ANNUAL WILDFIRE OPERATING PLAN For CHAFFEE COUNTY, COLORADO LAKE COUNTY, COLORADO
2011
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PLAN APPROVAL ...................................................................................................... 4 A. Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………. 5 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE PLAN ................................ 6 AUTHORITY FOR THE PLAN ..................................................................................6 PURPOSE OF THE PLAN............................................................................................6 DEFINITIONS AND DESCRIPTION OF ................................................................... 6 A Fire Management Responsibilities .....................................................................6 B. Mutual Aid Dispatch Areas by Dispatch Levels................................................7 C. Mutual Aid Move-up and Cover Facilities ........................................................7 D. Special Management Considerations .................................................................7 E. Responsibility for Non-Wildland Fire Emergencies..........................................8 F. Repair of Wildfire Suppression Damage ...........................................................8 FIRE MANAGEMENT RESOURCE LIST ..................................................................8 A. Kind (by ICS type) ...........................................................................................14 B. Location ...........................................................................................................14 C. RMA Preparedness Levels ...............................................................................15 PROTECTION AREAS...............................................................................................16 A. Jurisdictional Agency, Protection Unit, County boundary, Area of Responsibility and Other Plan Needs ............................................................16 B. Fire Protection Facilities by Agency and Location..........................................16 C. Direct Protection Areas ....................................................................................16 D. Mutual Aid Dispatch Areas .............................................................................17 E. Special Management Consideration Areas ......................................................17 FIRE READINESS ......................................................................................................17 A. Fire Planning ....................................................................................................17 B. Wildfire Training Needs and Coordination .....................................................19 C. Inspection Schedules ........................................................................................20 WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION PROCEDURES ............................................................20 A. NIMS Use ........................................................................................................20 B. Detection Standards .........................................................................................20 C. Relationship with Local Mobilization Guide...................................................20 D. Notification about Fires ...................................................................................21 E. Establishment and Revision of Mutual Aid Dispatch Areas ...........................21 F. Initial Attack Dispatch Levels and Their Determination .................................23 G. Dispatching and Resource Order Process ........................................................23 H. Reinforcements and Support ............................................................................24 I. Move-up and Cover Locations and Procedures ...............................................24 J. Interagency procurement, loaning, sharing, or exchanging and Maintenance of facilities, equipment, and support services ..........................25 K. Interagency Sharing of Communications Systems and Frequencies ...............25 L. Fire Analysis ...................................................................................................25 M. Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF)……………………………….26 N. State Emergency Fire Fund ..............................................................................26 O. Dispatch Centers or Other Incident Support Facilities ....................................28 P. Post-incident Action Analysis..........................................................................28 Q. Out-of-Jurisdiction Assignments .....................................................................29 AVIATION PROCEDURES .......................................................................................29 A. Aviation Map and Narrative ............................................................................29 B. Flight Following/Frequency Management .......................................................30
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C. Call When Needed (CWN) Aircraft, Tactical and Support Aircraft ...............30 D. Fixed Wing Base Management ........................................................................31 E. Single-Engine Air tanker Bases .......................................................................31 F. Lead plane/Air Attack Activation ....................................................................31 G. Aviation Requests and Operations ...................................................................31 H. Aircraft Inspection Schedules ..........................................................................32 I. Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF) ...............................................32 J. Aviation Dispatch Procedures..........................................................................32 FIRE PREVENTION ...................................................................................................32 A. General Cooperative Activities ........................................................................32 B. Information and Education ..............................................................................32 C. Engineering ......................................................................................................34 D. Enforcement .....................................................................................................34 FUEL MANAGEMENT AND PRESCRIBED FIRE CONSIDERATIONS .............35 COST REIMBURSEMENTS ......................................................................................36 A. Reimbursable Costs .........................................................................................36 B. Reimbursement Procedures .............................................................................37 C. Resource Use Rates..........................................................................................38 GENERAL PROCEDURES ........................................................................................40 A. Liability ............................................................................................................40 B. Periodic Program Reviews ...............................................................................40 C. Annual Updating of the Plan............................................................................40 D. Changes During Year (due to budget cuts or supplemental funding) ..............40 E. Resolution of Disputes Procedure ....................................................................40
EXHIBITS EXHIBIT A – San Isabel National Forest, Chaffee County & Lake Maps EXHIBIT B - Colorado State Forest Service Forms- EFF and Delegations EXHIBIT C - Air Tanker / Helicopter Request Form EXHIBIT D - Sample Fire Cost / Share Agreement, Fire Cost/Share Principles EXHIBIT E - Hire of Emergency Fire Fighters - AD Rates XHIBIT F - State Equipment Rental Rates EXHIBIT G – CSFS Fire Reimbursement forms and procedures
APPENDIX APPENDIX 1 - Cooperative Resource Rates APPENDIX 2 – Contact List for Prescribed Fires APPENDIX 3 – Pueblo Zone Procedures for Initiation or Rescinding Fire Restrictions And purpose of Fire Restrictions and Emergency Closures. Chaffee County Fire Ordinance, Lake County Fire Ordinance APPENDIX 4 – Contact information APPENDIX 5 – CSFS Fire Duty Call Down List APPENDIX 6 – Radio Frequencies APPENDIX 7 – Air to Ground Frequencies Map APPENDIX 8 – Aviation Dispatch Procedures for PIDC
ATTACHMENTS
ATTACHMENT 1 - Interagency Cooperative Fire Management Agreement ATTACHMENT 2 - Agreement for Cooperative Wildfire Protection in Chaffee County & Lake County ATTACHMENT 3 - Emergency Fire Fund Contract Agreement for Forest and Watershed Fire Control ATTACHMENT 4 – Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF) ATTACHMENT 5 – Interagency Agreement between US Fish and Wildlife Service Leadville National Fish Hatchery and US Forest Service Pike and San Isabel National Forest with Fire Management Plan for the Fish Hatchery
ATTACHMENT 6 – Fire investigation report form ATTACHMENT 7- Size-up card
ANNUAL OPERATING PLAN The Annual Operating Plan (AOP) is a working document compiled each year by wildfire agencies participating in the Plan, and shall be attached to and considered a part of the Interagency Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement (see Clause #12 of the Agreement). 1.
PLAN APPROVAL The parties below agree to the procedures contained in this Annual Fire Operating Plan to be effective on the dates shown through May 1, 2011.
COLORADO STATE FOREST SERVICE
DATE
CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
DATE
LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
DATE
CHAFFEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
DATE
LAKE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
DATE
FOREST SERVICE, USDA
DATE
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, USDI
DATE
LEADVILLE FISH HATCHERY, USFW
DATE
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A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – The parties below are in acknowledgment of the Annual Fire Operating Plan to be effective on the dates shown through May 1, 2011.
CHAFFEE COUNTY FPD
DATE
SALIDA/SOUTH ARKANSAS FPD
DATE
BUENA VISTA VFD
DATE
LEADVILLE/LAKE COUNTY FD
DATE
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2.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE PLAN Colorado State Forest Service Chaffee County Sheriff Lake County Sheriff Board of County Commissioners, Chaffee County, Colorado Board of County Commissioners, Lake County, Colorado Forest Service, USDA Bureau of Land Management, USDI Chaffee County Fire Protection District Salida/South Arkansas Fire Protection District Buena Vista Volunteer Fire Department Leadville/Lake County Fire Department Leadville Fish Hatchery, USFWS All participants of this AOP agree to coordinate their wildfire protection activities as outlined herein.
3.
AUTHORITIES FOR THIS PLAN Colorado Cooperative Fire Management Agreement BLM #CCFMA060001 USFS #06-FI-11020000-048 NPS #F1249060026 BIA #AG06M000002 FWS #14-48-60139-K001 BOR Great Plains #06AG9602140 BOR Upper Colorado #06LM4002740 CSFS – *(No Agreement Number Used)* Emergency Fund Contract for Forest and Watershed Fire Control CSFS #108 Agreement for Cooperative Wildfire Protection in Lake County CSFS #109 Agreement for Cooperative Wildfire Protection in Chaffee County CSFS #109
4.
PURPOSE OF THE PLAN This Annual Operating Plan (AOP) is to set forth standard operating procedures, agreed procedures, and responsibilities to implement cooperative wildfire protection on all lands within Chaffee and Lake Counties.
5.
DEFINITIONS AND DESCRIPTION OF A.
