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2018 WOR: Renew our commitment to the health, wellness and safety of wildland firefighters

Ribbon symbol for survivor next to the Wildland Fire Leadership logoWeek of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2018

This Week of Remembrance is dedicated to all those who have fallen in the line of duty and is intended to serve as an opportunity to renew our commitment to the health, wellness and safety of wildland firefighters.

On June 30, 2013 nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew lost their lives on the Yarnell Hill fire.  Today we mark the five year anniversary of this tragedy and honor them with lessons and conversations that should help us to adjust to an ever-changing fire environment and allow us to strive for the best possible outcomes.  An outcome where we all come off the line at the end of each shift safely.  We are here today to honor and remember the lives of the nineteen lost on this tragic day, but we are also here to remember the lives of all fallen firefighters and to honor them throughout this week.  The anniversaries of such events should signal a reminder for all of us to seek improvement and pursue successful outcomes.

“We honor and remember through learning”

Brit Rosso
Director, LLC

Each tragic event impacts us.  These events rip through our community and leave behind more questions than answers.  How do we as a fire community remember and honor the lives of those who were lost on these fires?  We need to keep talking about what happened in order to bring change. We need to be open with assessing what we’ve learned from these events and be proactive in implementing those lessons learned moving forward.

We are all struggling to understand and process the loss of any lives on the fireline, and each of us is impacted differently.  We should challenge ourselves to learn what we can by reading the reports posted on the Lessons Learned Center website and engaging in honest, sometimes difficult, but always respectful conversations.  Through facilitated conversations with our peers and subordinates this is where the learning will come about, this is how we will work to reduce the chances of such tragic outcomes in the future.  The inherent danger of our jobs makes it critical for us to learn, to take the lessons available out of these tragedies and implement them as a workforce and as individuals. 

 

6mfs-2018-learning-diagram

This year the Week of Remembrance focuses on medivacs and the lessons learned from recent medical incident responses. Changes that were brought forward out of the ashes of tragedy in an effort to reduce these unintended outcomes in the future.  We will look at the proactive changes that have developed within our fire community. Changes that came because we as a workforce kept talking and striving for a different outcome.   When we talk openly with each other, the result will create a safer work environment for all of us.  We are experiencing far more intense fires each season, our seasons run longer each year and we cannot control this.  Our workforce can control actions, decisions and hopefully outcomes if we engage in the learning process. 

 

As a crew and an individual look critically at yourself and identify the areas where you can learn and grow. 

  • Be a part of the change that is needed to bring everyone safely off the fireline at the end of each shift.
  • Prepare yourselves for the season ahead through your willingness to learn, change and grow.

 

The topics, review, and resources for the NWCG “Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance” have been contributed by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center, the Wildland Fire Leadership Subcommittee, the Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee, interagency dispatchers, and many other field SMEs.

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NWCG Latest Announcements

NEW! S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended) Available Now

Date: Aug 15, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that the S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended) training is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. S-290 (Blended) training combines online training and instructor-led training components that support individuals working towards any Single Resource Boss or Fire Effects Monitor incident qualifications.

This second course in the series collectively serves to develop fire behavior prediction knowledge and skills, and provides more detailed information on fuels, weather, and topography that affect wildland fire behavior for safety purposes.

Students are required to finish the prerequisite S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, before enrolling in S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended).

References:

S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (Blended)

S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

NEW! S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended) Now Available

Date: Aug 14, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Interagency Helicopter Operations Subcommittee

The S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended) is now available. Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this training supports individuals working towards Helicopter Crewmember (HECM) incident qualifications. 

S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended) training combines online training and instructor-led training components. This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the duties of the HECM position, as described in the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Helicopter Crewmember, PMS 350-22.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

S-271, Helicopter Crewmember (Blended)

NWCG Helicopter Crewmember (HECM) Position Page

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Books Now Available for FBAN and LTAN

Date: Aug 13, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Fire Behavior Subcommittee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and Next Generation Position Task Books are now available for Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) and Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN).

The Performance Support Packages for these positions were developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

NWCG Fire Behavior Analyst Position Page

NWCG Long Term Fire Analyst Page

ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 New Guidance on Laundering Wildland Fire Clothing to Reduce Contamination

Date: Aug 8, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee
 Risk Management Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC Safety Bulletin: 25-001

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing

Equipment Technology Committee

Risk Management Committee