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Fight Fire Aggressively, Having Provided for Safety First

 

The safety of firefighters and the public is always the top priority of wildland fire management agencies. This Standard Firefighting Order portrays an engine crew, with a clearly identified escape route in place, suppressing an active wildland fire.

10. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first. A green fire engine is driving through thick grass and sage. Three firefighters are spraying water at a fire's edge. Along a road in the foreground, pink flagging is tied to brush to indicate an escape route.

10. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.

Read about all 10 Standard Firefighting Orders.

 

Standard Firefighting Order #10 must be considered at all times when fighting fire. In order to fight fire safely and aggressively, every firefighter must be able to answer the following questions:

  • Is the suppression method adequate? Are we making progress? Are we beating our heads against a wall? Is there a better way to get this done?
    • Give examples of when you have had to change your suppression method.
  • Are there adequate resources and time for effective suppression? Do we need to retreat and reevaluate?
    • Talk about how you dealt with times when you realized you were not making progress on a fire.
  • Are lookouts posted? When you post lookouts, who would you choose to be a lookout, and where should they be located?
  • Are communications prompt with crews and other resources?
    • Review the importance of effective communications on the fireline.
  • Have escape routes and safety zones been established?
    • Talk about your crew’s procedure for establishing escape routes and safety zones. Review what constitutes an escape route and a safety zone.
  • Do you feel comfortable with your assignment?
    • Discuss how you evaluate the situation. Remind firefighters that every individual has the right to question an assignment.
  • To reduce the risks:
    • Post lookouts.
    • Establish trigger points.
    • Retreat if the situation is too complex. Emphasize that safety is everyone’s responsibility; we all want to be good firefighters and being safe is part of that.

 

Category
Operational Engagement
References
10 Standard Firefighting Orders, PMS 110
18 Watch Out Situations, PMS 118
10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18


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NWCG Latest Announcements

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee Releases Safety Warning: 25-001 Non-specification fire shelters

Date: January 15, 2025
Contact: Equipment Technology Committee

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released Safety Warning: 25-001 Non-specification fire shelters. Non-specification fire shelters claiming to meet Forest Service (FS) fire shelter specification 5100-606 were first found in February of 2023. As of September 2024, non-specification shelters are again being advertised and sold on the open market.

This Safety Warning outlines details and recommended procedures to purchase FS specification shelters made with materials and components that meet performance criteria and toxicity testing requirements outlined in FS Specification 5100-606. 

For additional information on identifying non-specification shelters, please view ETC Safety Warning 23-01.

References:

ETC Safety Warning 25-001: Non-specification fire shelters

NWCG Equipment Technology Committee

ETC Safety Warning 23-01

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Awards

Date: January 14, 2025
Contact: Leadership Committee

The NWCG Leadership Committee has awarded the 2023 Paul Gleason “Lead By Example” awards to individuals in the categories of Initiative and Innovation, Mentoring and Teamwork, and Motivation and Vision, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations to the awardees:

  • Sam Bowen, Superintendent of the Mark Twain Veteran Crew with the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Greg Titus, Zone Fire Management Officer for the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
  • Renae Crippen, Manager of the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center with the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Eric Carlson, Instructor with OMNA International.

References:

Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Interview with Paul Gleason

Updated NWCG Standards for Water Scooping Operations, PMS 518

Date: December 19, 2024
Contact: Water Scooper Operations Unit

The NWCG Standards for Water Scooping Operations, PMS 518 establishes the standards for dispatching, utilizing, and coordinating water scooping aircraft on interagency wildland fires. These standards should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision (SAS), PMS 505, and any local, state, or geographic/regional water scooping plans.

References:

NWCG Standards for Water Scooping Operations, PMS 518

Updated NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505

Date: December 19, 2024
Contact: Interagency Aerial Supervision Subcommittee

The Interagency Aerial Supervision Subcommittee has updated the NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505. PMS 505 establishes standards for aerial supervision operations for national interagency wildland fire operations. 

References:

NWCG Standards for Aerial Supervision, PMS 505