Resources
Gear Checklist
Personal Items (suggestion)
- 15 Pairs of Socks
- 15 Pairs of underware
- 15 T-Shirts
- 1 Regular outfit
- 1 Sweater / Jacket
- 1 Tent
- 1 Sleeping Bag
- Pillow
- Sandals / Flip Flops
- Personal Hygiene Kit
- Multitool
- Carabiner clip
- Blanket
- Moleskin
- Bandanas
- Belt
- Chapstick
- Sun Block
- Insect Repellent
Line Gear & PPE
- Backpack (Line Pack)
- Hart hat
- Front Headlamp
- Fire Shelter
- Nomex Pnts (Greens) (2)
- Nomex Shirts (Yellows) (2)
- Safty Glassses / Sun Glasses
- Leather gloves
- Hearing Protection
- Tools
- Leather boots. 8” Vibram sole (Personal)
18 Watch Out Situations
- Fire not scouted and sized up.
Wildland firefighters scout and size up all incidents to gain situational awareness before beginning fire suppression. This Watch Out shows a firefighter too far away to effectively describe the specific fire behavior, fuel types, and weather conditions on the fire.
- In country not seen in daylight.
Firefighting resources are often called to respond to fires at night in unfamiliar terrain. This Watch Out shows firefighters working at night in an area they are seeing for the first time which requires extra attention to surroundings and caution while working.
- Safety zones and escape routes not identified.
Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES) are a critical approach all wildland firefighters use to engage in fire suppression safely. This Watch Out depicts a crew without established escape routes or safety zones.
- Unfamiliar with weather and local factors influencing fire behavior.
Weather forecasts play a crucial role in the planning and suppression of all wildland and prescribed fire operations and activities. This Watch Out depicts firefighters acquiring weather information but seemingly unaware of the incoming storm clouds which would directly impact fire behavior.
- Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.
Wildland firefighters rely on coordinated strategies and tactics to efficiently suppress fires and avoid hazards. This Watch Out demonstrates an airtanker dropping retardant away from the intended area, potentially indicating unclear communication.
- Instructions and assignments not clear.
The Incident Command System (ICS) is used to provide uniform chain of command on all incidents. This Watch Out shows an engine crew working in a counterproductive manner, without clear instructions towards an expected outcome.
- No communication link with crewmembers or supervisor.
Known radio frequencies and channels enable instant communication within and between firefighting resources. This Watch Out shows a crew physically separated without any obvious method for communication among crew members or their supervisor.
- Constructing line without safe anchor point.
An anchor point is an advantageous location, usually a barrier to fire spread, from which to start constructing a fireline. This Watch Out depicts an engine crew working along the fire edge without a clear anchor point.
- Building fireline downhill with fire below.
Building fireline downhill requires special attention to safety factors because of the potential for rapid uphill fire spread. This Watch Out depicts firefighters building fireline downhill without first mitigating the existing hazards.
- Attempting frontal assault on fire.
It is safer to start firefighting where the activity is lesser or the fire is moving away from firefighters. This Watch Out shows a firefighter in a position where he would be unable to safely engage in fire suppression.
- Unburned fuel between you and fire.
Heavy equipment is often used to construct fireline to slow fire progression because it can build wider fireline at a faster rate. This Watch Out requires extra situational awareness because there is unburned fuel between the bulldozer and the main fire.
- Cannot see main fire; not in contact with someone who can.
Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES) are the foundation to safe fire suppression actions. This Watch Out depicts a crew member working away from his crew without a radio or other form of communication to be alerted to sudden changes in weather or fire behavior.
- On a hillside where rolling material can ignite fuel below.
Fires can move more quickly uphill. This Watch Out shows rolling logs and debris that are on fire and can ignite fuels below the crew building fireline.
- Weather becoming hotter and drier.
Hot temperatures and low relative humidity increase fire behavior. This Watch Out portrays a hot, dry afternoon with firefighters working to suppress a growing fire.
- Wind increases and/or changes direction.
Wind can significantly impact the rate and direction of fire spread. This Watch Out shows how it can also have an impact on aviation fire resources, such as helicopters.
- Getting frequent spot fires across line.
Spot fires occur when embers land on the unburned side of a fireline. This Watch Out depicts an engine crew attempting to contain several spot fires which are increasing in size while the main fire is also growing.
- Terrain and fuels make escape to safety zones difficult.
Rocks, dead and down trees, heavy fuels, and steep terrain can make escape to safety zones slow and difficult. This Watch Out shows firefighters already weighed down by heavy fire gear and tools trying to walk through uneven terrain and heavy fuels.
- Taking a nap near fireline.
Managing fatigue during wildland fire suppression is important for firefighter health and safety. This Watch Out depicts fire behavior increasing while firefighters take a nap without a lookout.
10 Standard Firefighting Orders
- Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
Weather conditions can significantly impact fire behavior, and weather forecasts help firefighters anticipate changes. This Standard Firefighting Order shows a remote automated weather station (RAWS) which sends real-time weather information to incident fire personnel.
- Know what your fire is doing at all times.
Current and accurate information about fire behavior and weather conditions is critical to firefighter safety. This Standard Firefighting Order demonstrates how lookouts are used to gather and communicate details on fire behavior.
- Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire.
Fire managers make decisions throughout the day on how to suppress fires and best use resources while protecting life and property. This Standard Firefighting Order depicts a firefighter observing increased fire behavior during a time of day when temperatures are high and relative humidity is low.
- Identify escape routes and safety zones, and make them known.
Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES) are the foundation to safe fire suppression actions. This Standard Firefighting Order shows a crew utilizing a predesignated escape route to safely move away from an active fire.
- Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
Lookouts provide time-sensitive information to firefighters. This Standard Firefighting Order demonstrates firefighters installing a pump and hose lay with a designated lookout to keep watch for and communicate possible hazards.
- Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
Remaining alert, keeping calm, thinking clearly, and acting decisively are important components of decision-making on wildland fire incidents. This Standard Firefighting Order illustrates a supervisor providing direction and establishing leader’s intent to help a crew working on a growing fire.
- Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
The Incident Command System (ICS) relies on interagency communications between firefighting resources for collaborative fire suppression. This Standard Firefighting Order shows a variety of firefighting resources working together to effectively suppress a wildland fire.
- Give clear instructions and be sure they are understood.
Briefings are opportunities to share information, plan tactics, and ask questions. This Standard Firefighting Order illustrates a briefing from a supervisor to the personnel working on the fireline.
- Maintain control of your forces at all times.
Building and maintaining crew cohesion promotes trust among crew members and leadership. This Standard Firefighting Order demonstrates a crew following direction from their supervisor to avoid hazards, including the approaching airtanker.
- 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.