Bid: $RACESBUL.342
Subject: RB342 National Fire Center Info


From: W6WWW@KD6XZ.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM
To  : RACES@ALLUS

TO: ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES VIA AMATEUR RADIO
INFO:    ALL COMMUNICATIONS VOLUNTEERS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE
INFO:    ALL AMATEURS U.S     (@USA: INFORMATION), CAP, MARS.
FROM:    CA GOVERNORS OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
    (W6SIG@WA6NWE.CA)  PH: 916-262-1600, 2800 Meadowview Rd.,
    Sacramento, CA  95832. Landline BBS, 916-262-1657 (Open
    to all). Internet crm@oes.ca.gov or seh@oes.ca.gov

BULLETIN 342     MISC: NIFC Boise
Release Date:    September 5, l994

    The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC, formerly
Boise Interagency Fire Center) located in Boise, Idaho is a joint
venture of the several agencies: USFS (U.S. Forest Service), BLM
(Bureau of Land Management), BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs),
USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), NPS (National Park
Service) and NWS (National Weather Service).

    In addition to fires it has also been active in floods,
earthquakes and other disasters such as Hurricane Andrew, Mount
St. Helens volcanic eruption and the Northridge Quake. For the
latter the State Office of Emergency Services ordered virtually
everything from the Boise radio warehouse - hundreds of
portables, repeaters, control stations, fixed links, battery
packs and antennas.

    The NIFC Telecommunications Branch has a large staff of
administrators and technicians for communications assistance. It
stocks equipment in caches, which consist VHF and UHF repeater
and radio kits, some satellite equipment, radio telephone
interconnect kits and electronic key telephone systems.

    When the State has exhausted its cache of kits and
transportable resources it may place a request for Federal
assistance. Because of the size of California, two NIFC-type
warehouses [in CA] duplicate some of the equipment stored further
away in Boise. Requests are placed with the nearest Federal zone
for delivery to the requesting agency. If Zone cannot fulfill the
request it is forwarded to NIFC in Boise. The only costs
associated with the use of the Federal equipment is shipping, any
lost equipment, batteries, and the daily cost of a technician if
required. To make the latter unnecessary, several people in
California have been certified through NIFC training.

    The center teaches a highly regarded two-week training
course in Boise on the Incident Command System, Communications
Unit Organization and staffing, theory and equipment,
accountability, incident planning and demobilization. It includes
both tabletop incident practice and hands-on field work with
actual equipment. Completing the training enables one to be a
fully qualified Communications Unit Leader.

Suggested by an article in the "APCO BULLETIN" by Brent Finster,
Communications Director for Aspen-Pitkin County Communications
Center, Aspen, Colorado.
EOM.