2/15/18 NIMO's February 15 Calendar

NIMO has a lot going on but we're not very good at telling our own story!  Our solution? We are trying to share more on our social media pages  about what we're up to.  An updated NIMO calendar will be published every 2 weeks in order to be transparent about what we are doing, where we are doing it and for whom. If you have any questions, please contact one of our ICs or our coordinator Robin Cole: robincole@fs.fed.us. For a printable Word version of this calendar, click here: https://tinyurl.com/2-15-18-Calendar

                                          FEBRUARY 15 CALENDAR

Now – May 12 / John Giller / Detail as R6 Fire Director / Portland, OR

120 day detail as Fire Director of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska behind Kevin Martin who retired.                                       

Feb 12-15 / John Giller / ICAC Presentation / Medford, OR

Presenting on the Strategic Management of Long-term Fires to the Incident Commander/Area Commander Steering Committee at the IC/AC annual meeting

Feb 14-16 / Sirena Fugitt / R10 S-261 with Intro to e-ISuite / Anchorage, AK

Presenting the Introduction to e-ISuite to new fire employees.  R6/R10 has offered a modified S-261 with adding a customized introduction to e-ISuite at the end of the course.  Students are able to go through the application of incident business roles, like equipment time recorder and personnel time recorder the first part of the week and then truly apply what they learn to the computer application that they will be using on incidents.  The introduction does not take place of the full week e-Isuite course but allows the students to get on hands experience prior to a dispatch.

Feb 16-25 / Joe Reinarz / National Coordination meeting on Chernobyl / Kiev, Ukraine

Will meet with US Embassy personnel in Ukraine to discuss past and future interactions and training with the fire managers in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ).  NIMO got involved because of work done on the Kootenai NF and EU3 Superfund response area in Libby   There is a team of SME’s helping the Ukrainians move legislation and training forward.

Feb 20-21 / Lorri Benefield / PNWCG Facilitation / Vancouver, WA

Prepare agenda and facilitate monthly PNWCG Steering Committee meeting and their annual meeting with PNWCG committee leadership.

Feb 20-23 / Teutrine, Palmer, Stimach / PA State Type 3 Training / Penfield, PA

Coaching and mentoring State DNR and EMA Incident Management Teams as they participate in a 3 day workshop which includes a full day simulation managing a wildfire incident.

Feb 21 – 22 / Reid & Fugitt / National IAC Meeting / Albuquerque, NM

Participation at the annual National Incident Administration Coordinator’s Meeting held at the Albuquerque Service Center – Incident Business Building. Members of the group include the National Branch Chief and Deputy for Incident Business Practices, the Regional Incident Admin. Coordinators, NIMO FSCs and ASC personnel.   Focus of the meeting is to discuss current and future business practices that will affect the incident business community.  Significant time is spent on lessons learned from the prior response season to identify areas that were successes we can learn from and areas where incident business practices can be improved.  NIMO FSCs were asked to participate in this meeting to provide the field perspective since we support all attending members from the Branch Chief to each regional coordinator with projects/taskings, trainings, and response.

Feb 21-Mar 9 / Dana Carter / ICS Instructor / Bangkok, Thailand

Assisting USAID/USFS International Programs as an instructor and subject matter expert in Basic/Intermediate ICS and Integrated Planning Courses for the Government of Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

Feb 25 – Mar 1 / Joe Reinarz / Fire Management Meetings / Belarus

Three meetings in Minsk, Brest and Gomel, for the Ministry of Emergency.  These meetings will be to understand how they manage fires and discuss how we do it in the US.  They have the same problem as the CEZ (in Kiev) due to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster along their southern border.  The audience will be from firefighters to ministry personnel.  The outcome of this is a possible new assignment for International Programs.

  

Feb 26-Mar 2 / Lorri Benefield / S-420 Instructor / Redmond, OR

One of several instructors for S-420 as well as a team coach. Region 6 sponsored course

Feb 27-Mar 1 / Eric Martinez / Risk Mgmt. Program. Meeting / Washington, DC

Providing input to the Risk Management-Human performance program. Will discuss organizational learning, human performance, caring for our people and suicide awareness to provide to the Executive Leadership and identify of some solid next steps.

Feb 28-Mar 2 / Judith Downing / Collaborative Planning Meeting / Reno, Nevada

Working meeting with University of Nevada, Dr. Marlene Rebori to work on Collaborative Planning Toolkit

Mar 2-5 / Jon Teutrine / National Shower Contract / Boise, ID

Serving as a member of the review panel for the National shower contract solicitation.  Reviewing proposals for the 2019 National Shower Contracts.

