could rework the Accomplishment Report, expect to see something in May/June timeframe.
Hot Topic: Crew Contract Paul
· Conference Call (early to mid-April)
· Q1 – How many crews do we want?
· Discussed the revisions and new language.
Ø Placeholder: Discussion of ODF indirect costs.
NFP Community Assistance Grant Program Rico George
(Handout #9 – Packet on NFP Community Assistance Grant Program, 34 pp total)
Discussed and described the different state and community fire grant programs available to assist with fire management programs on state-protected and private lands.
· Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Community Assistance
· State Fire Assistance – FS
· Western State Fire Managers Wildland-Urban Interface Grants
· Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA)-FS-and Rural Fire Assistance (RFA)-DOI
· Ready Reserve – DOI
There are differences in each state:
Washington State: Goes from county level to the regional level. The region gets involved, then goes to Olympia, then from Olympia to National Fire Plan team.
Oregon: Goes from local to Salem, Salem looks at them in a panel, then from Salem to the National Fire Plan team.
A lot of people will be going out the door shortly due to retirement. Our team should be much tighter and perhaps work directly with the Fuels team. A lot of the information needs to be coordinated.
The Fuels team should take the lead as to where the treatment money should go.
Ø Decision to support the proposal to move forward with the 2010 grants.
Ø The Steering Committee supported the 2010 grant proposal as presented by the
Work Team.
Placeholder: Possibility of altering the grant process. Is the grant process direction in alignment with internal agency investments, for example fuels projects on the west side.
Break for lunch at noon.
Reconvened at 12:45pm
Report of AWT Jon Rollens
Task 0810-06 Helicopter Hoist Capability in the PNW
(Handout #10 – Task 0810-06 Helicopter Hoist Capability for Medivac Missions, 15 pp)
The task order was to develop an aviation medivac plan for extracting injured firefighters that require helicopter hoist capabilities.
The 3 categories for ordering are:
1. City or County agencies
2. U.S. Coast Agencies
3. National Guard/Air Force Military
Hoisting Operations Viability Criteria
· Adequate minimum heli power
· Medical personnel onboard (EMT)
· Launch, Extract, Deliver in approx 2 hour
· FM Radio
· Staffing for Customer (Hours)
· Willingness to Relocate for Pay
o (Standard Category Aircraft?)
There are 10 entities that have hoist capabilities in the PNW. These were discussed in more detail:
1. California Hwy Patrol - they are viable, not a reliable option because they won’t relocate.
2. Coast Guard North Bend – viable, but not reliable because they won’t relocate.
3. Oregon National Guard Salem – best resource we have in the PNW.
· This is our single best resource, however due to deployments won’t be viable in 2009. Jon will have to clarify if they would sit in Washington.
4. Coast Guard Astoria – viable but not reliable because they won’t relocate.
5. Coast Guard Port Angeles – viable but not reliable because they won’t relocate.
6. Snohomish County – may become viable for us in the future, currently use UH-1H.
7. King County – may become viable for us in the future, currently use UH-1H.
8. USFS Fairchild – viable and not reliable because they won’t relocate.
9. Idaho National Guard – viable but not reliable because they won’t relocate.
10. NAS Whidbey Island – viable but not reliable because they won’t relocate.
If we needed to get someone extracted, you can contact the AFRCC (Air Force Rescue Coordination Center) for the Coast Guard North Bend, Astoria, Port Angeles, USFS Fairchild, Idaho National Guard, NAS Whidbey Island. Could take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours to mobilize. The problem, you can’t count on them to get there in time.
California Hwy Patrol is a good resource for those in that area.
Oregon National Guard will be a good resource once they get through their deployments. They will go over the border to Washington, but not clear if they would park there. Jon to clarify this.
Ft. Lewis does have hoist capability, but Jon hasn’t been able to speak to anyone there so they have been left off of the list.
Snohomish County and King County may be a possibility, but they haven’t been vetted.
Hoist Tasking Outcome
· Except for ONG, all military hoist helicopters are ordered thru the AFRCC
· Two county operations (Snohomish and King) may be viable and reliable in the future. UH-1H Issue Unresolved.
· ONG not viable in 2009 due to deployments.
· Long term solutions may include: Shorthaul, hoists on rapp helos, hoists on LFS helos, better fireline cabability, change in tactics.
What’s our standard, how close are our helispots, this type of discussion should be held on a yearly basis.
What should be done with this info for this year?