Fire Management Responsibilities Each jurisdictional agency has ultimate responsibility for wildland fire protection on its own lands. The Sheriff is responsible for wild fire protection on all unincorporated lands in Chaffee and Lake Counties. Fire Departments in Chaffee County are Salida Fire Department, South Arkansas Fire Protection District, Buena Vista Volunteer Fire Department, and Chaffee County Fire Protection District. The Fire Department in Lake County is Lake County Fire and Rescue. 6
B.
Mutual Aid Dispatch Areas by Dispatch Levels •
•
C.
Time period beginning at the time of dispatch it is not to exceed 12 hours and will end at midnight of the first burn period when the incident commander determines that the fire cannot be controlled within 12 hours of the orginal ignition. Mutual Aid Zones is one mile either side of a federal land/private-state land boundary line
Mutual Aid Move-up and Cover Facilities Move-up and cover facilities have not been predetermined; however, the mechanism is in place for fire protection districts, municipal departments and volunteer fire departments to cover each other in Chaffee and Lake Counties.
D.
Special Management Considerations Suppression within designated Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, and/or "road less" areas, as designated on the map attached as EXHIBIT A, will not be conducted without direct orders from an official representative of the jurisdiction. In Chaffee and Lake Counties, all wildland fire occurring on lands administered by the USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and USDA Forest Service (USFS) may be managed for one or more objectives. Depending on the location and situation, these objectives will include consideration for firefighter and public safety, protecting values and natural resources or appropriately managing suppression costs relative to the values at risk. As a wildland fire situation evolves and changes, the objectives, strategies and tactics may also change. The process of monitoring, evaluating and determining appropriate objectives will be facilitated through the use of the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS). Wildland fires can be managed for more than one objective and objectives can change as fire spreads across the landscape. (Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy 2009) Human caused fires on BLM and USFS land will be managed to meet suppression objectives that emphasize safety and cost effectiveness. Initial action on human caused wildfires will be to suppress the fire at the lowest cost with the fewest negative consequences with respect to firefighter and public safety. Lightning caused fires on BLM and USFS land may initially be managed to achieve natural resource objectives. Lightning caused fires will be considered and evaluated for potential natural resource benefits, but only when the risks to values, firefighter and public safety can be effectively mitigated. Prior to any suppression action, the BLM or USFS must be notified through PIDC of any suspected lightning caused ignition occurring on these lands. The 7
BLM or USFS will assume management responsibility for these fires, and will utilize the WFDSS process as necessary to inform all incident related decisions. E.
Responsibility for Non-Wildland Fire Emergencies Non-wildland fire emergencies are the responsibility of the jurisdictional agency be it fire protection district, municipality, county, state or federal.
F.
Repair of Wildfire Suppression Damage Repair of wildfire suppression damage is the responsibility of the landowner, unless otherwise agreed to by the unified command at the time of fire close out. Rehabilitation is not covered under EFF. It may be authorized by the CSFS Line Officer only when part of the Incident Action Plan during the EFF period.
6.
FIRE MANAGEMENT RESOURCE LIST Fire fighting resources in Chaffee and Lake Counties are numerous and subject to frequent change. Contact the appropriate agency as shown in item E for current information desired for items "A" through "D" below. A.
Kind (by ICS type) Chaffee County
EQUIPMENT
#
LOCATION
Load King Low-boy Trailer, S/N 4339 Transport 30 Ton
1
Poncha
John Deere Backhoe 644 Loaders
2
Poncha
Homelite 4" Centrifugal Pump, 500 GPM
1
Poncha
Water Tender 3,000 Gal. Capacity
2
Poncha & BV
950 Cat Loader
1
BV
D-6 Standard Track
1
County Landfill
310 John Deer Backhoe
1
Poncha
310 John Deer Backhoe
1
BV
4”water pump
1
BV
Catapiller 140 Motor Graders
4
Poncha
8
RATE
All equipment will be signed under emergency rental agreement
Catapiller 140 Motor Graders
2
BV
All rates are with operator and crew. Rates are for each piece of equipment. *Dozer is Chaffee County Landfill Enterprise equipment. Reimbursement is paid directly to the Landfill Enterprise rather than to Chaffee County. The dozer cannot be signed up as with a CRRF. The dozer will have to be signed up with an emergency equipment rental agreement at the time of the incident Lake County EQUIPMENT
#
LOCATION
RATE All Lake County Equipment at Emergency Rental Agreement
1999 GMC Shop Truck
1
County Shop
1981 Ford Type 3 Tender
1
County Shop
6000 gal 5th Wheel Tanker
1
County Shop
1989 Champion 730A Grader
1
County Shop
1984 John Deere Grader
1
Ski Cooper
1994 Galion 850B Grader
1
County Shop
2003 Caterpillar 140 H Grader
1
County Shop
1978 Komatsu 355-3 Dozer
1
Landfill
1991 Caterpillar D6 Dozer
1
Landfill
1
Landfill
1
County Shop
1
County Shop
1997 Caterpillar 950F Loader
1
County Shop
1973 Kenworth Tractor
1
County Shop
2000 Kenworth Tractor
1
County Shop
1974 Hyster Low Boy
1
County Shop
2003 Trail King Lowboy
1
County Shop
1997 Mon Pressure Washer w/ trailer
1
County Shop
1978 Ford F7000 Boom Truck (60 ft)
1
County Shop
1998 Caterpillar 325B Excavator
1
County Shop
2002 John Deere 410G Backhoe
1
County Shop
Caterpillar 938 Loader 1994 Caterpillar 936F Loader Caterpillar 938 Loader
9
Colorado State Forest Service Personnel
ICS Qualifications
Beth Anderson
Status Check-in Recorder, Personnel & Equipment Time Recorder, Technical Specialist, Time Unit Leader.
Kathryn Hardgrave
Ordering Manager, RCDM (t), FFT1
Damon Lange
Engine Boss, ICT 4,CRWB, RX12,AREP,THSP, trainee as TFLD, STEN, and DOZB
Megan Sweeney
FFT2
State Agreement Engines – Cooperating Fire Department with assigned engines or CSFS, Salida, Phone: (719) 539-2579, Cell Phone (970) 580-3510 State Agreement Engines are under a master state-federal agreement. EQUIPMENT ATV 850 gal Type 4X 6x6
#
LOCATION
1
Salida District Office
1
CCFPD Station 4 Poncha Springs CCFPD Station 3, N. of Buena Vista
77 AM General 2.5ton 850 gal Type 4X
1
‘77 Reo 2.5 ton 1000 Gal Type 4X
1
CCFPD Station 15, Buena Vista
’77 Dodge 200 Gal. Type 6X
1
CCFPD Station 15, Nathrop
10
RATE
At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate
USFS Salida RD and Leadville RD Personnel
ICS Qualifications
Chris Naccarato Zone FMO
Incident Commander Type 3, Division Supt., Crew Boss, Strike Team Leader, Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2
John Markalunas Zone AFMO
Division Supt,Taskforce Leader, Strike Team Leader Crew, Incident Commander Type 4, Crew Boss, Engine boss, IC3 (t)
David Carr Engine Foreman Vacant Assistant Engine Operator Andrew White Fuels Specialist
Incident Commander Type 4, Engine Boss, Crew Boss
Incident Commander Type 4, Engine Boss, Firing Boss
Jerry Cannon LEO 1529 Bill Schuckert
Salida District Ranger
Jon Morrissey
Leadville District Ranger
EQUIPMENT
#
LOCATION
300 Gal. Type 6X Engine
2
Salida
Assorted small pumps
3
Salida
Homelite Pump 2.6 HP
1
Salida
20 Person Fire Cache
1
Salida
Hale Fyr Pak 8 HP Pump
1
Salida
10 Person Fire Cache
1
Salida
ATV 6X6
1
Salida
Waterous Floto Pump
1
Salida
Slip On 200 Gallon
1
Salida
350 gal per min. Trash Pump
1
Salida
Arctic Cat ATV's
2
Salida
ATV
2
Leadville
11
RATE
All Equipment
subject to
current GSA or
USFS Rates.