Mar 5-9 / Eric Martinez / You Will not Stand Alone / Sacramento, CA

Cadre Member- YWNSA Interagency Guide to Critical Incident Management is intended to provide guidelines for Agency Administrators, employees, family members, and others who have been affected by a critical incident. Line of duty deaths, off duty deaths, suicides, serious accidents, and serious injuries are extraordinary traumatic events for both the surviving family members and our employees.

Mar 5-9 / Lorri Benefield / S-420 Instructor / Redmond, OR

One of several instructors for S-420 as well as a team coach. Region 6 sponsored course.

Mar 6 – 9 / Dana Reid / FAM Strategic Plan Meetings / CA & DC

Meetings to continue development on the FAM Strategic Plan

Mar 7 – 8 / Kris Eriksen / DASP Orientation/Training / Albuquerque, NM          

Disaster Assistance Support Program – DASP is a cooperative program between U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the U.S. Forest Service International Programs. The DASP enhances and supports OFDA’s capacity to respond to disasters by mobilizing a roster of more than 250 disaster management experts from the U.S. Forest Service and other domestic agencies.

Mar 7-8 / Sirena Fugitt / Teaching Advanced Cost / Denver, CO

Advanced cost is a course that was requested by the National Incident Business Committee several years back to supplement the Cost Unit Leader module of S-360 (now E/L-975) and currently being worked on to be an official NWCG course.  NIMO helped create the materials for the course and serves as key instructors.  This course is continually evolving as the work that is being asked of Cost Unit Leaders has evolved over time to meet the needs from Agency Administrators to Payment Centers, as well as capturing accruals for the USDA Forest Service.

Mar 7-8 / All PHX NIMO / Color Country IMT3 Training / St. George, UT

Delivery of a Type 3 IMT training to Federal Wildland Interagency partners, primarily USFS, NPS, and BLM, as well as Utah State and some local cooperator fire agencies as well.

Mar 8-9 / Robin Cole / O & A Meeting / Washington D.C.

Meeting with Deputy Chief of State and Private Forestry, Vicki Christiansen and Fire Director, Shawna Legarza strategizing and updating NIMO’s new focus area of Oversight & Accountability

Mar 12-15 / All Workforce Workgroup / NATP –WO Session / Washington, DC

The Workforce Development Workgroup is holding the final session for the 2017 (NATP) National Accelerated Training Program in DC. Students will have the opportunity to meet with Fire and Forest Service leadership to engage in dialogue about the current challenges, where the agency is headed, attend a Chief’s Stand Up and present reports on their specific special projects. The Workgroup is coordinating the event and will also meet as a group separately to discuss our program of work for 2018.

Mar 19 – 23 / John Giller / Presenting at PNW IMT meeting / Yakima, WA

Presenting as Agency Leadership at the annual PNW Incident Management Team meetings.

Mar 19-23 / Eric Martinez / Fire Program Mgmt - Leading Complex Programs / Santa Fe, NM

(Presenting CISM/Honor Guard).   Session is evolving to engage our participants in an immersive learning environment.  Our plan is to take the lessons beyond lecture and to fully engage those attending in dialogue and experiential opportunities both in the classroom and in the field.

Mar 19-23 / Terri Knauth / Basic ICS class / Myanmar, Burma

Teaching Basic ICS for International Programs which will include interactive classroom exercises

Mar 20 -22 / Stimach, Cunningham, Fugitt / ESF4 Training / Denton, TX

Emergency Support Function 4 is the role the Forest Service plays in national disasters under the National Response Framework. Participating in the ESF-4 course being offered by the Southern Area in order to understand the role of ESFs for activation and response to Stafford Act incidents. Attendance is two-fold in that NIMO has been assisting the All Hazard & International Fire Support Branch in the WO, and was requested to participate in the current curriculum first to enhance our efforts with updating the current materials for ESF-4 and second, to provide capacity for national ESF-4 support.

Mar 21 – 23 / Kris Eriksen / FDNY Social Media Training / New York, NY

Creating and offering a 3 days course called Social Media: Strategies and Applications in Emergencies. Day one will be live streamed nationally while the last two days will help FDNY get its agency-wide social media protocols developed and new users trained.  This is the first offering of this new course which will then be offered nationwide where requested.

