Summary of Lessons Learned Arcadia District 2002-2004

1. Summary of Lessons LearnedArcadia District2002-2004 Type 2/3 Incidents After Action Review Notes Matt Castle Arcadia District Fire Control Unit Forester

2. Fires Reviewed: • Ridge Fire – 2002 T3 • Paradise fire – 2002 T3 • Cooper Rd Fire – 2002 T3 – T2 • Spring Canyon Fire – 2002 T3 – T2 • Beacon Hill Fire – 2002 T3 • Watt Road Fire – 2003 T3 – T2 • Beacon Hill Fire - 2003 T3 • Clear Lake Fire – 2003 T3 • Mill Canyon Fire – 2004 T3 – T2

3. All fires were multi-agency jurisdictional with 1-2 Local Fire District Jurisdictions plus DNR.

4. Identified Areas Needing Improvement through After Action Reviews: • Most consistent observation – Communication • Overuse of tac channels. • No separate command frequency. • Unified command, however agencies remaining on own frequencies. • Need for Communications Plan that is understood and followed.

5. Identified Areas Needing Improvement through After Action Reviews: • ICS Chain of Command • Report to your line supervisor, regardless of what agency they work for. All agencies have faced this challenge. • DNR fire crews working for District. • Fire District crews working for DNR. • Communicate on appropriate frequency. • All positions – command, ops, planning,etc.

6. Identified Areas Needing Improvement through After Action Reviews: • Independent Actions • Too Frequent – not acceptable. • Examples include: • Frontal assaults • Structure protection • Hot spotting • All efforts must be coordinated at the command level.

7. Identified Areas Needing Improvement through After Action Reviews: • Lack of Coordinated Use of Resources • Not taking advantage of most appropriate resources for tactical assignments. • Flanking actions • Structure protection / assessment • Due to lack of Unified Command coordination at early stages. • Needs to occur during initial response on all incidents. • During escalating incidents, we are consistently behind the curve during the first hours of the operation.

8. Identified Areas Needing Improvement through After Action Reviews: • Transition • Fatigue Management • Manage IA resources, mitigate for 2:1. • May require bedding down crews on fire with temp shelter • Have lunches, bedding and shelter delivered to eliminate long drive times. • Early Request for Incident Management Team • IC needs to conference with Dispatch and Region Management to ensure that an IMT order is put in ASAP, or the possibility is identified early in process to facilitate quicker dispatch when final decision is made. • State Mobilization for Fire Districts • As a type 3 IC you should be familiar with State Mobilization and be prepared to counsel Fire District IC’s on utilization.

9. Arcadia Goals set for 2004 Fire Season (continue for ’05): • Communications Plan • Review existing Communication Plan • Adapt to meet needs of rapidly expanding incidents • Educate Fire Fighters to understand and follow communications plan. • Work on long-term hardware solutions to communications system limitations.

10. Arcadia Goals set for 2004 Fire Season (continue for ’05): • Continue to build and increase the strength of our Unified Command Organizations • MIST use (Spokane County Major Incident Support Team) • Agency Jurisdictions / Interagency Agreements- improve understanding at all levels • Agency Missions- improve understanding at all levels • DNR Cost Recovery Fires- improve other agency understanding • State Mobilization- improve local DNR and RFD understanding

11. Outcomes • After Action Review’s • Utilized on every incident • Small incidents • Initial Attack IC initiates prior to departure of resources. • Large incidents • Initial Attack Resources should conduct AAR with Division / Group Supervisor prior to release. • Leadership from Jurisdictions involved will host an AAR for Operations personnel, outcome shared with all participants. • Protect the lives of fire fighters and the public.