3/7/17 Gila National Forest Risk-Informed Decision-Making

Gila National Forest employees met with the Phoenix NIMO team in Silver City, New Mexico, March 7- 9 for a workshop on Risk-Informed Decision-Making Using Risk Assessment Tools at Multiple Scales.  

Those attending included the Forest Supervisor, several District Rangers, a wildlife biologist and a variety of FAM employees including hot shots, prevention personnel, and fuels managers.

NIMO IC Bob Houseman

The 2013 Silver Fire set the stage for risk management.  A panel presented a Silver Fire case study on the first day.  

Participants received an introduction to risk management and learned how to use the strategic, deliberate, and time critical risk assessment processes and tools.

3/2/17 **WARNING** Fuel Geysering Fact Sheet

NATIONAL FUEL GEYSER

Awareness Campaign

FACT SHEET

•  Be aware. Fuel geysering can happen anytime when there is fuel, heat, and pressure.

• Always check fuel levels before opening fuel tank. Open cap slowly, allowing pressure to release.
• Fuel levels above ½ tank are more likely to geyser.

• It’s your job to protect yourself and others. Know how to handle your equipment to avoid fuel geysering anytime there is fuel, heat, and pressure.

• If equipment is running poorly, play it safe and let the equipment cool for at least 15 minutes before opening the fuel tank.

February 27, 2017, San Dimas, CA.—The USDA Forest Service National Fuel Geyser Awareness Campaign, “Be Wiser—This Can Geyser,” is moving forward quickly in preparation for the 2017 field and fire season. Over the last two years, there have been an increasing number of reported incidents involving geysering of fuel from power equipment and fuel storage containers, from the rapid expulsion of fuel due to excessive pressure build up. At least four geysering incidents involving wildland fire personnel have resulted in significant burn injuries.

The National Technology and Development Program (NTDP) has been tasked with managing a fast- track, critical safety project to reduce the risk of injuries related to fuel geysering from equipment that Forest Service employees, contractors and cooperators use. NTDP divided the project into three areas: engineering, best operator practice, and awareness. Engineering work, to understand the conditions, develop and test geysering counter measures for equipment, is underway. This work, combined with a national communication effort, is focused on one objective: socializing education and training on geyser prevention, mitigation, and safe fueling procedures to increase the likelihood of a good outcome when fueling power equipment and to reduce the potential of future geysering from occurring.

An interdisciplinary, interagency team has been assembled to accomplish this. This team, the Fuel Geysering Group, consists of representatives from the Chainsaw Technical Advisory Group, Fire and Aviation Management, Lessons Learned Center, NTDP, National Incident Management Organization, Recreation Heritage, Risk Management and Safety.

A fuel geysering website is being developed at http://bit.ly/fuelgeyser_home. Very soon, firefighters, safety refresher instructors, IMTs, Safety Officers, field going personnel who use or transport fuel cans, and others will be able to download presentations, briefing papers, posters, messaging, and more for daily use. The Fuel Geysering Group is preparing videos, podcasts, and PowerPoint presentations that will be available on the website sometime in March. Information will be spread throughout the agency and wildfire community on the progress of testing, as well as a timeline for availability of tools for sharing the information. Stickers for chainsaws and fuel containers, as well as posters, will be available as visual reminders. Please visit this website for current information.

The current recall of Stihl MS461 chainsaws will not affect the process that power equipment users  and fuel handlers need to take to prevent or reduce impacts from geysering. All mitigation methods indicated in this fact sheet and on the website are valid for all power equipment and storage containers.

To report a fuel geyser or for immediate information, visit the fuel geysering website at http://bit.ly/fuelgeyser_home.

For additional information, call Ralph Gonzales at 

(909) 929–7059 or email rhgonzales@fs.fed.us.

For a downloadable, printable emailable version of this document click here: Geysering Fact Sheet #1

013117 Huron-Manistee NF Risk Management and Type 3 Training

Continual learning is essential in preparing for our future.  This is one of the key reasons for the Risk Management and Type 3 training that was put on for the Huron-Manistee National Forest the week of January 30, 2017.

AA's receiving instruction on Time
Critical process and tools.

The session started off with risk management session for the Agency Administrators (AA) and their Fire Staff supervisors.  On Tuesday, January 31, the AA group were introduced to the Risk Informed Decision-making Using Risk Assessment Tools at Multiple Scales training session.  They were able to work through the three stages of decision making (strategic, deliberate, and time-critical) by utilizing a variety of risk assessment tools.  On February 1, the AAs were then offered a full day of open discussion/dialogue with two of the NIMO instructors.  This allowed them to interact with their counterparts throughout the Forest.

Also starting on February 1, the Type 3 teams (primarily the Command and General Staff members) were invited to attend a 2-day training session for the purposes of allowing the team(s) to work together and build their process tool box, while in a classroom setting.  The training was a combination of instruction, demonstration, and then simulations completed by the students.  The teams included individuals from the Huron and Manistee

Michigan Fire Department team
working on their 215/215a

Forests and Districts.  Also in attendance was a complete team from Michigan Fire Departments to provide them the opportunity to learn the process and also build their relationships with the Forest Service.  This team is hopeful to be able to shadow and/or support the Forest Service on incidents in the future to continue to grow their background and knowledge of wildland fire fighting.

