Updated versions of two wildland firefighting guides are now available
In the past year or two, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has updated two invaluable wildland firefighting tools that every firefighter should have in their possession: the NWCG Fireline Handbook (FLHB) and the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG). These two publications are used by every agency involved in the wildland fire community.
The FLHB
Every wildland firefighter is (or ought to be) very familiar with the red FLHB, or Handbook 3 (March 2004; PMS No. 410-1, NFES No. 0065). Most of us have used this book and hauled it around in our packs on many wildfires. Many of us still pull it out whenever we need to reference a particular topic or aspect of wildland firefighting. Every time I pick up my copy and thumb through it, I'm amazed at the amount of pertinent wildland firefighting information inside.
The FLHB includes 14 chapters that cover topics ranging from firefighting safety to initial attack to transfer of command to air operations to finance and administration. The glossary has also been updated and an Appendix on Fire Use has been added. Note: Readers should also pick up the FLHB's companion publication, the Fire Behavior Supplement, which is printed and ordered separately.
The IRPG
The excellent IRPG (January 2006; PMS No. 461, NFES No. 1077) has been around since 1999 and is another companion document or subset of the FLHB. But even if you've never read the FLHB (which I'm not suggesting), the IRPG is a reference guide you must own.
The IRPG is chock full of checklists and other commonly used information for initial-attack or extended-attack operations. Changes to the latest version include: a revised section on Power Line Safety at Wildland Fires; a revised reference for After Action Reviews; new references for effective use of SEATs, spot weather forecasts, the Keetch-Byrum Drought Index and human factors and decision making; an updated Helicopter Passenger Briefing to match the Interagency Helicopter Operational Guide; updates on first-aid procedures; and revisions to sections on hazard trees and falling operations.
The small yellow and black IRPG fits into your breast pocket or your chest harness so it's always readily available; I always try to remember to carry the latest copy. The IRPGs come wrapped in packs of 10, so I also stuff extra copies into my line gear when I'm working as a safety officer and give them out to seasonal firefighters and the Type II crews; volunteer firefighters love them too. No matter who I hand them out to, everyone is thankful for the small gift.
Doing the Work
The NWCG's Incident Operations Standards Working Team (IOSWT) was responsible for the overall update work on both publications, but many other working teams and individuals chipped in time and effort to get these two invaluable publications out to the wildland community. "These publications are two of the most important references for every wildland firefighter," says Vince Mazzier, a member of both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the IOSWT.
Jim Cook, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) fire management specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, agrees with Mazzier. "I like to use the IRPG to show folks how it can be used to be a great decision-making aide-especially for the younger folks," he says. "[The IRPG] really supports all of your wildland fire training. It is filled with checklists and commonly used information that are helpful for initial-attack or extended-attack operations."
Paul Broyles, the former chair of the NWCG Safety and Health Working Team (SHWT) and the current National Park Service representative on the IOSWT adds, "It gave me a lot of personal satisfaction [to update] the IRPG. There aren't many folks around anymore who remember that the IRPG started out as a project with Bob Becker from California. We all owe a real tip of the hat to him for starting this project and to Jim Cook for carrying it forward as a completed interagency product."
Where to Go
Both publications are in stock and ordered through the NWCG Publications Management System. Purchased copies come spiral bound on waterproof paper and are convenient to carry on the fireline. You can also download electronic copies for no charge at www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/pubs.htm.
Do yourself and those you work with a favor. If you or someone you know doesn't already have a copy of both of these inexpensive but important publications, buy them. You'll be glad you did.
Gene Madden, an SOFI, is the chairman of the NWCG Safety and Health Working Team and a member of the NWCG Emergency Medical Support Group. Madden is employed as the division safety officer for the Florida Division of Forestry and is an IOFI and a medical unit leader. E-mail him at maddeng@doacs.state.fl.us.
