United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Fire and Aviation
3833 S. Development Avenue
Boise, Idaho 83705-5354
June 1, 2007
In Reply Refer To:
9210 (FA-300) P
EMS Transmission 06/01/07
Instruction Memorandum No. FA IM-2007-016
Expires: 09/30/08
To: All Field Offices
From: Deputy Assistant Director (NIFC)
Subject: Forest Service Handbook 5109.17 - Fire and Aviation Qualifications Handbook
and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fire Training Policy
Program Area: Fire Management
Purpose: Establish BLM Fire Training Policy for BLM units in blended (multi-agency) fire management organizations.
Policy/Action: BLM employees working in blended fire management organizations will meet the BLM training and certification requirements as required by the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations, which states on page 13-1 that, “All employees assigned dedicated fire program management responsibilities at the local, geographic area, or national levels shall meet established interagency and agency competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) and associated qualifications. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide PMS 310-1 is the policy.”
Local interagency operating agreements may recommend training that is supplemental to 310-1 requirements, but BLM employees who have met established 310-1 criteria will be certified in the Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS) by the Certifying Official.
Time Frame: Effective immediately
Budget Impact: None
Background: BLM managers in several blended fire management organizations have required BLM employees to meet the Forest Service Handbook 5109.17 training requirements prior to being certified in IQCS. This practice is not supported by BLM Fire and Aviation for a variety of reasons:
• It is contrary to bureau manual policy.
• It results in the expenditure of government funds for training beyond bureau policy.
• It results in inconsistent policy implementation in the fields of training and certification.
• It puts certain bureau employees at a competitive employment disadvantage to fellow
agency employees and to employees of other agencies.
• It leads to contradictory, ambiguous, and/or redundant direction to employees.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: This IM supplements existing BLM training and
qualifications policy defined in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation
Operations.
Coordination: This instruction memorandum has been coordinated with the Fire and Aviation Divisions of Fire Operations, Fire Management Training, and the BLM National Fire Operations Committee.
Contact: Rick Jensen, Fire and Aviation Division of Fire Operations, 208-387-5710.
Union: Offices with unions must follow negotiated procedures.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Timothy M. Murphy Pat Lewis
Deputy Assistant Director (NIFC) Supervisory Mgmt. Asst.
Distribution:
FA DAD (NIFC)
FA DAD (WO)
BLM ADs
FA Management Team
BLM Library
State FMOs
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