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Health Department Contact Information for Incident Management Teams (IMTs)

Source:  Wildland Fire Medical and Public health Advisory Team (MPHAT)

Upon resource order for the fire incident, the IMT should

  1. Locate the counties and the county health department where the fire is located
  2. Visit the county health and the state health department website to locate:
    1. The COVID-19 call numbers.
    2. The COVID- 19 contact (when available).
    3. Any information about how the county health department wants employers to respond or report COVID-19 cases.
  3. Before traveling to an incident call the county COVID-19 call line. You will likely leave a message or talk to an operator. Please be patient if you do not talk with a person or if your questions are not answered right away, public health authorities may be busy.
  4. If you are able to talk with someone, let them know about your IMT, the fire incident, your anticipated COVID procedures. Use the information below as a guide:
    1. Your name and your team.
    2. The fire name and approximate location.
    3. The IMT COVID-19 Coordinator name and contact information (if known).
    4. Approximate and anticipated number of workers coming on site.
    5. Any MPHAT/Agency/ICT COVID-19 policies or other pertinent information.
    6. Testing policies or actions (if known) including
      1. What the IMT plans to do with symptomatic individuals, close contacts, positive cases, and testing (if known). Use the back of this document as a starting point.
    7. How to engage and any guidance from the health department about their policies such as:
      1. Does the health department want regular check-ins from the IMT? If so, at what interval, who is the point of contact, and what information do they want to receive?
      2. When a worker becomes symptomatic, does the health department want to be notified and coordinate testing and follow-up care? If not, does the health department have recommendations on who in the county can provide care and where should the worker go to obtain a test.
      3. Hospital, urgent care, and testing locations.
      4. If the IMT is using point of care ‘rapid’ testing devices, how does the fire report results and at what interval to the health department?
      5. How engaged, what is the process for, and what will the timing be for case investigation and contact tracing and outbreak investigations?
        1. What is a workplace outbreak (more than 2 cases) and when does the county want to be notified and how?
      6. Is the health department in agreement with the IMT sending asymptomatic or mildly sick personnel to their home unit (away from this county). If so, does the health department have guidance?

 

Local and State Health Department Information
State Health Department COVID-19 Contact information including:
  • 24/7 phone number
  • Websites
  • Email addresses
 
Local Health Department COVID-19 Contact information including:
  • 24/7 phone number
  • Websites
  • Email addresses
 
Local County Health Department Point of Contact Name and Contact Information  

 

Health Department Guidance On
Check-in procedures
  • What interval?
  • Who is the point of contact?
  • What information should be shared?
 

Does the health department want to be notified of symptomatic workers at a fire? If yes, what is the process?

If not, where can workers receive care and obtain tests in the county?
 
Hospital, urgent care, and testing locations and names  
If testing is performed at a fire outside of a clinical laboratory (e.g., rapid point of care device testing) how does the IMT report results and at what interval to the health department?  
For case investigation and contact tracing, how engaged with the health department be, what is the process for this, and what will the timing be for these processes?  
What is a workplace outbreak (>2 cases) and when does the county want to be notified and how?  
Can the IMT send asymptomatic or mildly sick COVID-19 positive workers back to their home unit? If so, does the health department have guidance on this?  
Other guidance:


 
 

 

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