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Incident Position Descriptions (IPDs)

  • Provide the single authoritative source for the essential duties and responsibilities for each NWCG position.
  • Ensure connection between the position and established operational standards.
  • Build consistency (organization, nomenclature, terminology) internal to each position and across the inventory of positions.
  • Prevent unnecessary duplication of duties across positions.
  • Help identify performance support needs such as job aids, training courses, and Position Task Books (PTBs).

Steps to Creating an IPD

  1. Determine if the position meets criteria for inclusion in NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.
  2. Review previously completed IPDs as examples.
  3. Collect duty and responsibility statements from existing standards documents, course materials, PTBs, and subject matter expert experience.
    1. Include laterally qualified (not qualified higher than the position) personnel in this process to ensure duties and responsibilities remain at the appropriate level.
    2. List the source next to the statement. This creates an inventory that connects the position duties to the operational and position-specific standards. This will not appear in the final IPD.
  4. Transfer these statements into the relevant category in the IPD Template (docx) IPD template. Check for redundancy throughout statements.
  5. Compare the draft IPD to the List of Standard IPD Statements. Can you use a standard statement to promote consistency across the inventory of all NWCG positions?
  6. Begin statements with action-oriented verbs. Avoid vague verbs such as “be familiar with,” “knowledge of,” or “understand.”
  7. Organize the statements in the IPD from an incident standpoint – from initial dispatch to demobilization and everything in-between.
  8. Compare the IPD with others in your functional area. Are similar statements worded identically, or do they diverge? Can they be worded similarly?
  9. Collaborate with key stakeholders that may have an interest in providing IPD feedback.
  10. Share the draft IPDs with the parent committee (if they are not the position steward) and the NWCG coordinator.
  11. Work with the NWCG coordinator and the NWCG webmaster to post the IPDs to the NWCG website. The IPDs will be statused as Under Review. Widespread input from the user community will be solicited using NWCG’s communication and feedback processes. Assess input and incorporate as warranted.

Parent Committee Approval and Long-Term Management of the IPD

When the position steward has completed assessing and incorporating inputs, they should inform their parent committee. The parent committee will approve the IPD. IPDs should be dynamically managed according to the NWCG Incident Position Performance Cycle; as operational standards evolve, so should the IPD.

IPD Management

NWCG Latest Announcements

2025/2026 Leadership Campaign Quarter 2 Now Available!

Date: February 13, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Leadership Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that the Quarter Two materials for the 2025/2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign are now available! This annual initiative invites all leadership and wildland fire management students to engage with essential skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in dynamic environments.

This quarter focuses on Leadership Level 2: New Leader (Conveying Intent). Conveying intent is a crucial leadership competency in the high-risk, dynamic environment of wildland firefighting. Months 4 - 6 will concentrate on how successfully conveying intent enhances situational awareness, promotes shared understanding, and empowers firefighters to exercise initiative and adapt to changing conditions.

References:

2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign - Leadership Levels

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Leadership Committee

Opportunity to Serve the Wildland Fire Community as an IPTM SME!

Date: February 10, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: NWCG SME Specialist

NWCG is seeking experienced wildland firefighters and support personnel to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) initiative. The intent of IPTM is to transition NWCG’s training and qualification system to a performance-based model through updated position descriptions, Incident Position Standards, Next Generation Position Task Books (Next Gen PTBs), and updates to training where needed.

NWCG is currently recruiting SMEs for the following positions:

  • Aircraft Timekeeper (ATIM)
  • Compensation/Claims Unit Leader (COMP)
  • Cost Unit Leader (COST)
  • Crew Representative (CREP)
  • Deck Coordinator (DECK)
  • Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO)
  • Field Observer (FOBS)
  • Geographic Information System Specialist (GISS)
  • Ordering Manager (ORDM)
  • Receiving/Distribution Manager (RCDM)
  • Staging Area Manager (STAM)

Projects begin April/May 2026 and require 15–20 hours per month for 6–8 months, including a five-day workshop in Boise, Idaho this May. Apply by February 27, 2026, at the link below and review the attached document for details.

References:

NWCG SME Interest Sign-up

IPTM Subject Matter Expert Duties and Expectations Document

Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM)

NEW! M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) Course Available Now

Date: January 29, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Resource Advisor Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce the new M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) course is now available. This training supports individuals working towards Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) incident qualifications.

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led) training prepares students to serve as a Resource Advisor, Fireline (REAF) as defined in NWCG Incident Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112. This course presents scenarios that reflect the diverse challenges a REAF may encounter during an incident. Through these scenarios, participants gain hands-on experience and an understanding of REAF responsibilities in a controlled learning environment.

References:

Resource Advisor, Fireline Position Page

NWCG Position Standards for Resource Advisor, Fireline, PMS 350-112

M-280, Resource Advisor, Fireline (Instructor-Led)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

Date: January 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident and Position Standards Committee

The Incident and Position Standards Committee has updated the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.

These updates address changes to incident position names and requirements for qualification, training, and experience. Updates related to the implementation of Complex Incident Management (CIM) and Incident Performance Training Modernization (IPTM) are also included.

The NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308 has also been updated to reflect the recent changes.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1

NWCG Wildland Fire Position Qualification Flowchart, PMS 308

IPSC Memo 26-01: January 2026 Updates to the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Positions Qualifications, PMS 310-1