What further action should be taken by PNWCG for this year?
Dave LaFave suggestion: Take identified resources along with the air ambulance services, fixed wing resources, develop it as an appendix section to our pocket guides. Incorporate in your med plan how to best use available resources. Med unit leader overview of where we’re out and how to mitigate and incorporate in our medical plan. Each area geographically have these issues. That direction would force the teams to have a quick medical summary as part of the initial ramp-up based on what area we’re in.
Find out where EMS services from the local dispatch.
Are there any medical protocols are we going to put in place. What are we doing to improve our line safety – may be doing something about fitness capacity. Regional rappel crew to increase the medical capability of their people.
IC and teams need to develop a medical plan.
RX:
1. 2009 distribution version of AWT paper – 1 page.
2. What medical protocol should be in place. (WA – Region Level Standards)
(See – OR OSHA Woods work’s rules Div 6) (Paul Bell)
3. What medical standards should be in place for rescue, launch protocols, etc.
· Use Jon’s work for ‘09
· Create a Task Force: to include Gary Sterling, Shelby Gales, Dan Jones, NPS – Todd to provide name, Pam Ensley; Dave – to provide someone from WA State Fire Service, suggests Medical Unit Leader – Bill Jackman.
Ø Action: Ken will help to create a task order. Jan to get the notes to him from this discussion.
Ø Ken will craft a letter for Paul to sign
Ø Jon Rollens will craft a paragraph to finish up Task Order 0810-06.
Note: There’s a subject link to the Program of Work Item 3-2.
Work Teams Prep for April Pat
(Handout #11 – Ideas on how to approach the April 2009 PNWCG SC meeting, 3 pp)
There are 7 Working Teams were identified as needing guidance at the February WT/SC meeting. Proposed the following approach for addressing this issue beginning at our April meeting.
· Focus on the viable teams that are close to being functional.
· Sunset the teams that are no longer viable.
· Provide guidance to the teams that need it.
Decided to focus heavily on this issue at our April meeting and part of our May meeting.
HOT TOPICS
Contract WT Charter
(Handout #12 – Contract WT Charter, 3 pp)
Members to review and bring back to April’s meeting.
FPA WT Charter Cory
(Handout #13 – PNWFPAWT Charter, 4 pp)
Charter approved and signed by Paul Bell. Pat will get it posted to the website.
Interagency coordination of WFDSS Ken
Federal agencies are working on implementation of WFDSS. A training session will be held on 31 Mar 2009 at 8:30am in downtown Portland on the 3rd floor by the NIMO team. There are also webinars available. When the training is completed, we’re going to have to decide on how to move the training to the rest of the units.
Placeholder for June: Understanding agency talking points re: WFDSS
Understanding agency guidelines for implementation of WFDSS.
Placeholder for April: ID the who, what, where and when on the talking points.
Holdover topics:
· KDL (Key Decision Log) Jim to bring back to next month’s meeting.
· Technology – Dave will bring back to us when ready.
AAR
+Rico & Rollens presentations were superb.
Handouts
Handout #1 – SC Meeting Notes for Feb 18, 2009, draft v. 1, 4 pp
Handout #2 – SC/WT Meeting Notes, Feb 18-19, 2009, draft v. 1, 9 pp
Handout #3 – GeoBoard Meeting Notes Feb 19, 2009, draft v.1, 7 pp
Handout #4 – PNWCG SC 18 Mar 2009 Agenda v.3, 2 pp
Handout #5 – PNW Incident Business Practice Working Team, 1 p
Handout #6 – PNWCG SC 2009 meeting dates, 1 p
Handout #7 – “Right Sizing” Incident Management Teams Briefing Paper, 5 pp
Handout #8 – Master Agreement and Northwest Operating Plan revisions, 2 pp
Handout #9 – Packet on NFP Community Assistance Grant Program, 34 pp total
Handout #10 – Task 0810-06 Helicopter Hoist Capability for Medivac Missions, 15 pp
Handout #11 – Ideas on how to approach the April 2009 PNWCG SC meeting, 3 pp
Handout #12 – Contract WT Charter, 3 pp
Handout #13 – PNWFPAWT Charter, 4 pp
Handout #14 – PNWCG Strategic Plan, March 16, 2009, v2, 11 pp
Handout #15 – PNWCG Program of Work, March 16, 2009, v2, 11 pp
Adjourned at 3:00 pm.
PNWCG SC Meeting Mar 18, 2009 pg 2