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Incident Position Descriptions (IPDs)

  • Provide the single authoritative source for the essential duties and responsibilities for each NWCG position.
  • Ensure connection between the position and established operational standards.
  • Build consistency (organization, nomenclature, terminology) internal to each position and across the inventory of positions.
  • Prevent unnecessary duplication of duties across positions.
  • Help identify performance support needs such as job aids, training courses, and Position Task Books (PTBs).

Steps to Creating an IPD

  1. Determine if the position meets criteria for inclusion in NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1.
  2. Review previously completed IPDs as examples.
  3. Collect duty and responsibility statements from existing standards documents, course materials, PTBs, and subject matter expert experience.
    1. Include laterally qualified (not qualified higher than the position) personnel in this process to ensure duties and responsibilities remain at the appropriate level.
    2. List the source next to the statement. This creates an inventory that connects the position duties to the operational and position-specific standards. This will not appear in the final IPD.
  4. Transfer these statements into the relevant category in the IPD Template (docx) IPD template. Check for redundancy throughout statements.
  5. Compare the draft IPD to the List of Standard IPD Statements. Can you use a standard statement to promote consistency across the inventory of all NWCG positions?
  6. Begin statements with action-oriented verbs. Avoid vague verbs such as “be familiar with,” “knowledge of,” or “understand.”
  7. Organize the statements in the IPD from an incident standpoint – from initial dispatch to demobilization and everything in-between.
  8. Compare the IPD with others in your functional area. Are similar statements worded identically, or do they diverge? Can they be worded similarly?
  9. Collaborate with key stakeholders that may have an interest in providing IPD feedback.
  10. Share the draft IPDs with the parent committee (if they are not the position steward) and the NWCG coordinator.
  11. Work with the NWCG coordinator and the NWCG webmaster to post the IPDs to the NWCG website. The IPDs will be statused as Under Review. Widespread input from the user community will be solicited using NWCG’s communication and feedback processes. Assess input and incorporate as warranted.

Parent Committee Approval and Long-Term Management of the IPD

When the position steward has completed assessing and incorporating inputs, they should inform their parent committee. The parent committee will approve the IPD. IPDs should be dynamically managed according to the NWCG Incident Position Performance Cycle; as operational standards evolve, so should the IPD.

IPD Management

NWCG Latest Announcements

Decorative.
NEW! S-420, Intermediate Incident Management Available Now
Decorative.

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)

Decorative.
Incident Position Standards and the Next Generation Position Task Book Now Available for FOBS
Decorative.

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
Decorative.

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