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RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)

RT-130 Decorative banner. Group of photos depicting wildland firefighters performing various duties.

Man Against Fire

This module looks at how an incident commander takes over operations of a large fire. It describes what they are thinking, how they are communicating with others, and their suppression tactics, along with periodic fire updates.
Category: Operations
Core Component(s):
Other Hazards & Safety Issues
Estimated Delivery Time: 1 hour
Video Length: 28:13:00

Intent

Identify firefighting techniques, technologies, and safety practices from the 1969 training video that are similar and/or different than today. Examine the leader’s role within the fire organization.

Facilitator Preparation

Facilitating the Discussion

  • Show the video.
  • Facilitate a small or large group discussion using the activity and discussion questions.

Discussion Questions

  1. In the video, the attitude is that fire is “bad” or “evil”.  Is this still the public perception today?
  2. Can you identify any advancements in fire science or research that have been made since the video was produced in 1969?
  3. How have firefighting tactics and/or strategies changed since 1969?
  4. How have equipment and safety practices changed since 1969?
  5. How has terminology changed since 1969?
  6. What elements of Operational Leadership (see IRPG) did you see?
  7. Were all Communication Responsibilities (see IRPG) being met?
  8. Did the leaders provide Leader’s Intent (see IRPG) with their briefings?

Resources

Additional Video Information

  • This video is also available as a download (zip file, size 56 MB)​ with .srt file for closed captioning (you may need to right click and Save As). For information on how to add closed captioning to a video, see this how to page.
  • Note: For Chrome and Firefox, right click the word download and select Save Link As; for Internet Explorer (IE), right click and select Save Target As.

 

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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

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Date: April 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
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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.

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NWCG Standards For Wildland Fire Chainsaw Operations, PMS 212

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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 

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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