Book Description

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group provides national leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners. Primary objectives include: Establish national interagency wildland fire operations standards. Recognize that the decision to adopt standards is made independently by the NWCG members and communicated through their respective directives systems; Establish wildland fire position standards, qualifications requirements, and performance support capabilities (e.g. training courses, job aids) that enable implementation of NWCG standards; Support the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy goals: to restore and maintain resilient landscapes; create fire adapted communities; and respond to wildfires safely and effectively; Establish information technology (IT) capability requirements for wildland fire; and Ensure that all NWCG activities contribute to safe, effective, and coordinated national interagency wildland fire operations. The objectives of the "Interagency Helicopter Operations Guide" (IHOG) are to: Promote safe, cost-efficient and effective aviation services in support of agency and interagency goals and objectives; Define and standardize national, interagency helicopter management and operational procedures for helicopter users from participating agencies; Through standardization, facilitate the ability of personnel from different agencies to work cooperatively on incidents or projects; and Provide a framework within which areas, regions, states, and local units can provide supplemental, site-specific guidance. The procedures contained in this guide apply to helicopter operations conducted by providers and users of helicopters from participating agencies. This guide addresses both incident and resource helicopter operations.