Bureau of Land Management EQUIPMENT
#
LOCATION
RATE
300 Gal. Type 6X Ford 4x4, w/foam
2
Canon City
**
Pacific Marine Pump
2
Canon City
**
Chainsaw Kits
1
Canon City
**
** All equipment subject to GSA or federal rates.
Chaffee County Fire Protection District EQUIPMENT
LOCATION
Brush 1, 2002 Ford F550 4x4, Type 6 Engine, 250 gal – CAFS Squad 1, 1976 GMC 4x4, Type 3 Engine, 500 gal Engine 1, 1996 Pierce 2x4, Type 1 Engine, 750 gal Tender 1, 1996 Ford 2x4, Type 3 Tender, 1500 gal tank – 2000 gal dump tank Battalion 1, 1988 Chevy 4x4, Type 6 Engine, 150 gal – foam Squad 2, 1977 Dodge 4x4, Type 6 Engine, 250 gal Engine 2, 1977 Chevy 2x4, Type 2 Engine, 750 gal Tender 2, 2003 International 2x4, Type 2 Tender, 2500 gal – 2500 gal dump tank Battalion 2, 1988 Chevy 4x4, Type 6 Engine, 150 gal – foam Engine 3, 1979 Ford 2x4, Type 2 Engine, 750 gal Tender 3, 2003 International 2x4, Type 2 Tender, 2500 gal – 2500 gal dump tank Battalion 3, 2004 Ford 4x4, Type 6 Engine, 150 gal – foam Brush 4, 2003 Ford F550 4x4, Type 6 Engine, 250 gal – CAFS Squad 4, 1978 Dodge 4x4, Type 6 Engine, 250 gal Engine 4, 1996 Pierce 2x4, Type 1 Engine, 750 gal Tender 4, 2004 International 2x4, Type 2 Tender, 2500 gal – 2500 gal dump tank
12
Station 1 Station 1 Station 1 Station 1 Station 1 Station 2 Station 2 Station 2 Station 2 Station 3 Station 3 Station 3 Station 4 Station 4 Station 4 Station 4
RATE At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate
District 1, 2003 Dodge 4x4, Command Unit, Radios – Computers – Printers – Maps – GPS – Medical (Fire Line Use) (When not on Fire Line) District 2, 1996 Ford 4x4, Command Unit, Radios – Computers – Printers – Maps – GPS – Medical (Fire Line Use) (When not on Fire Line) Porta-pump, 500 gpm (if used on the fire) Porta-tank (if used on the fire) Floto-a-pump (if used on the fire) Chain Saw (if used on the fire)
At current CRRF rate Station 1
At current CRRF rate Station 2
At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate
Salida / South Arkansas Fire Protection District EQUIPMENT
#
LOCATION
RATE
1
Salida
At current CRRF rate
1
Salida
1
Salida
1
Salida
1
Salida
1
Salida
1
Salida
1
Salida
Porta Tank, 2500 gal
2
Salida
Chain Saw
3
Salida
1990 International 1,800 Gal.Tender/Type 2 tactical engine w/class A foam system 500 gpm. Tender 11 1986 Pierce, 1000 Gal., Type 1 engine (1250 GPM Pump). Engine 12 2002 Dodge Type 6X, 300 GPM pump, 250 Gal, Class A Foam. Engine 111 2004 Ford Type 6X, 150 GPM pump, 500 gal, Class A Foam. Engine 114 International TK 1991 Type 2 tactical Tender 12 Pump and roll Peirce FT 1995 Type 1 Engine 1000 gallons, 1250 gallon/min pump engine 11 Chevy ½ ton pickup 2005 4x4 Command Vehicle Portable pump, 500 gpm
At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate
Engine 11 At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate
Tenders and Engines have rentable equipment on them and is listed above.
Buena Vista Volunteer Fire Department EQUIPMENT
#
13
LOCATION
RATE
1975 Ford 750 gal. (750 gpm)
1
Buena Vista
1974 American LaFrance 500 gal. (1750 gpm)
1
Buena Vista
2002 Pierce 1000 gal. (1250 gpm)
1
Buena Vista
At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate
Leadville/Lake County Fire Department EQUIPMENT
#
LOCATION
1978 Dodge 4x4 250 gal Type 6
1
Station 2
1992 Autocar 1500 gal Type 1
1
Station 1
2002 Sutphen 1000 gal Type 1
1
Station 1
1996 Chevrolet Type 6
1
Station 1
Porta-Tanks folding, 1500 gal
2
Station 1 & Station 2
2004 Ford 4x4 300 gal Type 6
1
Station 1
Description
#
Rate – including BLS crew
Salida Station
1
Buena Vista Station
1
Salida Station
1
RATE At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate At current CRRF rate
Rates are for each piece of equipment.
Chaffee County EMS Unit/Equipment
520 / 2000 Type I Ambulance 530 / 2000 Type I Ambulance 540 / 2000 Type I Ambulance 550 / 2000 Type I Ambulance 597 / 1997 Type II Ambulance 596 / 1995 Type II Ambulance
B.
Buena Vista Station Buena Vista Station Buena Vista Station
1 1 1
Location – See tables in paragraph A (above)
14
Rate – including ALS crew All Chaffee County EMS at the current CRRF rate
C.
RMA Preparedness Levels PREPAREDNESS LEVEL DEFINITIONS Five Preparedness Levels are recognized and summarized as follows: Preparedness Level 1. Wildfire activity within the Rocky Mountains is light, and large fires are short in duration with low complexity. There is little or no commitment of Area or National resources. Conditions exist for normal prescribed fire operations. Preparedness Level 2. Wildfire activity has increased with most fires remaining at low to moderated complexity. Moderate potential exists for escaped large fire and extended attack for more than one burning period. Potential exists for frequent mobilization between adjacent Interagency Dispatch Centers (IADC). Resources are adequate for prescribed fire activity. Preparedness Level 3. Multiple large Incidents are occurring in two or more IADC areas. High potential exists for fires to be moderate to high complexity. Increased mobilization of resources to meet Area and National needs are occurring with some significant delays and limited resource availability. Initial and Extended attack, safety monitoring and management oversight is increased at all levels of the organization.
Preparedness Level 4. High complex large fire activity is occurring. Multiple Incident Management Teams are committed with continued high potential for additional activity and increased complexity. Initial Attack, Extended and IMT safety monitoring and management oversight is imperative. MAC is fully functional. Prescribed fire applications can continue or be initiated if the following conditions are met: Management Direction/Consideration: Prescribed fire application can be continued or be initiated if the proposed action is approved by an agency at the regional or state office level. This approval must be based on an assessment of risk, impacts of the proposed actions on area resources and activities and include feedback from the Geographic Area MAC Group. The Geographic Area MAC Group provides information or perspectives to agencies wishing to proceed with or implement a wildland fire use or prescribed fire application. The final decision to implement resides with the implementing agency. Responsibility: Agency Administrators, regional and state office. Preparedness Level 5. High complex large fire activity has increased to state/area wide. Area and National resources are exhausted or difficult to obtain in any large quantify. Major priority setting is occurring through MAC.
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Management Direction/Consideration: and prescribed fire application can be continued or be initiated if the regional or state level recommends the proposed action. The National agency representative will assess risk and impacts of the proposed actions and discuss with the National MAC Group. This group will have an opportunity to provide information or perspectives to agencies wishing to proceed with or implement a wildland fire use or prescribed fire application. The final decision to implement resides with the implementing agency. Responsibility: Agency Administrators, regional and state office fire staff, NIFC staff and National MAC Group.
7.
PROTECTION AREASA.
Jurisdictional Agency, Protection Unit, County boundary, Area of Responsibility and Other Plan Needs. The San Isabel National Forest map (EXHIBIT A), is used to show jurisdictional boundaries for the purpose of this plan. The Chaffee County Sheriff is ultimately responsible for fire control on all unincorporated lands within Chaffee County and Lake County Sheriff is ultimately responsible for fire control on all unincorporated land within Lake County. On federal lands, the agency charged with managing those lands is responsible for fire control.
B.
Fire Protection Facilities by Agency and Location Chaffee County Fire Protection District • Station 1 – Buena Vista • Station 2 – Nathrop • Station 3 – Northern Chaffee County • Station 4 – Poncha Springs • Station 5 – Maysville • Station 15 – Buena Vista Salida Fire Department and South Arkansas Fire Protection District • City of Salida Buena Vista Volunteer Fire Department • Town of Buena Vista Leadville Fire and Rescue • Town of Leadville USFS Mountain Zone Fire Shop • Town of Poncha Springs
C.
Direct Protection Areas Not Applicable in Chaffee County Not Applicable in Lake County
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D.
Mutual Aid Dispatch Areas SEE 9-E for description of mutual aid dispatch areas
E.
