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NFDRS PocketCards

The National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) PocketCard is a tool for field personnel to locally track fire potential throughout the season. It is based on historical weather and fire occurrence for a localized area. The PocketCard displays a general assessment of the fire potential and identifies combinations of local weather and fuel conditions that might contribute to severe fire behavior.

The PocketCard provides:

  • A general indicator of the potential fire danger for a given rating or protection area.
  • A graph showing the trend and status of the current year’s fire season.
  • A comparison of current year conditions to historical worst and average conditions.
  • Fire danger values related to past large or problem fires.
  • Critical local thresholds for temperature, humidity, wind speed, and fuel moistures associated with large or notable fires.

Discuss the following ways to use the PocketCard:

  • Use it primarily before fires occur or before arriving at a fire. It is also useful during initial fire size-up, initial attack, and extended attack.
  • Use it to learn critical local area thresholds that predict the potential for extreme fire behavior. Be aware that these critical thresholds can occur earlier or later in the season.
  • Use it to compare current and predicted local fire danger to historical local fire danger for enhanced situation awareness.
  • Use it to track daily fire danger indices that gauge the potential for weather and fuels to support extreme fire behavior, as well as affect the difficulty of control.
  • Use it to supplement local experience.
  • Use it as a point of reference for firefighters not familiar with the area represented by the card.
  • When you receive a fire assignment outside your local area, visit the National PocketCard website, where PocketCards are filed by geographic area.
  • Put it in the pocket of all your firefighters and keep one in each fire vehicle.
  • Post it in dispatch. Use them in briefings. Provide them to incoming crews.
  • Do not use the PocketCard for site-specific fire behavior predictions, fireline actions, or without an interpretive briefing.
  • Review definitions and implications of Energy Release Component (ERC) and Burning Index (BI) values.

 

Category
Weather Fire Behavior
References
NFDRS PocketCards, NWCG

Last Modified / Reviewed:


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Questions?  Please contact:
National Interagency Aviation Committee

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Air Operations Summary (ICS 220 WF)

National Interagency Aviation Committee

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Date: April 30, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Fuels Management Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Firing Boss, Single Resource, PMS 350-105, and the NWCG Position Task Book for Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB), PMS 311-105, are now available. 

These resources, part of the Performance Support Package developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators. 

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

 

References:

NWCG Firing Boss, Single Resource Position Page

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Firing Boss, Single Resource, PMS 350-105

NWCG Position Task Book for Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB), PMS 311-105

Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Book Available for Helicopter Crewmember

Date: April 28, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22, and the NWCG Position Task Book for Helicopter Crewmember (HECM), PMS 311-22, are now available.

These resources, part of the Performance Support Package developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

References:

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22

NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22

NWCG Position Task Book for Helicopter Crewmember (HECM), PMS 311-22

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Questions?  Please contact:
Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Subcommittee

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References:

NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS 515

NWCG National Interagency Aviation Committee