2017 WOR: Leadership and South Canyon

Week of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2017

Today is dedicated to the 14 firefighters that lost their lives on Storm King Mountain in Colorado 23 years ago today.

On July 6, 1994, 14 wildland firefighters lost the lives on the South Canyon fire near Glenwood Springs, CO. The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program was created as an interagency effort following this tragic event. Since 2002, the program has helped develop today’s fire leaders as well as casting eyes forward to the needs of future fire leaders. The program honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice by promoting a safe fire suppression culture led by good leaders.

Background

Leadership, or problems associated with its practice on the fireline, has been cited frequently as a factor contributing to wildland fire accidents in accident investigation reports and management reviews for many years. The importance of leadership on fires has been echoed time and again. In the Final Report of the Interagency Management Review Team on the South Canyon Fire, published June 26, 1995, the statement is made that "attitudes and leadership are universal factors that influence safe fire suppression." A few years later, the "Wildland Firefighter Safety Awareness Study, Phase III" (Tri-Data report) was published. It contained numerous goals and implementation strategies related to leadership and leadership training.

Goal 69: "Provide supervisors with training in leadership and supervisory skills."
Goal 74: "Prepare leaders for decision-making under stress."

2017 Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign – Leading Authentically

Task: This is an opportunity for personnel at the local level—whether collectively or through self-development—to focus and create leadership development activities relating to the national campaign theme. Some guiding questions to think about when creating leadership development activities for your unit, crew, forest, etc. are:

What does leading authentically mean?
Why is leading authentically important?
What are some ways to develop quality authentic leadership in the self and others?

Purpose:

To promote leadership development across the wildland fire community disciplines.
To provide an opportunity and resources that can be used for leadership development at the local unit level.
To collect innovative leadership development efforts and share those efforts across the community.

End State: A culture that creates and shares innovative leadership development efforts in order to maintain superior leadership in the fire community.

Useful Resources

6MFS Suggestion Form

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Share it with the NWCG 6MFS Subcommittee

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Last Modified / Reviewed: 2024-11-26

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NWCG Latest Announcements

EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

Date: June 3, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Emergency Medical Committee

The Emergency Medical Committee has issued interim guidance for Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) teams. Until further notice, Type I and II REMS teams must designate a team leader qualified at Firefighter Type 1 Squad Boss (FFT1) or higher. This temporary change replaces the Single Resource Boss (SRB) requirement, which is currently not feasible due to administrative barriers.

This memorandum does not include any other changes to the NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552. This interim change takes effect immediately and will remain in place until further notice.

References:

EMC Memo 25-001: Interim Rapid Extraction Module (REMS) Training and Qualification Requirements

NWCG Standards for Rapid Extraction Module Support, PMS 552

Equipment Bulletin 25-002: Chaps, Chain Saw, M-2020, Nonconformities Affecting Use, Appearance, and Serviceability

Date: June 2, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee issued Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 to address a manufacturing nonconformity affecting Forest Service specification, 6170-4K Chain Saw Chaps. The issue applies to chaps manufactured in 2024 and 2025 and distributed through FedMall. These chaps may have incorrectly bound edges that expose inner protective layers.

Independent purchasers should inspect all chain saw chaps received from FedMall beginning in 2024, prior to use. Review the full Equipment Bulletin: 25-002 for inspection criteria and recommended actions.

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Equipment Bulletin: 25-002

2024 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service Awards

Date: May 22, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Emergency Medical Committee

The NWCG Emergency Medical Committee (EMC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service Awards. Each year, EMC recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated exceptional actions or accomplishments that go above and beyond their normal mission or job duties.

Congratulations to all the awardees and nominees. Through leadership and initiative, they have made significant contributions to the safety and well-being of the wildland fire community. These honors are well deserved.

References:

2024 Wildland Fire EMS Awards

NWCG Emergency Medical Committee

NWCG Welcomes the Incident Management Teams Association as an Associate Member

Date: May 21, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
https://www.nwcg.gov/contact-us

The NWCG Executive Board is honored to announce that the Incident Management Teams Association (IMTA) has joined the National Wildfire Coordinating Group as an associate member.

IMTA is a dedicated group of incident management professionals committed to enhancing the profession by promoting standards and fostering collaboration across federal, state, local, Tribal, and private sector partners throughout all phases of incident management.

“Joining NWCG aligns with our mission to elevate incident management professionals nationwide,” said Dr. Randal Collins, President of IMTA. “This is a proud moment for all of us committed to advancing public safety.”

References:

Incident Management Teams Association

National Wildfire Coordinating Group

6MFS

2017 WOR: Leadership and South Canyon

Week of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2017

Background

2017 Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign – Leading Authentically

Useful Resources

6MFS Suggestion Form

NWCG Latest Announcements

References:

References:

References:

References:

NWCG National Wildfire Coordinating Group

NWCG

National Wildfire Coordinating Group