Air Quality for Land Managers
Project ID: P15AC01735
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: University of Idaho
Fiscal Year: 2015
Initial Funding: $20,000
Total Funding: $20,000
Project Type: Education
Project Disciplines: Physical
Principal Investigator: Smith, Alistair
Agreement Technical Representative: Williams, Sheila
Abstract: An assessment of the current state of smoke management training as contained in agency policy and guidance, within position task books and contained in the NWCG official courses has been conducted by SmoC with assistance by University of Idaho (“An Assessment of NWCG Wildland Fire Training and Position Requirements for Smoke and Air Quality”). The Assessment reviewed 125 position task books, 6 supporting policy and guidance documents from individual agencies including the interagency 310-1, and 91 NWCG trainings. The Assessment splits prescribed fire training and positions from those supporting wildfire. Wildfire training materials did not address air quality in a significant way. This leaves several positions educationally unsupported if personnel adhere to the minimum NWCG requirements outlined in current task books. These include Strategic Operational Planners and Long Term Fire Analysts who are tasked with monitoring smoke, and anticipating and evaluating smoke impacts. A similar issue impacts operations and command staff who can be confronted with smoke impact issues with little training support. Some of those positions include Operations Section Chiefs who are responsible for determining incident tactics and carrying out action plans, and Public Information Officers who communicate critical information to the public. Agency administrators tasked with making fire decisions that are pivotal in terms of smoke emissions and potential air quality impacts may come from a multitude of backgrounds, most of which may not encompass a smoke management background. The same challenge for training exists for Incident Meteorologists who can play a role in forecasting smoke impacts which can be crucial for an air quality regulatory agency striving to fulfill its mandated role to protect the public from serious smoke levels. At this time there is no specific required smoke and air quality training for the broad range of wildfire positions and agency administrators as guided by interagency policy or guidance.
With the findings of the Assessment in mind, followed up by a query of smoke management training of federal fire personnel as captured in the Incident Qualifications and Certification System, many wildfire management and Incident Management Team positions which would benefit from some air quality and smoke training are not getting any. If they are getting smoke training, it is likely through RX-410, Smoke Management Techniques, which was developed to support prescribed fire operations and not for assisting in the 2009 Implementation Guidance which directs increased collaboration and communication in wildfire decision- making. The need to better address smoke and air quality impacts from wildfire is a concern echoed by the letters from the Western States Air Resources Council (western state air quality regulatory directors) to the EPA as EPA grapples with revising its national smoke policies. This issue and educational need will only increase as air quality regulations become more stringent. The social acceptability of using wildfire is affected significantly by the smoke impacts from wildfire in light of legitimate concerns that the public will raise as exceedances of tighter standards become more frequent from wildfire. Personnel tasked with planning and carrying out responses to wildfire should have the educational support needed to responsibly and safely accomplish fire objectives while working to address air quality impacts from smoke. Successful communication about smoke in the context of air quality and wildfire will improve our opportunity to collaborate with partners and the public as guided in the 2009 Guidance.
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