Skip to main content

Finance/Administration Section Chief Type 3*

FSC3 decorative banner: photos depicting FSC3 position.

The Finance/Administration Section Chief, Type 3 (FSC3), is responsible for all financial, administrative, and cost analysis aspects of the incident. The FSC3 supervises members of the Finance/Administration Section and may perform all functions of various positions dependent upon incident complexity.  The FSC3 reports to the Incident Commander (IC).  The FSC3 works in the Finance/Administration functional area.

The FSC3 performs position duties commensurate with Type 3 incident complexity and characteristics stated in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book).

USWDS Paragraphs

Finance/Administration Section Chief (FSC3) Personnel Time Recorder (PTRC) Time Unit Leader (TIME) Cost Unit Leader (COST) Compensation/Claims Unit Leader (COMP) Incident Contract Project Inspector (ICPI) Equipment Time Recorder (EQTR) Procurement Unit Leader (PROC) Incident Business Advisor (INBA) Finance/Administration Section Chief (FSCC)

 

The Forest Service and Department of Interior are enabled by Administratively Determined Pay Plans (AD Pay Plans) to hire persons for temporary duration for the following reasons:

  1. To cope with a sudden and unexpected emergency caused by a fire, or extreme fire potential, flood, storm, or any other all-hazard emergency that threatens damage to federally protected property, has the potential to cause loss of life, serious injury, public health risk, or damage to natural or cultural resources unless brought under immediate control.
  2. To provide emergency assistance to states under formalized agreements.
  3. To meet mission assignments issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Incident Business Committee (IBC) reviews positions annually and establishes pay rate classifications for each position.

For more information on the AD Pay Plans, visit Incident Business Committee.

Date: Jan 2026

Added:

Other Training Which Supports Development of Knowledge and Skills

  • S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams

Removed:

  • Finance/Administration Section Chief Type 2 (FSC2) removed from “Maintains Currency for FSC3”
  • FSC2 has been removed removed from “FSC3 Maintains Currency for these Positions”
Date: Jan 2023

Added: 

  • Finance/Administration Section Chief Complex (FSCC) to These Positions Maintain Currency For FSC3
  • Finance/Administration Section Chief Complex (FSCC) to FSC3 Maintains Currency For These Positions
Date: Jan 2020

Added: Incident Position Description (IPD) approved.

Date: Oct 2019

Added: to Qualification Requirements:  Note: Once qualified as TIME, COST, or ICT3, the FSC3 qualification may be granted by the certifying official. Certification must be documented on a “verification/certification” page of the FSC3 Position Task Book (311-50).

Date: Oct 2018

Added: Type 3 All-Hazard Incident Management Team (O-305) to "Other Training Which Supports Development of Knowledge and Skills".

Date: Oct 2016

Added: Introduction to ICS (ICS-100) and NIMS: An Introduction (IS-700) to Required Training.

Date: Oct 2015

Removed: Finance Section Chief Type 1 (FSC1) from "These Positions Maintain Currency for FSC3" and from "FSC3 Maintains Currency for These Positions".
Added: of the following language: FEMA PTBs are available on the NWCG website.

Date: Oct 2014

Position created.

Type 3 Position standards are being introduced to provide an agreed to minimum standard for National Mobilization and to help develop local capability.  Currently the PSC3, LSC3, and FSC3 positions are utilized by FEMA and the Department of the Interior All Hazard qualification program.

NWCG recognizes the ability of cooperating agencies at the local level to jointly define and accept each other’s qualifications for initial attack, extended attack, large fire operations, and prescribed fire.

Position qualification pathways for the LSC3, PSC3, and FSC3 positions include both equivalency and position task book alternatives for position qualification.   FEMA position task books will be utilized for these positions and are available at training.fema.gov/position%20specific%20taskbooks/taskbook_list.asp.

USWDS Paragraph Bundles

Primary Committee: Incident Business Committee
Steward: Incident Business Committee


Last Modified / Reviewed:

NWCG Latest Announcements

NEW! S-131, Firefighter Type 1 Course Available Now

Date:  March 6, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Incident Operations Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce the new S-131, Firefighter Type 1 course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this course is a performance-based instructor-led training (ILT) that focuses on the application of situational awareness and decision making, building on the knowledge and concepts introduced in previous required courses. Using a threaded fictitious fire, each unit focuses on a performance-based activity in which students practice applying their decision-making and problem-solving skills.

The S-131, Firefighter Type 1 course is required for individuals seeking qualifications to be a Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) (FFT1) or an Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5).

References:

S-131, Firefighter Type 1 (Instructor-led)

NWCG Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) Position Page

NWCG Incident Commander Type 5 Position Page

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

2026 Professional Reading List

Date: March 4, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: WFLDP Curriculum Management

The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP) is announcing the 2026 Professional Reading List.  The goal of the annual reading list is to promote the reading and discussion of the selected books throughout the year. 

The six books chosen for this year are: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie; Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink; Meditations by Marcus Aurelious; Quiet by Susan Cain; The Little Book of Stoic Quotes by Phil Van Treuren; and The Confident Mind by Nate Zinsser.

References:

Professional Reading Program

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

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)