Special Management Consideration Areas 1) Arkansas River -- The entire river is within the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area State Park. The State Park office in Salida (539-7289) should be contacted anytime operations near the river corridor threaten to disrupt river traffic. 2) Wilderness Areas -- The following areas have been designated as Wilderness or Wilderness Study Areas. The USFS and BLM MUST be contacted prior to beginning initial attack activities; specific guidelines, requirements, and approval is required before any suppression activities can begin. Browns Canyon WSA Sangre De Cristo Buffalo Peaks
Holy Cross Collegiate Peaks Mt. Massive
8. FIRE READINESS A.
Fire Planning 1.
PRESUPPRESSION ANALYSIS PLANS Urban Wildland Interface Areas -- Pre-attack Plans, complete with maps, have been completed for the following subdivisions: Chaffee North Fork Drainage Mesa Antero Chalk Creek Drainage Lost Creek Ranch Whispering Pines Trail West Village Game Trail Three Elk Wapiti Four Elk Mt. Harvard Estates Meadow Lakes Mtn. Estates Trout Creek Meadows 17
Lake Homestake Trout Club Mt. Massive Trout Club Beaver Lakes Estates Twin Lakes/Gordon Acres Pan Ark Gem Valley Silver Hills Matchless Estates Four Seasons Outward Bound Turquoise Lakes Estates Grand Lake Estates
Cochetopa Drainage Ranch of the Rockies Trout Creek Pass Cottonwood Drainage 2.
TRIGGER POINTS FOR INCREASE/DECREASE IN STAFFING/READINESS Fire Danger Ratings – Fire danger ratings are available daily from PIDC via the internet. The address is www.fs.fed.us/r2/fire/pbc/index.html . For the purposes of informing the public, Staffing Levels will be translated to adjective classes as follows: Staffing Level I Staffing Level II Staffing Level III Staffing Level IV Staffing Level V Red Flag Alert
= = = = = =
Low Moderate High Very High Extreme Red Flag Alert
FIRE DANGER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR * LOW - Fires do not start readily from most accidental causes, though many lightning fires may start in some areas during low-danger periods. Fires that do start, generally spread slowly, and there is little tendency to "spot". They often do not burn clean, but spread in irregular fingers. * MODERATE - Fires can start from most accidental causes, but the number of starts is generally low. The rate of spread of fires is moderate; heavy concentrations of fuel will burn hot, and there may be some spotting. Control of fires under these conditions usually presents no special problems. * HIGH - Fires will start easily from most causes. Fires will burn hot, spread rapidly, and will spot readily. Control of fires may become difficult, unless there is aggressive initial attack while they are small. * VERY HIGH - Fires start easily from most causes. Fires will develop fast and can be spread rapidly with considerable spotting. Direct attack on the head of the fire may not be possible. Control may be difficult if initial attack is not successful. * EXTREME - Fires start easily from all causes and may be started by unusual or unexpected causes Fires burn intensely and spread rapidly. Direct attack is rarely possible except when fires are still small. The running heads of large fires are usually uncontrollable while the extreme danger period lasts and most effective control work must be 18
confined to the flanks of the fires and to well-planned strategy. * RED FLAG WARNING - This warning is issued by the National Weather Service when short-term weather conditions are predicted that will cause erratic fire behavior. These conditions are very low humidity and high winds. Initial attack may require additional or air support under these conditions. 3.
PREVENTION PLANS (See 8.A.1 above) These plans are Pre-Attack plans and Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Plans.
4.
PRESCRIBED FIRE PLANS The USFS, BLM, and CSFS will report all prescribed fire activities to the sheriff's office dispatch. In addition, the sheriff will maintain a record of all controlled burning activities on private land. The sheriff's office dispatch will in turn notify the concerned fire protection districts and volunteer departments within the county as well as PIDC (1-719553-1600). Wildfire resulting from prescribed fires that escaped and which were ignited by or at the direction or under the supervision of one of the parties to this agreement shall be the responsibility of that party. All suppression costs shall be borne by the responsible party. A party may take appropriate suppression action when lands under its protection jurisdiction are involved in or threatened by the fire. Such suppression action may be taken on its own initiative or at the request of the responsible party. A party may take appropriate suppression action, at the request of the responsible party, when lands under its protection jurisdiction are not involved in or threatened by the fire. The responsible party shall reimburse the other party for all suppression costs incurred in accordance with this clause.
B.
Wildfire Training Needs and Coordination Each agency shall be responsible for the training of its own personnel; however, cooperating agencies will advise each other of planned training sessions and issue invitations to participate. Safety of personnel involved in incidents is critical. Therefore, it is strongly suggested that all personnel that may be involved in suppressing wildland fires receive training in the accepted standard wild land curriculum in NWCG PMS 310-1 of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (www.nwcg.gov). Each agency will be responsible for providing personal protective equipment for their personnel to include fire resistant clothing, a hard hat with eye protection, gloves and fire shelter. However, cooperating agencies may assist by providing specified equipment needed for an individual incident upon request. 19
The Pueblo Zone Training Committee (a sub-group to the Pueblo Interagency Fire Board) exists to promote wildland fire training throughout the Pueblo Zone. Contact your local CSFS Zone Fire Management Officer to be included in the Pueblo Zone Training email distribution list to receive information regarding local to national wildland fire training information. C.
Inspection Schedules All State Agreement engines will receive a thorough inspection for roadworthiness annually. All CSFS and cooperator engines subject to interagency fire use will be inspected, both engine and equipment, to ensure use and road worthiness. The benefiting agency/jurisdiction will be responsible for pre-use inspections of Cooperator equipment used under the “Cooperative Resource Rates” form.
9.
WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION PROCEDURES A.
NIMS Use The National Incident Management System (NIMS) will be utilized on all fires. NIMS is a standardized method of managing emergency incidents. When more than one agency responds to an incident a unified (shared) command structure will be established on the scene. The purpose of this unified command will be to meet as a group and identify policies, objectives and strategy, resulting in one common set of objectives given to a single Incident Commander for tactical implementation. NWCG standards of onscene personnel will also be discussed so the Incident Commander has a clear understanding of resource capabilities. The jurisdictional agency may immediately release resources from other agencies who do not meet qualification standards. Where such unified command is not implemented, the responsible jurisdiction may reserve the right to designate an agency liaison capable of evaluating operational tactics and local resource availability. A unified command will be made up of representatives from all agencies represented on the scene of the incident. This group shall coordinate the release of all information to agencies and the media.
B.
Detection Standards All aerial detection flights will be coordinated by PIDC. All agencies will cooperate in taking smoke reports from any source and obtaining as much information as possible from the reporting party and passing it along to the appropriate jurisdictional agency.
C.
Relationship with Local Mobilization Guide The Mountain Zone Fire Center maintains a mobilization guide. This guide may be useful to the county for obtaining government and private sector wildland fire 20
resources. All agencies should consult the annual Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center Mobilization Guide as a reference for interagency fire dispatch procedures within the interagency Pueblo Zone. This guide can be found on the Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center website: http://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2pbc/ or at http://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/administrative/publications.html
D.
Notification about Fires The responsible jurisdiction must be notified of fires on or threatening their lands as soon as possible after the arrival of initial attack forces.
E.
Establishment and Revision of Mutual Aid Dispatch Areas Mutual aid fire protection zones covering all of Chaffee and Lake Counties have been established. These zones will be defined as intermingled federally and privately owned lands, plus all lands within one mile of accepted federal land boundary lines (EXHIBIT A). These zones are for initial attack purposes only. Assisting agencies will take initial attack action of fires located on lands under another agency's jurisdiction within the Mutual Aid Protection Zone. The primary criterion for such initial attack will be which agency is in the best position at the time the fire is reported to take the most rapid and effective action.
