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National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)

About Us

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What We Do

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How to Get Involved

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Celebrating 50 Years of Service

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NWCG Mission

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) provides national leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners.  

Mission Priorities

  • 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 capability business requirements for wildland fire. 
  • Ensure that all NWCG activities contribute to safe, effective, and coordinated national interagency wildland fire operations.

NWCG Standards Overview

NWCG standards establish common practices and requirements that enable efficient and coordinated national interagency wildland fire operations. These standards include guidelines, procedures, processes, best practices, specifications, techniques, methods, and products such as incident positions, training courses, publications, performance support materials, job aids, glossary terms, and data standards. NWCG standards are interagency by design; however, the decision to adopt and use them is made independently by the individual member agencies and communicated through their respective directives systems.

Incident Position Standards are a component of NWCG standards that enable consistent performance by personnel mobilized by position under National Incident Management System, Incident Command System (NIMS-ICS) principles. These standards define position duties and responsibilities, as well as qualification requirements for training, experience, physical fitness, and currency. .

NWCG Executive Board

The  NWCG Executive Board  is comprised of appointed representatives from the member entities. The Executive Board provides leadership, strategic direction, and managerial oversight of all aspects of NWCG management and operations. The Executive Board Members work in a collective, collaborative, and consensus-seeking manner to accomplish the NWCG mission.

NWCG Committees

NWCG committees and subgroups  are organized to accomplish the overall NWCG mission. They provide leadership within the major functional areas of wildland fire management.

Primary Members

U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) Logo
U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS,DOI)
Forest Service Logo
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (FS, USDA)
International Association of Fire Chiefs
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
Intertribal Timber Council Logo
Intertribal Timber Council (ITC)
State Foresters Logo
National Association of State Foresters (NASF)
DOW Logo (decorative)
U.S. Department of War (DOW)
U.S. Fire Administration Logo
U.S. Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency (USFA, FEMA)

Associate Members

Incident Management Teams Association logo
Incident Management Teams Association (IMTA)
National Weather Service Logo
National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NASA Logo
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

 

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) was established in 1976 through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. The memorandum defined the function and purpose of NWCG as follows:

“To establish an operational group designed to coordinate programs of the participating agencies so as to avoid wasteful duplication and to provide a means of constructively working together.  Its goal is to provide more effective execution of each agency’s fire management program.  The Group provides a formalized system to agree upon standards of training, equipment, aircraft, suppression priorities, and other operational areas.  Agreed upon policies, standards, and procedures are implemented directly through regular agency channels.” 

Twelve “working teams” and a number of sub-teams, comprised of member agency leaders and experts in various fields, were established in functional areas such as fire equipment, fire weather, incident operations, training, and incident business. These teams led the initial effort to achieve a broad national standardization in key areas of wildland fire management.

NWCG Members

Members are listed in the order in which they joined NWCG, including both past and current members. 

Associate Members

Ten Management Committees and a number of subordinate groups - again representing the key functional areas in wildland fire management - continue the work of their predecessors. And although individual members are different and agency membership has evolved, the primary mission remains largely unchanged. NWCG continues to provide leadership for a seamless response to wildland fire across the nation.

NWCG Latest Announcements

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NEW! S-420, Intermediate Incident Management Available Now
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Date:  October 26, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Qualifications Management Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that S-420, Intermediate Incident Management (Instructor-led) is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal! This performance-based course is designed to prepare individuals interested in serving on a Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT).

Prior to attending S-420, students must be qualified as a Type 3 Command and General Staff, Unit Leaders, or Division/Group Supervisor (DIVS). Students will also be required to complete the prerequisite trainings ICS-300, Intermediate Incident Command System (ICS) for Expanding Incidents and one of the following:

  • S-320, Introduction to Incident Management Teams
  • O-305, Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Management Team Introduction
  • H-337, Command and General Staff Functions for Local Incident Management Teams

References:

S-420, Intermediate Incident Management (Instructor-led)

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Make an Impact: Serve the Wildland Fire Community as an IPTM SME!

Date:  October 23, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: NWCG SME Specialist

NWCG is seeking experienced wildland firefighters and support personnel to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) initiative. IPTM aims to transition NWCG’s training and qualification system to a performance-based model by updating position descriptions, Incident Position Standards, Next Generation Position Task Books (Next Gen PTBs), and training where needed.

NWCG is currently recruiting SMEs for the Spring 2027 positions listed below:

  • Finance/Administration Section Chief Complex (FSCC) 
  • Incident Commander Complex (ICCI)
  • Logistics Section Chief Complex (LSCC)
  • Operations Section Chief Complex (OSCC)
  • Planning Section Chief Complex (PSCC)
  • Safety Officer Complex (SOFC)
  • Base/Camp Manager (BCMG)
  • Infrared Interpreter (IRIN)
  • Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1 (RXB1)
  • Situation Unit Leader (SITL)
     

Projects begin mid-January 2027. Sign up by November 15, 2026, at the link below and review the attached document for additional details.

References:

NWCG SME Interest Sign-up

IPTM Subject Matter Expert Duties and Expectations Document

Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM)

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Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book Now Available for FOBS
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Date:  October 22, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Fire Planning Management Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Field Observer (FOBS).

The Performance Support Package for this position was developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for release in January 2027.

References:

NWCG Field Observer Position Page

Decorative.
Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book Now Available for GISS
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Date:  October 22, 2026
Questions? 
Please contact: Integration Management Committee

NWCG is excited to announce that Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book are now available for Geographic Information System Specialist (GISS).

The Performance Support Package for this position was developed as part of the Incident Performance and Training Modernization effort. These resources support trainees, qualified personnel, and evaluators in their respective roles.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for release in January 2027.

References:

NWCG Geographic Information System Specialist Position Page