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SAFENET

Wildland Fire Safety & Health Reporting Network

SAFENET Event Information

Create Agency Response

SAFENET ID:

20200318-0001        [Corrective Actions]

Event Start Date:

01/08/2020 1300

Event Stop Date:

 

Incident Name:

N/A - see narratives

Fire Number:

N/A 

State:

California

Jurisdiction:

USFS

Local Unit:

TNF-ARRD

Incident Type:

Prescribed/Fuels Treatment

Incident Activity:

Support

Stage of Incident:

Other

Position Title:

Firefighter 

Task:

Communication Issue 

Management Level:

N/A

Resources Involved:

 

Contributing Factors

Contributing Factors:

Communications, Other

Human Factors:

Decision Making, Leadership  

Other Factors:

CIO radio ordering policy 

Narrative

Describe in detail what happened including the concern or potential issue, the environment (weather, terrain, fire behavior, etc), and the resulting health issue.

On January 8, 2020 an FEO on TNF-ARRD had his KNG P-150 radio slip out of his pack during pile burning on the district and it fell into a burning pile. The radio was melted beyond repair. We have been unable to obtain a replacement due to USDA-FS CIO policy, and are being told it cannot be replaced for approximately 7 years due to the fact that radio was only approximately 3 years old. We are also unable to obtain a loaner radio. Having enough functioning handheld radios for the module is essential to operational safety. Currently the engine has only three KNG radios, which we are being told by the radio tech are the only approved handhelds for fireline use.

Immediate Action Taken

Reporting Individual : please describe actions you took to correct or mitigate the unsafe/unhealthful event.

The FEO put in a CIO Help Desk ticket #REQ000001399940 on 1/9/20 which was closed without resolution. On 3/11/20 the I (FEO's supervisor) entered another ticket #REQ000001444705 which also has gone without response. I spoke to the forest radio tech today (3/18/20), and was told the radio was irreparable. He also stated that due to current USDA-FS CIO policy and radio ordering processes there is no way to replace the radio for another 7 years or so due to radio lifespan and limitations on the number of radios on the unit, and that there is no loaner radios available. There is no way to purchase another radio at this time without violating policy. So in short CIO policy and procedure is putting firefighter safety at risk. We in the field need to be able to replace radios that are broken or damaged.

Agency Response

20200318-0001-CA001

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