Mar 23-27 /Jon Teutrine / National Shower Contract / Boise, ID

Serving as a member of the review panel for the National shower contract solicitation.  Reviewing proposals for the 2019 National Shower Contracts.

Mar 26- 29 / Judith Downing / Cohesive Strategy Workshop / Reno, Nevada

Attending the workshop and supporting the Conference organizers as requested

Apr 3 / Kris Eriksen / Disaster Communications Presentation / Virtual

3^rd year for an online presentation to the Disaster Communications class at Tulane University in New Orleans. The presentation will be about Joint Information Centers and Incident Communications

Apr 3-4 / Fugitt & Eriksen / Rocky Mtn IMT Meeting / Cheyenne, WY

Attendance at IMT meeting for NIMO representation to the Rocky Mountain area and to provide national perspective to functional area breakouts, as well as support to the regional Incident Business Coordinator.

Apr 3-4 / Dana Reid / PNW Incident Business Workshop / Olympia, WA

Attending the Pacific Northwest Interagency Incident Business & Procurement Workshop in preparation for 2018 fires.

Apr 3-5 / All Risk Mgmt. Workgroup / Workgroup Meeting / Charleston, SC

NIMO Risk Management Workgroup and the AD for Risk from the WO will be meeting to update their FY18 Projects and develop FY19 Program of Work and Leaders Intend

Apr 4-5 / Sirena Fugitt / PNW Incident Business Workshop / Olympia, WA

Representation of NIMO and member of the PNW Incident Business Committee who sponsors the annual workshop.  Will specifically be presenting on the topics of Cost Share supplements to the Master Agreement and providing an update on e-ISuite for 2018 and supporting the rest of the incident business committee members.

Apr 5 / Dana Reid / Collective Fire Hire AAR / Albuquerque, NM

Coordinating an AAR of the Collective Fire Hiring that occurred FY2017.

Apr 5-6 / Robin Cole / O & A Meeting / Washington D.C.

Meeting with Deputy Chief of State and Private Forestry, Vicki Christiansen and Fire Director, Shawna Legarza strategizing and updating NIMO’s new focus area of Oversight & Accountability

Apr 9-13 / All NIMO / NIMO Professional Development / Gatlinburg, TN

NIMO combines its annual meeting with professional development opportunities whenever possible. The 2018 spring session will center on the staff ride developed for Gatlinburg, Tennessee to provide a learning opportunity for NIMO members surrounding skills and tools needed to implement work around RMAT and Oversight and Accountability. Like many others, nearly every NIMO member was involved somewhere in the south during the fires of fall 2016.

Apr 9-13 / Lorri Benefield / Lead Instructor for S-440 / Redmond, OR

Update current NWCG S-440 (Planning Section Chief) course to meet current conditions and still meet NWCG standards. As part of this course, we will add a Type 3 Plans Workshop to provide practical information for Type 3 plans staff to update their skills.

Apr 16 – 18 / Dana Reid / L-973, Finance Section Chief / Bend, OR

Lead instructor for Finance Section Chief in Deschutes County

Apr 23-27 / Eric Martinez / Learning from Unintended Outcomes / Salt Lake City, UT

(Presenting CISM/Honor Guard). LfUO is intended to prepare participants to serve as an FLA team member, understand the impacts of those effected by unintended outcomes and create a learning culture in Federal/State/Local land management agencies.

Apr 24 – 26 / Dana Reid / NFLC Meeting / Chattanooga, TN

Facilitate the National Fire Leadership Council Meeting (WO Fire Leadership, Regional Fire Directions and the National Line Officer Team) for deliberate dialogue around compelling issues at the national level. This dialogue will serve as a catalyst to improve the wildland fire system to one that more reliably protects responders and the public, sustains communities, and conserves the land.

May 7-11 / Sirena Fugitt / ESF-4 National Exercise / Washington D.C.

No details yet

May 21-Jun 8 / Jon Teutrine / National Shower Contract / Multiple Locations

Serving as a member of the review panel for the National shower contract solicitation.  Travelling to numerous regions and conducting inspections on shower units in order to make final recommendations for the 2019 National Shower Contract.

2/14/18 NIMO Teaches Command and General Staff for Local Incident Management Teams

Student participants work through
exercises and simulations
to increase their capability and capacity
to respond to wildland fire
and all hazard incidents as a
Type 3 Incident Management Team.

NIMO was asked to teach a Command and General Staff for Local IMTs class in Hawaii in January of 2018.

