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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.pdf This 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: Carmen Thomason

Parent Committee: Equipment Technology Committee

Meeting Schedule: TBD

Page Last Modified or Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

WFSTAR 2025 Core Component Module Package and 2024 Fire Year in Review Now Available

Date: March 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Joe Schindel at mschindel@blm.gov
 

The 2025 Core Component Module Package for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) and the 2024 Fire Year in Review are now available on the NWCG website. The 2025 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

References:

2025 Core Component Module Package

2024 Fire Year in Review Module

NEW! NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053

Date: March 12, 2025
Contact: Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Committee

The NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 provides mitigation practitioners at all experience levels with recommendations on the most effective and efficient ways to accomplish mitigation work in communities at risk to wildfire damage or destruction. The content in this guide was written in coordination with the NWCG Standards for Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface, PMS 052.

References:

NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 

Updated, NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

Date: March 11, 2025
Contact: Fire Use Subcommittee
Wildland Fire Module Unit

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430 standardizes procedures and expectations for Wildland Fire Modules (WFMs). These standards are to be used by staff, supervisors, specialists, and technicians for planning, administering, and conducting WFM operations. These standards will also be used as a measure of WFM qualifications, capabilities, and expected performance, for both Type 1 and Type 2 WFMs.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

NEW! NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514

Date: March 7, 2025
Contact: National Interagency Aviation Committee

The NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514 establishes the standards for dispatching, utilizing, and coordinating airtankers on interagency wildland fires. These standards should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision (SAS), PMS 505, NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations (SABO), PMS 508, and any applicable agency plans.

References:

NWCG Standards for Airtanker Operations, PMS 514