For initial attack, (within the Mutual Aid Protection Zone) each agency will assume responsibility for its own expenses during the first full operational period (up to 12 hours- see 5B), unless other payment arrangements are agreed upon by the involved agencies for a particular fire. Initial attack activities are also subject to all existing mutual aid, reciprocal aid, and automatic aid agreements between the involved agencies Upon receiving the report of a fire within a Mutual Aid Protection Zone, the agency first receiving the report shall immediately notify other agency/agencies whose lands may be involved. Unless it is clearly and mutually understood that one agency will promptly attack and/or follow through on all necessary action, it shall be agreed policy that all agencies shall send forces promptly to start suppression action. If after being notified, the jurisdictional agency does not or cannot respond to the fire, then the assisting agency may request reimbursement for costs incurred. (See 13 A) However, the jurisdictional agency should make every effort to send a representative to all confirmed fires in these zones and to notify other agencies if a threat exists to their lands. Personnel and equipment of an assisting agency shall report to the Incident Commander of the jurisdictional agency or the IC appointed by that agency 21
and shall be subject to his/her orders and assignments within the established Incident Command System. Said personnel and equipment shall not leave the incident until released by the IC when their services are no longer required or when the assisting agency’s resources are needed within the area for which it normally provides fire protection. Each agency may make its manpower and equipment available upon request to the other agencies for fires not meeting the Mutual Aid Protection Zone criteria. For such fires, the jurisdictional agency will reimburse the assisting agency for costs. It is understood, however, that no agency will be required or expected to commit its forces to assisting another agency to the extent of jeopardizing the security of its own jurisdiction. In the event attack agencies are engaged in a fire upon or near the common suppression boundary, the ranking officers of each agency shall convene during the first twelve hours following the initial dispatch, and mutually agree upon the fire control strategy and appoint an Incident Commander. If it is resolved that the fire area is entirely confined to one or the other areas of responsibility, then the ranking officer of the jurisdictional agency shall assume the responsibility as Incident Commander. It shall be the responsibility of the jurisdictional agency to acquire and dispatch any needed replacements to relieve initial attack crews of the assisting agencies at the earliest practical time after their arrival on the fire. If the personnel and/or equipment of the assisting agency/agencies are to remain on the incident, then the Incident Commander will obtain a resource order number for each resource so requested and provide use documentation when they are released. Once assisting and jurisdictional crews have a fire controlled, the Incident Commander and when possible, the jurisdictional representative shall mutually agree as to when assisting agency/agencies will leave the fire. Note of clarification when requesting aviation resources they are not covered by mutual aid. Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and Boundary Fires: A fire burning on or adjacent to a known or questionable protection boundary will be the initial attack responsibility of the protecting Agencies on either side of the boundary. Fires occurring in areas where structures are located near and in areas of multiple jurisdictions can cause significant safety as well as financial concerns. The Agencies agree that public and firefighter safety are the first priority. The Agencies agree to coordinate suppression management through the use of a Unified Command or with Delegations of Authority from all jurisdictions to an agreed Incident Commander. The initial attack Incident Commanders of the involved Agencies shall mutually agree upon fire suppression objectives, strategy, and the commitment and funding of Agency suppression resources. When a fire burns on both sides of a protection boundary or threatens another jurisdiction, and is beyond the mutual aid period, a cost share agreement shall be prepared and approved by the Unit Administrator or their designee for all 22
actions as outlined in Cost Sharing. Refer to (Exhibit D) for the Sample Cost Share Agreement.
F.
Initial Attack Dispatch Levels and Their Determination Initial response agencies should dispatch that force it deems appropriate for the place and conditions of the fire. Response forces should be further adjusted from the scene as warranted. Actual response will consider values at risk, actual fire behavior, and the proficiency of the firefighting force.
G.
Dispatching and Resource Order Process 1. 2.
Unified Command Boundary Fires
Assistance from County fire forces will be requested through the County Sheriff's office. Requests for State Agreement fire engines will be made through the cooperating fire department having State Agreement engines. County requests for fire forces will be made only by identified dispatch center authorized to do so through Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center at (719) 5531600. The Colorado State Forest Service Fire Duty Forester should be notified of all requests to PIDC as soon as possible See Appendix 2 for CSFS Fire Duty call down list. PIDC utilizes the Resource Ordering and Status System (ROSS) to dispatch resources. Resource status and availability may be updated at any time through ROSS web status accounts. Agencies who want to be available for dispatch outside their jurisdiction must obtain a ROSS web status account. On the first Monday of every month, PIDC updates all resources to be AVAILABLE and LOCAL. Agencies should be aware of this sweep and manage their availability regularly 1.
PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO ORDER REIMBURSABLE FIRE SUPPRESSION RESOURCES ON BEHALF OF CHAFFEE COUNTY through Chaffee County Dispatch Center is listed below Pete Palmer, Sheriff John Speeze, Under Sheriff Jim Wingert, Deputy Fire Warden Don Taylor, Fire Chief Salida/South Arkansas Fire Protection District Dennis Giese, County Commissioner Dave Potts, County Commissioner Frank Holman, County Commissioner
2.
PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO ORDER REIMBURSABLE FIRE SUPPRESSION RESOURCES ON BEHALF OF LAKE COUNTY Through Lake County Dispatch Center is listed below 23
Rodney Fenske, Sheriff Fernando Mendoza, Under-sheriff Chief Bob Harvey, Deputy Fire Warden Leadville Lake County Fire Rescue Fire Captains Carl Schaefer, County Commissioner Delores Semsack, County Commissioner Mike Bordogna, County Commissioner Request for State Agency assistance, including requests for CSFS engines on loan to county VFD's or fire protection districts, can be made directly to the cooperating fire department or through the Colorado State Forest Service Fire Duty Forester. H.
Reinforcements and Support
1.
Evacuation efforts will be coordinated/controlled by the Sheriff’s office.
2.
Traffic control will be provided by the County Sheriff, upon request, to expedite the routing of vehicles and personnel to and from major fires and to exclude unauthorized personnel from the fire area. The following will be utilized as a guide for admittance to an area during a wildfire:
3.
Investigation The jurisdictional agency shall have responsibility for the investigation of all fires. Investigation shall be made on all fires to determine cause, responsible party, time of ignition, and all other pertinent information relating to the cause of the fire. Although an assisting agency may have a fire extinguished upon arrival of the jurisdictional agency’s forces, the jurisdictional agency should discuss the fire with the assisting agency to aid in the investigation and take steps to: ----
preserve the point of origin preserve all clues that may relate to the cause note all traffic leaving the area as suppression forces arrive, to include vehicle descriptions and license numbers.
A blank fire investigation report is found in Attachement 6. I.
Move-up and Cover Locations and Procedures Coordination of move-up and cover resources is done through the county sheriff / Emergency Preparedness Director and dispatch centers. 24
J.
Interagency procurement, loaning, sharing, or exchanging and maintenance of facilities, equipment, and support services Non-federal participants in this plan may purchase fire suppression supplies from the General Services Administration (GSA) through CSFS. Cache Items for going incidents will be ordered by PIDC. These Items are noted in the NWCG National Fire Systems Catalog (NFES 0362) In the case of incidents that are the jurisdiction of only one agency (county or state) one of the following procedures will be established. a. The County/State needs to use their procurement authorities to obtain non-cache items. The county should be aware that procurement as well as logistics will have to be furnished by the County, especially during Type 3 and 4 incidents. To help facilitate procurement if a fire goes beyond the mutual aid period the County will make available a person for procurement purchases b. The County/State needs to request a Buying Team, or portion thereof, to procure non-cache items. Be aware that availability of Buying Teams will vary throughout the year
K.
Interagency Sharing of Communications Systems and Frequencies All agencies signing this plan authorize the use of their radio frequencies by other agency personnel for emergency purposes only (see appendix 6 for a list of radio frequencies and appendix 7 for a map of air to ground frequencies). Whenever possible Cooperators wishing to communicate on Agency frequency’s, should be Narrow Band and P25 compliant. All Federal wildland firefighting agencies (USFS/BLM/NPS/USFWS) have narrow banded as of December 31, 2004. This means that federal VHF systems have converted to 12.5 kHz bandwidth. After that date, any system still operating wide-band, 25 kHz, will be operated on a None Interference Basis (NIB). This means that if you receive radio interference from any authorized federal user, you may not complain or request relief. It also means that if you cause radio interference to any authorized user, you will have to adjust your operation to stop the interference to include shutting down your system. (From USFS National Office)
L.
Fire analysis In 2010 the Federal Agencies will use the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) in place of the Wildland Fire Situation Analysis (WFSA). 25
Federal agencies are required to complete a WFDSS on all wildfires on federal land. This procedure requires federal agency unit administrator participation. A Decision Support System (DSS) may be completed for fires that have the potential to be designated as an EFF fire or that affects multiple jurisdictions and has the potential to go into extended attack. CSFS may assist with a nonEFF DSS, but has no authority to sign on non-EFF fires. CSFS requires that a DSS be completed for all fires that receive a FEMA declaration and recommends that a DSS be completed for all EFF fires. All agencies involved in extended attack on private and state lands will provide input to the DSS. The CSFS Line Officer will facilitate completion and review of the DSS for these fires. When a fire is burning on or threatens to burn on multiple jurisdictions, one DSS should be prepared that considers all jurisdictions and their interests. M.
Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF) (See Attachment 4)
N.
State Emergency Fire Fund (EFF) 1.
