![](media/image1.png){width="1.0in" height="1.0104166666666667in"}United
States Department of the Interior

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

1849 C Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20240

**\*\*ELECTRONIC COPY ONLY -- NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW\*\***

[in reply refer to:]{.smallcaps}

Y14 (9560) December 26, 2007

Memorandum

To: Regional Directors

> Attention: Superintendents and Center Managers

From: **for** Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection **/s/
Richard Powell**

Subject: Administrative Payment Team Cadre Nominations

**Reply Due: February 15, 2008**

Nominations are now being accepted for the Administrative Payment Team
(APT) Cadre. This group is drawn upon to replace absent team members on
assignments, to provide additional team members when the situation
warrants, and to fill vacant team positions. The following attachments
will provide information needed in the nomination process:

-   General roles and responsibilities of the team members

-   Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (to be addressed in a short
    narrative in #3 on the nomination form)

-   Nomination form to be completed by the nominee and signed by the
    supervisor

The National Park Service (NPS) currently has three APTs that provide
administrative support and on-the-spot payment capability for
emergencies. Use of these teams has ensured the economic solvency of
communities adjacent to public lands impacted by emergency incidents.
Our credibility as an agency is partially dependent upon our ability to
meet our financial obligations promptly, and the APTs have enhanced that
credibility. In FY2007, these teams processed payments in excess of \$20
million.

The need to continue to provide this important administrative support to
areas impacted by fire and other emergencies has been proven and is a
required element of our Servicewide responsibility. To ensure the
viability of the program, we need more trained employees to meet future
demands. All individuals nominated previously (whether selected or not),
will need to reapply to ensure future consideration. Currently, there
are no vacancies on the existing teams. However, this recruitment is for
a cadre of qualified individuals to be considered for APT assignments
when additional members are needed. This cadre list will be in effect
for a period of 2 years.

APT assignments are generally no more than 14 days in duration, but can
last up to 21 days on rare occasions. Work assignments involve long duty
hours, usually 12 hours per day, in less than ideal working conditions,
often in temporary office space. The members normally stay in hotels in
towns adjacent to the incident. Individual participants may be subjected
to substantial disruption of their work and personal lives due to the
nature and length of the call-outs.

The supervisors of the participants must give full support for
participation in these assignments because once committed, team members
generally are unable to return to their home unit until released from
the incident. It is important to have a firm commitment from the
individuals and their supervisors on availability, particularly as
incidents such as fires often occur during summer vacation and
end-of-the-year closeout periods. Use of emergency suppression funds is
authorized to cover the team member's base 8, travel, and overtime when
deployed on wildland fire incidents.

Interested employees should complete the attached nomination form, and
obtain approval from their immediate supervisor. Submit the approved
form to:

Attention: Christine Peters, APT Coordinator

NPS, Fire Management Program Center

National Interagency Fire Center

3833 South Development Avenue

Boise, Idaho 83705-5354

Final APT cadre selections will be made by a panel consisting of the
current Administrative Payment Team Leaders and the Coordinator from the
Fire Management Program Center. We anticipate that selections will be
completed by April 1, 2008.

If further information relating to the teams or individual position
assignments is needed, please contact any of the following:

Team 1: Rose Pollard, Lake Meredith NRA, 806-857-0301

Team 2: Debra Ledford, Kings Mountain NMP, 864-936-7921

Team 3: Chuck Shoemake, Fort Smith NHS, 479-783-3961

Alternate Team Leader: Connie Dworak, Alaska Regional Office,
907-644-3322

APT Coordinator: Christine Peters, Fire Management Program Center,
208-387-5211

Attachments

cc: Associate Regional Directors, Operations