Starting Hotshot Business - PowerPoint

							   Overview of National IHC program
    › Organization
    › Authority
    › Mission

 PNW IHC program
 What we are currently working on
 Requirements and Qualifications
 Common equipment, gear, and why ???
   USFS roots to post-war 1940’s in So. Cal.
    › “Hotshot” came from the crew’s being assigned to the
      “hot” portions of the fire.
 Currently 109 IHCs in the country, in all G.A.s
 NFP hiring in 2001 created around 20 new crews
    › R-5 RIHC program from NFP
   4 Federal land management agencies
    › 11 BLM, 2 NPS, 7 BIA, 85 USFS
 1 Sate sponsored crew, and 1 state/fed
 1 City, and 1 County sponsored crew
   National IHC Steering Committee
    › NIHCSC chartered under the assoc. National Fire
      Directors
   IHCOG (05/89) to SIHCO in 2009
    › Signed by 4 National Fire Directors
    › http://www.nifc.gov/policies/IHC/index.htm
   IHC MISSION STATEMENT (from the SIHCO)
    › The primary mission of the IHCs is to provide a safe,
      professional, mobile and highly skilled hand crew for all
      phases of fire management and incident operations.
   PNW first crew in 1960 and 4 by 1966
      10 by 1980’s
      BLM in 1996, NFP in 2001, AK/USFS in 2008
   First National IHC workshop hosted by PNW in
    Portland, 1988
      Release of the National IHC Operations Guide
   Last National Workshop in 2001 in Reno
     Revised IHCOG and new NFP IHCs
 13 Pacific Northwest West IHCs
  › 1 USFS/AK State crew in Alaska
  › 2 USFS crews in Washington
  › 1 BLM crew in Oregon
  › 1 BIA crew in Oregon
  › 8 USFS crews in Oregon
 Current chair for the group:
  › Neil Austin, Winema IHC
 Current co-chair:
  › Jeff Dimke, Entiat IHC
 Current PNW rep to NIHCSC:
  › Eric Miller, Wolf Creek IHC
 New group Charter & Code
  ›   Defined advisory roles and term limits
  ›   Established a steering committee
  ›   Defined “ambassador” concept…
  ›   Revised, and renewed commitment to Code
 IHC -EMT Scope of Practice
  › IHC-EMTs attended IMS conference in April
  › Starting affiliation under Dr Jui of OHSU
  › Covers our EMT’s when on the line
 PNWIHC Inventory / replacement form
 PNWIHC and NWCC cooperation
 Continued work on Improving Incident
 Communication
  ›   Initial identification of issues in fall of 2007
  ›   Trying to close the “gap”
  ›   PNWIHC engage with outside meetings/groups
  ›   Began using “feedback” form with PNW teams in 2008
  ›   Additional element added to DofA in 2008 fire season regarding use of feedback
  ›   Incident Communication workshop in spring of 2009
  ›   AAR in fall of 2009
›   Charter revision accomplished to increase
    capacity
›   Front-loading PNW IMT’s with IHC info
›   Continuing/Building relationships in PNW,
    by representation at group meetings
›   Beginning efforts to incorporate all
    resources (engines, T2 crews, national
    shared resources) into united effort
›   2010 AAR planned in November
 18-22 crewmembers
 Permanent supervision
 Minimum of 7 permanent/career positions
 At minimum 80% experienced crewmembers
 Mobilization time under 2 hours
 No geographic restrictions
 Have assigned vehicles and all equipment needs
 Logistically self-sufficient with agency purchase authority
 Able to break down into a min. of 3 squads for IA or other…
 40 hours operational training prior to availability (PNW 80)
 Arrive with ability to self-support for 24 hour min.
   IHCs can be used to meet management objectives other than their primary mission of wildland
    fire operations. Utilization of IHCs will be initiated with strict compliance to accepted
    interagency and agency specific safety standards. Responsibility for compliance with these
    standards and the safe operation of an mc ultimately lies with the IHC superintendent.

     › The priority for use of IHCs is as follows:
   Wildland Fire Incident Operations
     ›   IHCs are staffed, conditioned. equipped and qualified to meet a variety of strategic and tactical
         wildland fire assignments. The organizational structure allows IHCs to form into small modules or
         squads and accomplish independent incident assignments. IHCs may be prepositioned for initial
         attack or perform ready reserve duties as required by national planning level requirements.

   All Hazard Incident Operations
     ›   Within the limits of their experience and qualifications, IHCs are capable of providing a disciplined,
         self contained and adaptable work force to meet the needs of incident managers in a variety of
         situations and during all hazard assignments.

   Resource Management Objectives
     ›   When not committed to fire assignments. IHCs can provide a workforce to accomplish a variety of
         resource management objectives while maintaining availability for incident mobilization.

   Training Cadres
     ›   IHCs can provide a high quality cadre for fire management training at local, geographic area and
         national levels.
Type 1 (IHCs exceed)         Type 2 IA                    Type 2

Can be broken into squads,   Can be broken into squads,   Crew size module, can fire
Complex firing operations    burnout                      with direction
Permanent supervision:       N/A                          N/A
Supt:TFLD, ICT4, FIRB        CRWB                         CRWB
Asst Supt:STCR, ICT4         N/A                          N/A
3 SL:ICT5                    3 @ICT5                      3@FFT1
2 Sr. FF: FFT1               N/A                          N/A
Full time organized crew     N/A                          N/A
5 programmable radios        4 programmable radios        4 programmable radios
3 agency qualified sawyers   3 agency qualified sawyers   N/A

Trained IAW SIHCO            Basic FF training, or FF     Basic FF training, or FF
(e.g. 40 hours annually)     refresher                    refresher

Own transportation and       Transportation , tools and   Transportation , tools and
fully equipped tools/equip   equipment needed             equipment needed

Must be annually certified   N/A                          N/A
by local unit AA prior to
assignment
 We are funded as a National Shared Resource
 We spend, on average, 90-120 days on assignment per year
 In the PNW we are required to have at least a 110 day
  availability period
 We drive, fly commercial, fly contract, and fly charter
  aircraft
 Often we are deployed in early, emerging incident situations
 We can be on small incidents, or unattached at the end of a
  Pay period
 We often get assigned to remote, inaccessible locations
   We learn from our experiences, are concerned with
    providing an efficient/productive service/product,
    and are committed to the safety of our crews.

   The PNW IHCs realize, and admit to the past
    instances of inappropriate behavior in regards to
    incident replacement and are committed to
    mending our relationships with Incident Business
    Managers and providing professional crews that
    interact with honesty and integrity.
 Questions?
 Comments?