INTENT Chaffee County and Lake County are participants in the EFF Agreement with CSFS. When implemented, the State agrees to come to the aid of Chaffee County and Lake County should suppression resource needs exceed county capability. When EFF is implemented, CSFS assumes responsibility and financial authority for all suppression activity until the fire is returned to county responsibility; however, the county must maintain a minimum level of participation after EFF is implemented as outlined in section 9.M.5.b. .
2.
FUNDING The EFF is funded by an annual assessment of member counties. It is based on a formula that considers the number of forested acres protected and the valuation of private lands within the county.
3.
ROLES a.
CSFS Fire Duty Officer Acts for State Forester in the absence of an assigned Incident Line Officer; assist Sheriff in completing EFF Analysis Form (CSFS #108A) for each shift; prepare CSFS Fire Funding Request (CSFS #164); assure Incident Line Officer is aware of local situations and procedures; acts as resource advisor to CSFS line officer when assigned.
b.
Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County Sheriff 26
Prepare EFF Analysis Form (CSFS #108A) for potential EFF fires; sign Assumption of Fire Control Duty Form (CSFS #168) for fires that the State Forester approves for EFF; serve as county representative on Unified Command group. c.
Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County Commissioners Approve Assumption of Fire Control Duty Form (CSFS #168) for fires that the State Forester approves for EFF.
d.
Other Agencies Provide Sheriff with personnel and equipment necessary to meet minimum county resource commitment.
4.
UNIFIED COMMAND All EFF fires will utilize a Unified Command consisting of, at a minimum, Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County Sheriff and CSFS. If land administered by another agency is threatened or involved, that agency will provide a member of the Unified Command as outlined in section IX.G.1.
5.
EFF ACTIVATION Implementation of the Emergency Fire Fund can be done only by the Colorado State Forester upon the recommendation of the local CSFS District Forester, following a request from the county. For this reason, it is important that the CSFS Fire Duty Officer be notified immediately of major fires on private/state lands within the county. Should the fire surpass, or threaten to surpass, the ability of county resources to contain it, EFF implementation can occur only with a CSFS representative on scene. a.
CSFS Forms (EXHIBIT B) * 108A prepared by Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County Sheriff and CSFS District Forester. * 164 prepared by CSFS District Forester with input from Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County Sheriff. * WFSA prepared by Incident Line Officer.
b.
County Responsibility The minimum Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County resource commitment for an on going EFF fire will be: 1 – dozer with low boy and operators; 1 – water tender with operator; 1 command vehicle and County Sheriff’s representative; Base salaries and normal operating costs for the County Sheriff’s 27
representative and other law enforcement personnel/equipment providing traffic control and law enforcement. It is understood that if the tactics of a given incident do not require this resource commitment, it will not be required on scene. c.
EFF/CSFS Responsibility CSFS will provide a District Representative and an Incident Line Officer for each EFF fire. CSFS will act as the fund administrator for all EFF fires.
6.
EFF DEACTIVATION CSFS will transfer control of an EFF fire back to Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County when fire spread is contained, the Line Officer's objectives have been met, and a written plan has been prepared for the next operational period. a. Mop-up and patrol
b.
The county will be responsible for mop-up and patrol, after control of an EFF fire has been transferred back to the county from CSFS, according to an extended incident action plan. Reclamation The EFF can pay for water-barring provided this work is accomplished as equipment is withdrawn from the line, and is identified in the IAP for that day. Reseeding of the fire line is not authorized under EFF. All reclamation work must be funded by the landowner(s).
O.
Dispatch Centers or Other Incident Support Facilities The Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center (PIDC) will be the point of contact for all Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County dispatch points for notification of fires threatening or involving federal (USDA Forest Service, or Bureau of Land Management) lands. In addition, PIDC has also agreed to be the contact point if Colorado State Forest Service assistance is requested for threatening fires on state and private property. The initial attack Incident Commander should advise the local dispatcher as to which agency is to be notified and what type of response (if any) is needed.
P.
Post-incident Action Analysis Analysis of incidents will be conducted at a level commensurate with the complexity of the incident. 28
Q.
Out-of-Jurisdiction Assignments 1.
STANDARDS Prior to dispatch out of the local jurisdictional / mutual aid area, all resources will meet minimum NWCG Standards for the type of resource requested. Equipment and personnel will not be dispatched without some prior agreement as to compensation (Cooperative Resource Rate Form). Non-federal personnel dispatched, as a “single resource” must be prepared to cover incidental expense incurred with personal funds or credit cards. Reimbursement will be made through the supporting agency, and that agency will submit for reimbursement through established processes.
2.
PROCEDURES Requests for local resources by jurisdictions outside the PIDC service area will be made through PIDC.
3.
PARTICIPATION ON NATIONAL, REGIONAL, ZONE, AND LOCAL IMT’S In keeping with the concept of cooperative fire management federal and non federal personnel are encouraged to support and join Incident Management Teams (IMT’s) or Incident Management Groups (IMG’s) within and outside of the PIDC. Federal and non federal personnel participating on National, Regional, Zone and Local IMT’s or IMG’s will be ordered through and tracked by their respective dispatch organizations. Request for assistance outside of mutual aid areas described in this agreement must be through the appropriate dispatch centers for tracking and reimbursement. Personnel responding to a non mutual aid incident must have been dispatched by their jurisdiction and have a resource order.
10.
AVIATION PROCEDURES A. Aviation Map and Narrative Federal agencies have mapped aviation issues in their fire management action plans. Chaffee and Lake Counties and CSFS have not developed such a map. Items 10.A.1-6 (listed below) will be addressed in the future development of such plan.
29
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. B.
HAZARDS SENSITIVE ZONES (urban-interface, aquatic, wilderness, etc.) HELISPOTS, DIP SITES AUTOMATIC DISPATCH ZONES (tied to preparedness planning) DETECTION ROUTES FOAM/RETARDANT RESTRICTION AREAS
Flight Following/Frequency Management There is a frequency map developed for Colorado that identifies frequencies for specific areas of Colorado (See Air to Ground Frequency Map Appendix 7) PIDC will flight follow for aircraft ordered through them. If radio communication problems develop, PIDC will coordinate with adjacent dispatch centers to provide flight following. If no communication is established between the incident and aircraft any aircraft dispatched by or flight followed by PIDC will be returned to base.
C.
Call When Needed (CWN) Aircraft, Tactical and Support Aircraft
1. STATE RESOURCES The Colorado State Forest Service sponsors a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) program for use on wildland fires within the State of Colorado. The SEAT(s) will be contracted by CSFS for a period of time to coincide with the expected wildfire season, based upon predicted weather and fuels conditions each year. The SEAT(s) will be located within the state in the areas of highest fire danger and fire activity, as appropriate. Requests to have the SEAT(s) moved to cover a specific area (such as Chaffee and Lake County) should be made by local cooperators through the CSFSSalida District FDO. Use of the SEAT or other State interagency aviation resources can be made by the requesting agency under the terms of the Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF), as shown in (Attachment 4) 2. FEDERAL RESOURCES • Requests by cooperators for Federal and Interagency aviation resources such as heavy air tankers, helicopters, or helitack crews will be made through PIDC. 3. Authorization for Resource Orders Interagency wildland fire resource orders (including WERF resources) must be approved by one of the designated County officials prior to the order being placed through their identified Dispatch to Pueblo Dispatch. All local orders (from the county, fire departments) will go through Chaffee or Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center to PIDC. All local cooperator orders for interagency wildland fire resources may be at the requesting agency’s expense, unless the designated County officials approve the resource orders for county. See Section 9.G. for a list of designed County officials. The resource ordering aircraft should use the Aviation Resource Request Form (EXHIBIT C) when making request for aviation resources. 30
D. Fixed Wing Base Management The closest airports to Chaffee and Lake County that are planned to serve as fixed wing air tanker bases are Jefferson County Airport (Broomfield, CO), and Pueblo Municipal Airport (Pueblo, CO). All requests for State and Federal aircraft should follow the directions in the preceding Section 10.C.
E. Single-Engine Tanker Bases Established category II SEAT bases include: •
Buena Vista County Airport
•
Fremont County Airport
•
Jefferson County Airport
•
Pueblo Municipal Airport
F. Lead plane / Air Attack Activation The determination to use a lead plane or air attack on an incident will be made by PIDC as aviation resources are ordered, or as the incident complexity changes. Air Attack will be delivered, when possible as a modular unit, with the other aviation components ordered for the specific incident. Air tankers are to be dispatched to arrive over a fire not earlier than thirty minutes after official sunrise and not later than thirty minutes before official sunset. SEAT’s must be on the ground 30 minutes after sunset. G.
