**FAST Purpose & Expectations**

[Purpose]{.underline}

Fire and Aviation Safety Teams (FAST) assist agency administrators
during periods of high fire activity be assessing adequacy of and
compliance with policy, rules, regulations, and management oversight
relating to operational issues. They can also do the following: 1)
provide guidance to ensure fire and aviation programs are conducted
safely; 2) review compliance with OSHA or agency abatement plan(s),
reports, reviews, and evaluations; 3) review compliance with interagency
agreements and protocols including the *Interagency Standards for Fire
and Fire Aviation Operations* handbook; and 4) provide short term
hands-on technical or managerial assistance where necessary to
immediately correct an identified critical problem(s).

[Expectation]{.underline}:

It is anticipated that most FAST use will involve interagency operations
and will therefore be under the specific control and direction of Great
Basin Coordinating Group. Agencies are prohibited from unilaterally
assigning a FAST to an interagency wildfire or interagency support
operation. For instance an agency would not independently assign a FAST
to assess an interagency zone dispatch operation but would instead
coordinate this through GBCG.

There will be instances where an agency deems it appropriate to utilize
a FAST to provide internal assistance and nothing in this guideline is
deemed as precluding this. For instance a member agency might elect to
utilize a FAST to assist an agency administrator in determining if an
agency managed fire is being managed according to accepted policies and
safety standards. It is highly recommended that agencies keep GBCG
apprised of these activities so that potential overlap is avoided and
lessons learned can be shared.

In either instance, FASTs will:

-Act as wildfire management professionals at all times, in appearance
and demeanor.

-Operate through the chain of command as outlined in the delegation of
authority.

-Limit unilateral hands-on action in the field to those situations where
immediate action is required to protection persons or property; all such
actions along with the rationale for action will be subsequently
reported to the responsible agency administrator.

-Exercise sound business management principles in managing personnel
time and travel costs.

-Maintain confidentiality and preserve employee's privacy rights as
these factors apply; information gathered will not be released without
prior approval of the affected Agency Administrator and/or GBMAC.

-Comply with the procedural guidelines for operation and reporting as
identified elsewhere in this guideline.

**B. FAST Composition & Qualifications**

[Composition]{.underline}

Each Fast will minimally include a team leader and a safety and health
manager. Additional team members may be added based on the team
assignment. It is anticipated

that most FAST would include a fire ground operations specialist and an
aviation specialist. A scribe is highly recommended to facilitate the
construction of the final report.

Teams will be composed of no less than two members and will not exceed 5
without specific approval of GBCG. Trainees are encouraged and will not
count against the team size limit, but they must be approved by GBCG.

[Qualifications]{.underline}

*Team Leader*: Must be either an agency administrator or fire program
lead with previous experience as a FAST member.

*Safety & Health Manager*: Must be at least a type 2 safety officer
(SOF2) or an agency safety & health professional with a background in
wildland fire.

*Fire Ground Operations Specialist*: Must be at least a type 2
operations section chief and should have previous experience as a
primary member of a type 1 or type 2 Incident Management Team.

*Aviation Specialist*: Must have wildland fire aviation program
management experience at the state/regional office level or higher and
should have previous experience as IC/general staff on a type 1 or type
2 incident management team.

*Scribe:* Must possess advanced writer/editor skills and should have
some background in wildland fire.

**C. FAST Activation**

[Mobilization]{.underline}

FAST reviews involving an interagency incident(s) and/or operation(s)
will be requested through the appropriate Great Basin Coordination
Center. If a more comprehensive review is desired, and GBCG concurs, a
national FAST will be ordered through NICC.

Agency administrators desiring FAST assistance will place a resource
order through their servicing dispatch office. All orders for FAST
assistance to an interagency incident must be forwarded to the
appropriate Great Basin Coordination Center. FAST assistance internally
to a single agency may handle directly at the local dispatch level if
qualified resources are available locally. In either instance
mobilization procedures will follow normal wildland fire procedures and
guidelines.

[In-Briefing]{.underline}

[Delegation of Authority]{.underline}

[Debriefing]{.underline}

FAST will meet with each agency administrator being assisted for an exit
briefing prior to leaving the agency site. The purpose of this debrief
is to provide the agency administrator with a summary of findings,
suggested resolutions, and lessons learned.

Upon return from the field the FAST team leader will conduct an informal
debrief with the GBCG chair and other members of GBCG as determined by
the chair. The purpose of this debrief is to provide RMCG with a summary
of significant findings.

Upon completion of the FAST report the entire team shall formally
debrief with GBCG and any other individuals as determined by NWCG. This
debrief shall be a detailed review of the FAST findings and
recommendations. Except when approved in advance by GBCG no FAST member
will be demobilized prior to this formal debriefing.

[Report]{.underline}

The FAST leader will ensure that a written report of the team's
activities and findings is prepared. The report will be formatted as
follows:

1\. Executive Summary

2\. Purpose

3\. Objective(s)

4\. Methods/procedures

5\. Findings

6\. Recommendations

7\. Appendix

The appendix will include a copy of the Delegation of Authority and any
supporting documentation as required to ensure clarity of the overall
report. The written report will not include photos or other graphics
unless there is no other reasonable way to convey the necessary
information.

The report package will include a paper copy of the report, applicable
field notes, reports, and other paper documentation, and an electronic
copy of the report. The electronic copy must be in Microsoft Word and
may include photographs or other graphics. If photos/graphics are
included in the electronic version the team leader shall ensure that a
text only electronic version is also included in the package.

[Privacy]{.underline}

Many of the issues reviewed by FAST will have elements of
confidentiality, security, and/or employee privacy. FAST will comply
with agency regulations concerning these issues and make every
reasonable effort to preserve confidentiality, security, and employee
privacy. FAST will only disseminate its sources and findings, regardless
of format, to the responsible agency administrator or to GBCG. This
shall not preclude FAST members from sharing information among them as
necessary to complete the assigned task(s).

Agency administrators and GBCG shall determine what "sanitizing", if
any, is required prior to release of FAST generated information.

The responsible agency administrator(s) and GBCG shall determine the
appropriate distribution of FAST reports. At a minimum, FAST reports
will be distributed to GBCG members and to the Federal Fire & Aviation
Safety Team (FFAST). Distribution will be through electronic means
except where GBCG determines that security or other considerations
require a paper distribution.

[Timetables & Followup]{.underline}

FAST will provide interim reports as required by the agency
administrator(s) and/or GBCG.

FAST will provide the final report within (48) hours of completing the
assignment.

GBCG shall distribute "lessons learned" elements of the FAST report
within (7) days of accepting the final report.

Within (30) days of receiving the FAST report GBCG shall determine what
action(s) is required for each recommendation. This determination shall
be made part of the final report package and a copy forwarded to GBCG
members, affected agency administrator(s), and FAST. Additional
distribution may be made as determined by GBCG.

GBCG will annually review all recommendations and accepted action items
for status and to ensure that progress is being made towards resolution.
This review will be completed no later than December 31^st^ with the
results forwarded to GBCG members and FAST. GBCG members are responsible
for further distribution within their respective agencies.