NIMO has been involved in Risk Management for years and, more recently, the Risk Summit . The 2015 Risk Summit
Report has been completed and the entire report can be read here: 2015 Risk Summit Report. Below is a summary from the report.
Summit
Goal:
To
clarify and establish a collective course for incorporating risk management as
an integral component of wildland fire management, both within the USFS and the
greater wildland fire community.
Executive
Summary of Summit:
 |
Reggie Day and Matt
Gibson report out
during the 2015 Risk Summit |
Risk
management is quickly gaining distinction as a necessary component of the
business of wildland fire management. The Federal Fire Policy and the National
Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy emphasize the value of risk
management, and federal wildland fire management agencies are setting clear
goals to become risk management organizations. Wildland fire response
decisions increasingly involve risk management principles and risks must be
analyzed and communicated. Wildland fire management is expanding from a
focused tactical and physical perspective to a more all-inclusive approach
including attention to risk management, human dimensions, and decision-making
that support and improve organizational performance, safety, and accomplishment
of social, political, and ecological objectives. To better endorse and
accomplish this, an improved understanding of risk management at all scales and
levels is vital.
The
US Forest Service determined that a collective course for incorporating risk
management as an integral component of wildland fire management, both within
the US Forest Service and in the greater interagency wildland fire community is
needed. However, a number of impediments and uncertainties are
hindering the capacity to accomplish this. In 2014, a “Risk Summit” was
planned and completed to identify needed improvements in wildland fire risk
management, identify solutions and actions, enhance coordination efforts among
involved entities, and establish an agreed-upon risk management program and its
applications. A group of fire management professionals met at this summit
and generated a list of issues needing attention on a short- and long-term
perspective, created workgroups and assigned areas of attention, and agreed to
continue coordination efforts.
Over
the course of the next year, specific important issues were worked on. To
maintain achievement and momentum, a second “Risk Summit” was planned and completed.
This summit facilitated consolidation of ongoing activities, intensification of
efforts based on learning and accomplishments to date, and further definition
of needs and requirements to advance risk management.
Senior
leaders in attendance reinforced the importance and urgency of understanding
and adopting risk management in wildland fire management. Tom Harbour,
USFS Director of Fire and Aviation, stated, “there is uncertainty
existing around how to adopt risk management, how to bring those ideas
together, and how to build a risk decision-making process leading to better
outcomes – this is why this group has assembled.” Jim Hubbard, USFS Deputy
Chief for State and Private Forestry, stated, ”the Chief of the Forest Service
believes attention to this situation is urgent with an emphasis on safety and
managing risk during initial attack activities. Actions need to be taken
before next fire season.” Matt Thompson, USFS Research Forester, stated
in a report, “organization-wide adoption of risk management is critical to
effectuating change and ultimately improving the health of our public lands,
the safety of firefighters, and the well-being of communities that reside in
fire-adapted environments. Risk management organizations are proactive, invest
time and resources in “upstream” assessment and planning, and as a result are
less susceptible to the vagaries of uncertain, time-pressured decision
environments.”
The
Summit started with a review of work completed since the last Summit and
ongoing work occurring across the country. These activities are many and
include a substantial amount of accomplishments and progress. Specific
areas discussed include: risk management councils, committees, and
groups; research activities; risk assessment and documentation in the WFDSS
decision support process; risk management at multiple scales; organizational
learning and risk management; and human factors and performance in risk
management. In addition, Al Beaver, a risk manager from British Columbia,
provided the Summit attendees with a discussion of risk management in British
Columbia and the importance of risk analysis.
Two
important reports were completed as outcomes of the 2014 Summit. These
include a General Technical Report that will be a solid base reference for risk
management in wildland fire management (Thompson, Matthew P; MacGregor, Donald
G; Calkin, David E. 2016. Risk Management: Core Principles and Practices,
and their Relevance to Wildland Fire. RMRS-GTR-16-XXX. Rocky
Mountain Research Station.) and a comprehensive reference on risk management
terminology in wildland fire management (Thompson, M P,. et al. In Press.
Wildland Fire Risk Terminology. RM-GTR-xxx. Rocky Mountain Research
Station.).
The
Risk Management GTR report was needed to provide a big picture perspective,
review basic concepts and principles, and describe what wildland fire adoption
of risk management would look like in practice. Information presented
here is drawn from the long-standing discipline of risk management. It
includes direction on integrating risk principles into all organizational
processes and decisions, embracing an uncertain world, developing a familiarity
with probability, committing to generating and using the best available
information, developing systems of accountability to monitor performance, and
using that information to facilitate continual wildland fire management
improvement. The report also offers a roadmap outlining recommended next steps
to facilitate the USFS’s transition to becoming a true risk management
organization. Focus is directed at three areas – leadership, education and
capacity, and assessment and planning. This report will help overcome
questions of what are basic principles, what is needed, and how to do it.
The
Wildland Fire Risk Terminology report was prepared by direction from the 2014
Summit. It summarizes existing science-based definitions into one concise
and relevant set of clear, consistent, understandable, and usable definitions
for terms associated with wildland fire risk management. It provides content
and information across management and planning contexts and all levels of risk
management, from tactical firefighting to national strategy development.
This report will alleviate the problem of inconsistent terminology in wildland
fire risk management.
During
the Summit, workgroups were established to review Organizational Risk
Management, and Program Development. Considerable time was spent
discussing these topics and developing recommendations and next steps.
Six Organizational Levels and Risk Management workgroups addressed National,
Regional/State, Unit/IMT, and Operator levels. These workgroups defined
issues, the problem, actions that can be taken, tools to support actions,
training, and how to measure success. Six Program Development workgroups
focused on principles, governance, terminology/definitions, policy/practices,
communications, and risk management process. These workgroups discussed
objectives, principles, and key messages to promote progress.
Some
key points coming from this Summit include, but are not limited to:
- A Governance Mechanism is important to maintain progress - some entity,
structure, or group needs to be formed and requires formal authority.
- Other disciplines/partners must be engaged in review of terminology.
- Outreach to outside partners must be conducted when appropriate.
- Use of consistent risk terminology must be ensured for training/education at
every level.
- The need to improve Risk Management must be acknowledged and openly discussed.
- A common understanding of and approach to Risk Management with Forest Service
employees, interagency partners and stakeholders must be promoted.
- A coordinated and integrated set of Risk Management tools must be developed and
used.
- An understanding of what role each individual plays in Risk Management must be
gained.
While
much has been accomplished, much remains to be done before risk management
becomes truly incorporated into wildland fire management. This Summit
represents the next iteration in this process and provides a stronger foundation
for movement ahead. Work is and will be ongoing. Workgroups
will continue efforts to resolve issues; develop answers, procedures, and
guidelines; and formulate next steps.