Cadre members from NIMO traveled to Hilo to put on the class. NIMO has been involved in teaching this and other classes in Hawaii, part of the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5), for years. Participants were from the Hawaii Fire Department, Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.   

Students practiced the week-long learning via classroom
exercises, followed by a two-day all-hazard mudslide simulation.

Students at work during
the simulation. 

The  objectives for the class were:

• Provide student teams an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of the principles of Incident Command System (ICS) to manage a real-world incident.
• Demonstrate team work and individual competency in their functional areas to gather situational awareness, conduct strategic and risk assessments to develop a common operating picture, and develop an Incident Action Plan (IAP).
• Establish incident objectives and develop a course of action (IAP) that would achieve those objectives. 
• Take actions as a team and within each functional area to prepare for transfer of command and develop products expected from each team member.
• Practice conducting a strategy meeting as well as an operational period briefing

Students learned the primary roles and responsibilities
of the members of the Command and General Staff,
& learned about the ICS planning process aka the “Planning P”

NIMO Incident Commander Joe Reinarz says the group involved had a wide range of experience with ICS.  "Some of the students had no experience while some were already on teams on the Mainland. Because of that breadth of experience, we hope we helped to bring those with less experience, up to speed quicker and opened the door to all the agencies in their area working together. " 

According to the cadre, classroom instruction covered the standard topics and subjects:

• Functional Position Overview
• ICS Overview – Scaling from Type 5 to Type 4 to Type 3 incident
• Team Dynamics
• Characteristics of Mission Critical / High Performing Teams
• Team Building Exercises
• ICS Planning Process and Practice and Exercises
• Building a Common Operating Picture
• Command & General Staff Functional Presentations
  
• Applying ICS Principles to Other Types of Incidents
• In-Brief for Simulation for a two day simulation exercise

Reinarz says everyone in the class was engaged and ready for what comes next. "The next steps will be for them to use this experience to enable them to better use ICS to handle any events or projects that they will be working on in the future.  We also challenged them to continue to get more engaged in interagency cooperation for incidents and events." All students left the class with an ICS 300 certificate

2/13/18 Taking Care of NIMO Effort

NIMO, both as an organization and as individuals, has become the go-to group for putting on memorial services for fallen firefighters.  The reason is not that we are the only ones with a particular skill set; it’s more that as full-time teams, we are always available to support the needs of Fire and Aviation Management (FAM).  And there is nothing more important to FAM or NIMO than honoring our fallen and doing so quickly.

But, while every NIMO is honored to serve, the downside to repeated calls for help is often the stress placed on emotional/mental well-being.  It often has effects not just up to & during a memorial event, but on the personal lives of those involved, manifesting in stress, health issues, depression, or even complete melt downs.

In addition to memorials, there is the day to day stress of very busy work lives, constant travel, and an increasing number of demands from across the entire nation, balanced with family needs, all of which are loaded on a finite number of people; there are only 30 NIMOS.

During the 2017 NIMO All Hands meeting at Grey Towers in Pennsylvania, NIMO decided that in thinking about its future, we needed to think about how we take care of our own.  With IC Bob Houseman leading, a small group began Friday, Feb 9^th,  to think about clarifying the scope of such a project, identifying the actions needed and assigning duties. 

Being considered are:

• FAM priorities  (Plates are full, FAM needs our help, are we allowed to say STOP)
• Identify training for individual awareness and self-assessment
• Organize better to support an individual with an emergency need
• Develop processes related to personal check in and/or SOPs 

Like every other group in the Forest Service, NIMOs have been impacted by family emergencies, health crisis’s, mental or emotional melt downs, too much work & travel, too little time with family, and many other things.  Friday’s call resulted in some concrete steps.

We are working on a three pronged approach: Preparedness, Response and Recovery and each member of the team is involved in one of the three groups.

• Preparedness: This group will be working on how we build resilience, reading and class opportunities about dealing with compassion fatigue, grief, stress, etc and learning to recognize when someone is showing signs of being overloaded.
• Response: This group will be working on encouraging NIMOS to name Care Team members – people they are close to who would be part of a support group should they or their family need it. These team members can provide an ear to listen, help with pay and travel issues if there is an injury or fatality, support a spouse or anything else.
• Recovery: This group will be working on SOPs for NIMOs following a stressful event like a memorial. It will include reading/videos, agency options for support like EAP, calls from a Care Team etc.

 If you have any ideas that have worked for your office or other group, please share. We’d like to build a workable program and we know many others in the Forest Service face the same issues. Let’s learn from each other!