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Fire Shelter and Personal Protective Equipment Subcommittee

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Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The Fire Shelter and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Subcommittee (FSPPES) provides interagency leadership and oversight in all areas of fire shelter and PPE program management.

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Primary Objectives

Firefighters practicing with fire shelters. Decorative.

  • Provide input to the National Training and Development Program (NTDP) regarding fire shelter and PPE specifications.
  • Support continuous improvement of fire shelters and PPE programs.
  • Assist with the development of fire shelter and PPE training.
  • Coordinate with NTDP and other pertinent entities to accomplish the subcommittee’s mission.
  • Communicate pertinent fire shelter and PPE information effectively.

Fire Shelter Information

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ETC helmet serviceability guide showing action needed.

This link will take you to the etc-determine-dom.pdfThis link will take you to the etc-helmet-notice.pdf

Wildland Firefighter's Helmet Serviceability Guide Flowchart pdf 

Helmet Inspection and Safety video (Time:  7:10)

Determine Date of Manufacturing (DOM)

Inspect the Helmet: Helmet Notice: Summer 2012 by the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) regarding reports of cracking, delamination, and broken suspension keys in helmets.

Alternate Head Protection Available (March 2011)

U.S. Forest Service National Technology Development Program (NTDP) Fire Program Website

NTDP:  New Generation Fire Shelter Information

DLA FedMall - Federal Agencies are required to order thru DLA FedMal; Access the current year DLA catalog.

Relevant LLC Publications

  • Fall 2011 Two More Chains – Your Fire Shelter: Would You Hesitate Deploying It?

Chair: Clint Hamilton

NWCG Coordinator: Erica Lamb

Parent Committee: Equipment Technology Committee

Meeting Schedule: TBD

Page Last Modified or Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

ETC Bulletin 25-001: Retrofitted Hot/Cold Beverage Kits - 2025 Field Season

Date: April 16, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee

Due to spout failures and the associated risk of burn injuries, manufacturers have retrofitted the Hot/Cold Beverage Kits using a heat-shrinking band to secure the black spout at the insertion site. The updated kits feature a fluorescent label on each full kit assembly for easy identification. Catering units are encouraged to confirm the clear heat-shrinking bands are intact around each spout before filling.

ETC Bulletin 24-001 regarding Hot/Cold Beverage Kits has been archived and replaced by ETC Bulletin 25-001 for the 2025 season.

References:

NWCG Alerts

ETC-EB-25-001 Retrofitted Hot/Cold Beverage Kits

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212, and Next Generation Position Task Book for Basic Faller Are Now Available

Date: April 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

The updated NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212, and NWCG Position Task Book for Basic Faller (FAL3), PMS 311-19 are now available.

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212 includes position standards designed to be used in conjunction with the Next Generation Position Task Book (Next Gen PTB). The Next Gen PTB for Basic Faller (FAL3) includes an evaluation guide with suggested rating elements to consider when assessing trainees.

References:

NWCG Standards For Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

NWCG Position Task Book for Basic Faller (FAL3), PMS 311-119

NWCG Basic Faller (FAL3)

RMC Memo 25-01: Summary of Updates to Safety Officer Positions

Date: April 9, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
RMC Member Eric Fransted

The Risk Management Committee (RMC) serves as the position steward for all Safety Officer incident positions and continues to improve position standards, training, and naming conventions. The implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) required changes to position titles. RMC collaborated with the NWCG Incident Position Standards Committee (IPSC) to propose and implement these updates. 

References:

RMC Memo 25-01: Summary of Updates to Safety Officer Positions 

NWCG Position Catalog

Updated, NWCG Guide to Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination, PMS 412

Date: April 8, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Wildland Fire Investigation Subcommittee

PMS 412 provides guidance for wildland fire investigations. This guide outlines recommended procedures, practices, techniques, and methods to promote a systematic approach. The last update to this publication was in 2016.

References:

NWCG Guide to Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination PMS 412