Aviation Requests and Operations 1. Initial Attack Aircraft availability for initial attack should be confirmed with PIDC as conditions warrant. Some aircraft are on national contracts. It should be realized that if ordered, aircraft may come from out of state, which may greatly increase their time of arrival to the fire. Communications Aircraft dispatched through PIDC to wildfires within Chaffee and Lake Counties will use the designated air to ground frequency provided by PIDC. The use of FERN frequencies are not to be used for air-to-ground communications for tactical use on wildfires, in order to prevent conflicts with ongoing local fire agency use. The radio frequencies provided by PIDC may not be the frequencies all ready programmed into the radios, as a result, fire fighters will need to have the ability to enter the frequencies by hand. 2. Boundary Fires Aircraft use on fires located along jurisdictional boundaries will be the responsibility of the ordering agency if pre-approval or consultation with all affected agencies has not occurred at the time of the resource order. 3. Wildland Urban Interface Fire suppression aircraft usage in or near residential areas must be approved by the jurisdictional agency prior to usage. 31
4. Air Space Restrictions The Incident Commander may request Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) through PIDC if aircraft may pose a hazard for fire air operations. All TFRs must be requested through PIDC for wildfires or prescribed fires, following the current procedures listed in the RMA Mobilization Guide. H.
Inspection Schedules Fire suppression aircraft are inspected annually and certified for their capabilities by either the USDA, Forest Service or the Office of Aircraft Services.
I.
Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF) This fund is intended to reimburse the local/county non-federal agency for the first air resource per the WERF guidelines. (See Attachment 4)
J. Aviation Dispatch Procedures All aviation dispatches will follow the current procedures listed in the Aviation Dispatch Procedures for the Pueblo Interagency Dispatch Center (See Appendix 8). 11.
FIRE PREVENTION A.
General Cooperative Activities Periodic coordination of activities will be required to avoid duplication and prevent confusion by the public. Contact should be made any time an agency’s activities may impact other participants.
B.
Information and Education 1.
FIRE DANGER INFORMATION a.
Fire Weather Station Locations Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County can access fire weather information collected at Red Deer and Lodgepole Flats RAWS station.
b.
Data Sharing and Methods Information relative to fire weather is available via computer on the web at www.fs.fed.us/r2/fire/pbc/inex.html. The CSFS Salida District will share information to the county cooperators about fire weather information.
c.
Fire Danger Dissemination Fire weather forecasts for both wild and prescribed fires can be 32
obtained through PIDC http://fsweb.psicc.r2.fs.fed.us/fire/. Red Flag warnings are issued by the National Weather Service Forecast Office to inform fire management agencies of the onset or possibility of red flag events, that is, critical weather conditions that could lead to extensive wildfire occurrences. d.
Fire Prevention Signs A countywide fire danger sign system is in place and maintained by cooperating fire departments. Cooperation with other local agencies is highly desirable when changing fire danger rating signs. This cooperation will reduce confusion in the local community and area visitors.
2.
JOINT OR SINGLE AGENCY PRESS RELEASES Fire Danger Information: News releases on fire danger will be coordinated, and when practical, issued jointly to newspaper, radio, and television media by the cooperating agencies. This effort will reduce public confusion on the subject, and direct attention to fire danger at all elevations and ownerships. The USFS shall be the primary spokesperson. Daily fire danger ratings are compiled by PIDC during the fire season (May 15 - Oct. 15) or as conditions warrant. Local dispatchers may obtain the fire danger rating information at http://fsweb.psicc.r2.fs.fed.us/fire/
3.
SMOKEY BEAR PROGRAM Printed materials and School Programs: Distribution of Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention material (Smokey Bear material) and school contacts will also be coordinated to prevent duplication of effort.
4.
“FIREWISE” PROGRAMS Programs on fire prevention activities are available through Friends of Chaffee County FPD Fire Fighters.
5.
RED FLAG WARNINGS Red Flag warnings are issued by the National Weather Service Forecast Office to inform fire management agencies of the onset or possibility of red flag events, that is, critical fire weather conditions that could lead to extensive wildfire occurrences and erratic fire behavior.
6.
FIREWISE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM
33
C.
Engineering 1.
LAND USE PLANNING (URBAN WILDLAND INTERFACE) Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County requires that CSFS and the fire department (and/or) fire protection district on all proposed subdivisions conduct a wildfire hazard review. Implementation of recommended wildfire hazard mitigation procedures is determined by the County Commissioners prior to subdivision approval.
2.
DEFENSIBLE SPACE AND FUELS TREATMENT Landowners can contract with CSFS or private forestry consultants to mark trees to be cut to create defensible space.
3. D.
RAILROADS AND UTILITIES
Enforcement 1.
OPEN BURNING AND CAMPFIRE PERMITS Each agency shall issue and control burning permits on lands within its jurisdiction. When such permits are issued for lands within the protection boundary of a cooperator, the cooperator shall be informed of the time and location the permit is issued for.
2.
RESTRICTIONS AND CLOSURES All agencies may consult the Pueblo Zone Procedures for Initiation or Rescinding Fire Restrictions and Purpose of Fire Restrictions & Emergency Closures document when considering fire restrictions or closures. For current information on restrictions in Colorado go to the web site cofireban.info. Wildland fire agencies have agreed, at the State and Regional levels, that each Dispatch Center Interagency Board of Directors should decide restrictions at the local level. A plan outlining the procedures for implementing restrictions appears in (Appendix 3). In the case of any restrictions on burning or public movements because of extreme fire danger, either by Governor's proclamation or by local issue, the county will be responsible for enforcement on all nonfederal lands, and may assist on other lands at the request of the appropriate agency. a.
General Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag warnings are issued by the National Weather Service Forecast Office to inform fire management agencies of the onset or possibility of red flag events, (i.e., critical weather conditions that could lead to extensive wildfire occurrences). Frequent red flag warnings 34
may indicate the need for fire restrictions. When contemplating a closure to open burning each agency will advise cooperators of the situation and consider a joint closure if needed. If a closure will affect multiple ownership lands, a joint press release will be issued covering all agencies involved. The USFS and Sheriff’s office will jointly notify the media. 3.
FIRE INVESTIGATIONS The jurisdictional agency shall have responsibility for the investigation of all fires. The County Sheriff retains this responsibility for state and private ownerships. Investigation shall be made on all fires to determine cause, responsible party, time of ignition, and all other pertinent information relating to the cause of the fire. Although an assisting agency may have a fire extinguished upon arrival of the jurisdictional agency's forces, the jurisdictional agency should discuss the fire with the assisting agency to aid in the investigation and take steps to: • preserve the point of origin • preserve all clues that may relate to the cause • note all traffic leaving the area as they arrive, to include vehicle descriptions and license numbers Under this plan cooperating agencies will make every effort to share information when arson is determined to be the cause of the fire. Information requested includes the date, approximate time of ignition, location (Township, Range, Section, ¼, ¼), ignition source, investigation status and the name of the investigating officer.
12.
FUEL MANAGEMENT AND PRESCRIBED FIRE CONSIDERATIONS The Agencies agree to cooperate in the development and implementation of prescribed burning programs and projects (prescribed natural as well as planned ignition). Agencies will report all prescribed fire activities over which they have operational control, to the Sheriff’s office dispatch, to each other, and to the local media as required. In addition, the Sheriff will maintain a record of all reported controlled burning activities on private land. Wildfires resulting from escaped prescribed fires ignited by a party to this Agreement on lands it manages shall be the responsibility of that party. The party responsible for the prescribed fire will reimburse other parties to this Plan consistent with the terms and conditions contained herein for costs incurred in suppression of such fires. If parties to this Agreement conduct a cooperative prescribed fire, details covering cost sharing, reimbursement, and responsibility for suppression costs should it escape, shall be agreed upon and documented in the burn plan. 35
13.
COST REIMBURSEMENTS
For the U.S. Forest Service, Cost share agreements will be negotiated by the agency administrators for each incident. This will not affect existing mutual aid agreements for fires within the one mile mutual aid boundaries and mutual aid time period. Any reference to cost share agreements in the AOP will be referred to as a guideline or example. A.
Reimbursable Costs 1.
