NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS INTERAGENCY DISPATCH CENTER

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE# 16

[TITLE:]{.underline} ROSS Statusing SOG

[EFFECTIVE DATE:]{.underline} February 24, 2005

[INTENT]{.underline}

This is to give guidelines on how and when to status in the Resource
Order and Status System (ROSS).

The Northern Great Plains Interagency Dispatch Center (GPC) is a zone
dispatch center within the Rocky Mountain Region. The zone encompasses
South Dakota, Nebraska, Eastern Wyoming and a small part of North
Dakota. GPC keeps track of all resources within this zone. GPC also
provides resources to our neighbors which are Casper Dispatch, Pueblo
Dispatch, Ft. Collins Dispatch, Miles City Dispatch, and North Dakota
Dispatch.

[Who should status?]{.underline}

Any Agency, Fire Department or Casual Hire's (AD), within GPC's zone of
influence that would like to provide equipment and or personnel to be
available within a two hour call up to assist in the suppression efforts
and prescribed burns. Resources should be statused year around. ROSS is
utilized for both wildland fires and prescribed fires as well as all
risk incidents.

[Statusing]{.underline}

Currently there are two ways to status resources in ROSS.

-   Web- Statusing- Available for overhead and equipment.

-   Call in- Used for those without internet access.

[Availability]{.underline}

The current types of availability are:

-   **Available local**- available anywhere within GPC's zone of
    influence which is described above and to our neighbors.

-   **Available to the GACC**- available within the Rocky Mt. Region
    includes Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming and a
    small portion of North Dakota.

-   **Available nationally**- available anywhere within the nation.

-   **Unavailable-** Unavailable to GPC for dispatch

The default is available local. Remember local is anywhere within GPC's
zone of influence or to our neighbors. If your resources are not
available to GPC for dispatch anywhere in the zone or to those
neighbors, then resources would be listed unavailable. **If listed as
available the equipment and/or overhead personnel should be ready to go
to an incident within two hours from the initial call from GPC.
Equipment should have a pre-determined crew available and ready to go
within two hours.** **If there is not a pre-determined crew available
for a specific piece of equipment that equipment should not be statused
as available. If equipment is listed as available and can not fill
within the two hour timeframe that piece of equipment will be listed as
unavailable and will be skipped over. Department chiefs will then need
to status that piece of equipment once it is available again.**

[Overhead personnel]{.underline}

All overhead personnel with the exception of FFT2 (basic firefighter),
and FFT1 (advanced firefighter squad boss) should be statused in ROSS.
Please note that overhead personnel may have to be self sufficient.
Overhead personnel will be statused using web Statusing. You will only
be able to status those personnel that are linked under your department.

[Casual Hire (AD's)]{.underline}

Casual Hires or Administratively Determined (AD's) that are signed up
under the agencies that are represented by the Great Plains Interagency
Dispatch Center Zone are also required to web-status. To obtain a
username and password call GPC during normal office hours. Once the
account is activated, you are asked to change your password.

[Team Members]{.underline}

National, regional, and local teams should status themselves in ROSS via
web statusing. For teams with rotation schedules or teams that are on
national rotation there status should reflect available local per the
GACC.

[Equipment]{.underline}

Equipment that should be statused is Type 6, 5, 4, and 3 Engines staffed
with 3 personnel and Type 2 and 1 Engines, staffed with 3 or 4
personnel. Type 3, 2 or 1 Tenders staffed with 1 or 2 personnel
depending on if the tender is ordered as a tactical or logistical
tender.

Please note the default status is available local if resources are not
available then status them as unavailable. Statuses can be changed if
needed.

[Crews]{.underline}

Crews will be statused by GPC. Agencies with crews will need to phone in
every Thursday and status their crews. Note all Crew statuses will be
set to default every Thursday morning.

[Duty Officer]{.underline}

GPC will set up duty officer user accounts in ROSS for each agency and
each fire department that has signed a recent agreement.

[How to web status]{.underline}

If you have never web statused before follow the instructions below. Go
to the following link [http://ross.nwcg.gov]() and click on
presentations along the left hand side, this will bring up a list of
presentations to view. Choose the Web Statusing for Supervisors
(Resources). A box will pop up and ask if you want to save or open the
file. Choose open, this will run the program. If you have any questions
regarding web- statusing please call GPC at 605-393-8017 or
1-800-275-4955.