AK CIMT Response
Element #1 Morning Briefing:
Morning briefing occurred in June, not July. The operational briefing was not recorded but broadcast through MSTeams environment to the St. George fire. During the safety portion of the morning briefing, the Safety Officer trainee urged caution when utilizing newly acquired 6x6 ATV’s, compared them to UTV’s without roll cages and urged resources to use extra caution when operating due to the size and weight of the ATV’s.
Element #2 Helmets:
Safety and Logistics recognized the newly acquired ATV/UTV’s did not come with helmets and because of this, DOT approved helmets were ordered immediately for the incident. Prioritization of usage was driven by availability of helmets and respective agency policy of individual operators. Helmets were delivered and distributed by the next operational period.
Element #3 Red Book (Chapter 14, Fire Equipment)
ATV/UTV operators will meet the training and certification requirements of their agency; employees certified by their agency will be considered qualified ATV/UTV operators regardless of incident jurisdiction. Common policy requirements for wildland fire operations are highlighted below:
A job hazard analysis (JHA)/risk assessment (RA) must be completed and approved by the supervisor prior to vehicle operation.
Bear Creek fire has completed daily INCIDENT ACTION PLAN RISK ASSESSMENT (ICS 215RA) which included the use of ATV/UTV’s. Task: ATV/UTV Operations; Hazard: Roll over, impalement; Mitigation measures: Use only qualified drivers. Don't speed, drive according to the terrain, Use all required PPE. Don’t overload machine as this alters performance. Secure UTV/ATV on trailer with at least four tie downs.
Alaska IMT displays and references the completed and approved ICS 215 RA during morning operational briefings. This promotes an inclusive safety culture where incident personnel can choose to review the assigned Tasks, associated Hazards and corresponding mitigations during or after morning briefings where Safety Officers are available to answer thoughts, questions and/or concerns.
Element #4 Reporting:
No serious safety issues or concerns have been reported to the Alaska IMT Safety function, the Operations function or other functions which are staffed on the IMT. Any known safety issues have been addressed through a robust risk management process as identified in the IRPG. Alaska IMT fosters and promotes a reporting culture which builds positive relationships, is inclusive and builds trust among all incident personnel. Alaska IMT has a “no tolerance” policy for hostile work environments. This approach promotes a workplace that is free of harassment, bullying and/or discrimination. No resources have been demobilized from the Bear Creek fire because of not being from Alaska or reporting safety concerns. Every resource has the right to refuse an assignment as identified in the IRPG. Individual responsibility must be taken in order to communicate and resolve issues. Alaska IMT encourages incident personnel to speak upon their own behalf without fear of retribution or reprisal.
Due to the lack of specific information, it is nearly impossible to remedy situations which contradict Alaska IMT ethics and values.
State of Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection Response
The State of Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection is committed to providing a safe work environment on DOF incidents. Proper PPE is an essential component of fire line safety, and all efforts will be made to ensure it is available for resources assigned to fires under State of Alaska protection. The Division also supports the right for any firefighter to properly refuse risk as outlined in the IRPG page 18.
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