Within the mutual aid fire protection zone: a)
Each agency will assume responsibility for its own expenses during the initial attack period.
b)
Any costs incurred by assisting agencies/departments whose personnel and/or equipment is requested by the jurisdictional agency, shall be considered reimbursable except as noted for mutual aid fire protection zones. For fires within the mutual aid fire protection zones, each agency will assume responsibility for its own expenses during the fires within the mutual aid fire protection zones, each agency will assume responsibility for its own expenses for the duration of the mutual aid period as determined by the Incident Commander unless other arrangements for cost reimbursement are made for the incident. Also, an agency that provides a reasonable initial attack response in another agency's jurisdictional area when that agency is unable to respond, may, at its discretion, request reimbursement from the jurisdictional agency.
c)
2.
3.
Any costs incurred by the assisting agency beyond the initial attack period which are requested by the jurisdictional agency, shall be considered reimbursable.
Outside the mutual aid fire protection zone: a)
If an agency responds to a fire unrequested by the jurisdictional agency, no reimbursement will occur.
b)
If the jurisdictional agency requests assistance, the assisting agency(s) will be reimbursed from the time of request.
Unclear jurisdiction at dispatch: a)
Immediately upon dispatch, responding agency shall notify potentially-involved jurisdictional agency(s) of situation.
b)
Once on-site, the acting IC will contact the jurisdictional 36
agency. The level of response/action will be at the discretion of the jurisdictional agency. 4.
5.
Multiple Jurisdictions; any option may be used to determine reimbursable costs to the agencies involved. Examples include: a)
Each agency assumes its own costs as expended by it in the fire control effort.
b)
Division of fire costs based upon ownership and acreage percentages.
c)
On an operational period basis, utilizing the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
Responsibility for wildland fire suppression on private land within a fire protection district (FPD) or volunteer fire department (VFD) is shared jointly by the county and FPD/VFD, and reimbursable costs shall be covered as mutually agreed upon by the county and district involved. This cost sharing may be established prior to the fire season as part of the operating plan review and added as a separate exhibit, or agreed upon within a reasonable time after an incident. A fire cost / share agreement is shown in EXHIBIT D. Supplies and Material: The jurisdictional agency will reimburse the assisting agency for the actual costs of materials used for the fire suppression effort. Reimbursement requests must be properly documented and verified by a jurisdictional officer.
6.
EFF Fires – When a fire is accepted by the State as an EFF incident, the Cost Share Principles agreed to by State and federal agencies will apply. A fire cost / share agreement is shown in EXHIBIT D. Non-EFF fires A local fire cost / share agreement is shown in EXHIBIT D.
B.
Reimbursement Procedures Payments between federal and local agencies shall be made through the Colorado State Forest Service for all Emergency Fire Fund Fires. All other reimbursable costs either to or by the county will be made through CSFS. Any Invoices or requests for payment should be submitted as soon as possible after an incident with proper documentation in order to expedite reimbursement. All CSFS reimbursement will have invoices sent to CSFS State Office within 30 days after incident resources are released. The CSFS State Office will attempt to make payment as soon as possible after receiving the invoice. Invoices are required to have proper documentation supporting 37
expenses before the process for payment can be completed. If a fire goes beyond the mutual aid period all personnel on the fire will fill out a Crew Time Report and all equipment will have Emergency Equipment Shift Ticket. (See Exhibit G for CSFS reimbursement forms and procedures) Invoicing CSFS will make payments to departments from the original Emergency Equipment Use Invoice with original Emergency Equipment Shift Tickets attached, without a letter of invoice from the department. For us to accomplish this, block 1 (Contractor, name and address) must be complete and accurate. CSFS will always audit the calculations to assure accuracy. If the department has other expenses (see examples below) not reflected on the Emergency Equipment Use Invoice, the department will have to submit those with a letter of invoice. Before demob from an incident, it is the department’s responsibility to review all cost documents before signing. All requests for reimbursement, whether just the Emergency Equipment Use Invoice or letter of invoice with supporting documentation, are to be sent to the CSFS Fire Division. Expenses such as travel, fuel, crew swaps, damage claims, replacement tools/equipment, rental vehicles, and cell phone use are typically not on a Use Invoice. Authorization and documentation from the fire is required for reimbursement of these items. C.
Resource Use Rates 1.
PERSONNEL
Temporary emergency hires shall be paid at the current supplemental rates (EXHIBIT E). It is recommended that a “Crew Time Report” (Standard Form 261) be used to record hours for personnel on an incident. It is suggested that Firefighter Time report” (Optional Form 288) will be used for reimbursement Payment Procedures: All crew time reports, shift tickets, and/or Emergency Firefighter Time Reports must be signed by the Incident Commander (I.C.) or designated person prior to departing the incident. Casual hires will submit signed time documentation to the jurisdictional FMO or her/his representative. It will be this person’s responsibility to forward these documents to the financial center for payment. For regular, paid fire personnel and for those identified on a “Cooperative Resource Rate” form, the time keeper or jurisdictional officer should provide the original of the FORM 288 to the employee. 38
The employee should then turn in the time sheet to the F.P.D., county or other assisting agency. The agency, in turn, should create an invoice for its actual costs and present it along with the time sheet and any other documentation (shift tickets) to the CSFS office in Salida for payment. (Special instructions for the use of this form on non-federal fires may exist. Check with the time keeping officer at the incident) 2.
EQUIPMENT Equipment use will be reimbursed by the jurisdictional agency for the use of agency-owned equipment at the current rate. Such rates shall cover operation, repair, and depreciation. Reimbursement for hired equipment shall be at the actual cost of the equipment hired for the fire by the assisting agency. Reimbursement requests must be documented with USDA/USDI "Rental Equipment Use Record" signed by an officer of the requesting jurisdiction. CSFS equipment use rates are computed annually. These rates apply to CSFS equipment, including that currently assigned to individual fire districts (EXHIBIT F). Use rates for VFD, FPD, county and municipal fire department engines are identified on a “Cooperative Resource Rate Form”. Copies of cooperator forms are included in APPENDIX 1. Rates must be approved by CSFS prior to use. . Appropriate and maximum acceptable rates are listed in “Guidelines for Engine/Tender Hourly Rates” in APPENDIX 1. •
3.
Contacts Should questions arise when listed resource is utilized on an incident, the following may be contacted: Damon Lange, District Forester, Colorado State Forest Service, Salida District Office; (719)539-2579 OR Janell Ray, or the Fire Duty Officer, Colorado State Forest Service, State Office; (970) 491-6304.
AIRCRAFT Reimbursement for use of aircraft of all types and retardant will be made only when prior approval for use on each fire has been obtained from the identified dispatch center of the jurisdictional agency. Reimbursement for aircraft and retardant use will be at the current rate. The State Legislature has created the Wildfire Emergency Response Fund to encourage the use of both air tankers and helicopters for initial attack on state and private lands. This fund provides financial support to the county or fire department for the initial load from an air tanker and the first hour of helicopter rotor time (including pilot expense). The fund does not cover transit costs for aircraft not on-station in Colorado, lead planes, aerial observers (air attack), helitack crew time or other associated overhead expense associated with aircraft use. These additional costs are the responsibility of the county or fire department. See Attachment 4 for documentation about the Wildfire 39
Emergency Response Fund. The Initial Attack Aircraft Agreement for Wildfire Suppression will be considered suspended with the funding of this new program. 14.
GENERAL PROCEDURES A.
Liability Regardless of fire location, a responding agency is responsible for its own liability protection. Whenever a cooperator provides personnel for an incident they (the supplying agency/department) are responsible for worker's compensation coverage for their personnel. If personnel are employed as AD's or casual, then the employing agency of record accepts worker's compensation requirements.
B.
Periodic Program Reviews Federal agencies, CSFS and Chaffee County (and/or) Lake County review fire programs annually. Changes that effect interagency cooperation through this plan will be brought to the attention of all participants as they are made.
C.
Annual Updating of the Plan This operating plan will be reviewed annually on or before April 1st by participating agency representatives. The Colorado State District Forester will be responsible for setting the annual date of the meeting. If no changes are made, a statement letter with signatures of all parties to this AOP will be distributed. This plan becomes effective on the date signed by the last agency and shall remain in effect until terminated in writing by the parties involved.
D.
Changes During Year (due to budget cuts or supplemental funding) In the event that any participant of this plan has a policy and/or other change that affect any part of this plan, those changes will be brought to the attention of the CSFS office in Salida. CSFS will then distribute changes to the plan to all other participants.
E.
Resolution of Disputes Procedure Any and all disputes will be resolved by a meeting of all cooperating agency representatives signatory to this agreement. When a dispute is determined to exist, CSFS District Office will call a meeting of all parties to resolve the problem.
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