This training session included a variety of incident simulation activities.  It allowed the students to learn the flow and processes needed for a successful incident assignment (all-risk and wildland fire).

One of the teams presenting their Operational Briefing to
the class.

On February 2, there was a simulation exercise that the students were involved in which allowed them to test out all that they had learned the previous day.  The teams were required to produce a variety of products, conduct a variety of meetings, and finally presenting to the entire class their Operational Briefing for the plan they developed. The teams were also assigned an Agency Administrator of their own to allow the realistic interaction that normally happens during an emerging incident.

Lincoln National Forest Participates in a Risk Management Session

John Prendergast, NIMO Safety Officer
providing background on risk mgmt

The week of November 7th, individuals from the Lincoln National Forest participated in a 3-day risk management session.  The first day consisted of an Introduction to Risk Management, as a significant number of their employees had not been through the basic session previously.  This gave them the ground work for the remainder of the weeks discussions.

Leadership panel discussion

On Monday afternoon a  leadership panel discussion was held, with representatives from the R3 Regional Office, Lincoln NF Supervisor's Office, District Ranger, and a Forest FMO.  This allowed participants to ask questions, of their leadership, and provide comments in regards to risk management and how they see it changing the way they do business on the Forest.

Supervisor's Office discussion group

On days 2-3, students were emerged into the newly developed "Risk Informed Decision-making".  This session allows the individuals to work through an incident using a variety of risk assessment tools and from three various decision making positions (strategic, deliberate, and time-critical).

Guadalupe Ranger District group

The students were broken up based on their organizational affiliation (Supervisor's Office/District Office) and were given background information on the scenario that they were to work through.  During the Strategic Risk Assessment portion (all of day 2), they were all asked to work and think like Agency Administrators.  This sparked a lot of great discussions.

Smokey Bear Ranger District group

 

Sacramento Ranger District group

On the third day, the participants were then provided with information on how to do deliberate risk management decisions and what tools they can use to help them with that process.  This decision space is similar to what an Incident Management Team performs.  Also on day three the time-critical decision space was discussed and several options for assessment tools were provided to the students to help them make their time-critical decisions.  These are the type of decisions that a line or field going person would make.

This was the first time that NIMO has put on both of these sessions (Introduction to Risk Management and Risk Informed Decision-making) at the same time.  It was a long, but successful, three days.  Currently, the session is geared toward a fire incident, however the message and tools can be utilized for all disciplines and projects within the Forest Service. 

There is risk in everything we do; assessing it is how we can lower the potential for a bad outcome.

8-24-16 Where Risk Management and Safety Intersect

The primary objective on every fire is listed in one form or another as “life safety’ or “firefighter safety.” That's also a primary focus of NIMO, even in the off season. And yet the words “firefighting” and “safety” seem to be incompatible. That is one of the reasons that the first objective listed on the August 24th #BeaverCreekFire Incident Action Plan (IAP) begins, “Risks to firefighters shall be minimized and will be commensurate with values being protected.” Portland NIMO, is on the Beaver Creek Fire and Safety Officer John Prendergast provided what we thought was a very good explanation of how risk management and safety intersect on an incident.

7/21/16 New NIMO Virtual Reality Project!

One of the NIMO workgroups is Learning and Innovation and we are involved in some very exciting projects that we continue to work on this summer due to the calm fire season.  Our focus is not only helping to spread the word about new and innovative ideas in the wildland fire community, but to champion innovative ideas and projects that embrace NIMO’s overall mission.

VR Goggles

We had the opportunity to experience the use of Virtual Reality headsets during our May all-hands meeting in Missoula and were immediately struck by how the power and impact of such completely immersive learning could be beneficial for firefighters.  Of particular importance to NIMO, due to 3 years of Risk Management workshops, is finding ways to encourage and support better risk-based decisions.

In pursuing our interest in how we could create such “risk decision” virtual reality training, we discovered that the NWCG training group was already working on such a project – in fact they had completed a very cool 360 video showing the inside of a smokejumper plane. After meeting with them in Boise in June, we have joined forces to create a short, full-immersion, 360 video (in app form) that we hope will be useful in fire refreshers, 130/190, future risk or safety engagements, etc. 

The goal is to create an experience in which many elements of fire are present, to allow the user to be completely “in” the scene, see the situation, and after removing the goggles, be able to engage with others in discussions about risk – what they saw, what they felt, what decisions they would make.

The goggles use cellphones to operate so the final ‘app” of the video would be available in both Android and iPhone formats.  And, of course, we still have to work out how to supply the goggles to groups but luckily, they are relatively in expensive.

We are in the very early stages, so no details to share yet and many to work out.  But we are interested in your feedback?  Have you used these yourself?  What kind of situation do you think should be presented to make it a true risk-decision experience?  We’ll keep you updated as we move along.