Course Description - S-590 Advanced Fire Behavior Interpretation

Tips for Success

March 10 - 21, 2014

S-590 is currently offered every other year on the even years.
Course size limited to 50 students.

For the 2014 S-590 course, nominations are being accepted now with a target of no later than November 1, 2013. All Nominees are strongly encouraged to participate in a mentoring program which may include assignment with qualified FBANs and LTANs.

 

Course Description
Through the use of lecture, demonstrations, and exercises, students will learn the job of the fire behavior analyst (FBAN) and long term fire analyst (LTAN).

S-590 Fire Behavior Interpretation		Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
Unit	Unit Description	Gained at Course	Brought to Course
Acquisition	Skills learned in prerequisite courses, reinforced with obtaining fire environment and fire behavior information and internet use.	Organizational, Communication, & Computer Skills	Computer Skills
Analysis	Skills learned in prerequisite courses, develop support for decision making, and demonstrate in exercises	Organizational, Communication, & Computer Skills	Analytical Skills & Computer Skills
Application	Safety, Briefings, Forecasts, Decision Support, Advanced Applications, reinforced with exercises	Organizational, Communication, & Computer Skills	Intuitive, Operational Skills, & Computer Skills
Archival	Fire Behavior Documentation Package, Post Fire Applications, Fire Narratives	Organizational, Communication	Computer Skills

Objectives

1. Describe the FBAN/LTAN responsibilities and interactions with managers, management teams, meteorologists, and others.
2. Demonstrate skills in analyzing, interpreting, displaying, and communicating fire behavior information and its implications.
3. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing appropriate wildland fire behavior predictive information.
4. Apply fire behavior information in managing risk on wildland fires.
5. Recognize the importance of and demonstrate the ability to prepare fire behavior documentation

Target Group
Individuals to be trained as a Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) and or Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN) in wildland fire management operations. Nominees must identify which position(s) they are targeting on their nomination form.

Course Prerequisites
The prerequisites listed below are consistent with the direction from the current Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide, PMS 310-1.

All applicants must have completed S-490 Advanced Wildland Fire Behavior Calculations, and demonstrate proficiency in the use of BehavePlus and Windows operating system.

All nominees will need to successfully complete a pre-course test that requires proficiency in the skills taught in S-490. This is a 4 hour time limited test.

Students seeking qualification as a Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) must be qualified as Division Group Supervisor (DIVS) under the Incident Command System.

Students seeking qualification as a Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN) must be qualified as a Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO) and a Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB) under the Incident Command System.

Success in S-590 will depend on the student's communication skills, both written and oral.
Additional skills could be obtained by;

• Attending the Facilitative Instructor course, M-410 or other public speaking and technical writing courses.
• Participating in the S-590 Mentoring Program.
• Instructing portions of S-490, Advanced Fire Behavior Calculations course.
• Attending S-495, Geospatial Fire Analysis, Interpretation and Application course.
• Review of the BehavePlus program.

Participants in the course will be evaluated in the areas of:

• Ability to assess incident needs in terms of fire behavior and long term fire behavior predictions.
• Interpret the models (understand inputs, outputs and capabilities).
• Understand the key processes where Fire Behavior inputs are critical to the formulation of safe strategy and tactics.
• Present appropriate and relevant fire behavior analysis to a variety of audiences in briefings and meetings.
• Ability to provide input to the strategy vs. time discussions and implications.
• Organization and written products.
• Ability to assess the likelihood of success for strategies and specific tactical operations.
• Understanding of long-term risk assessments.

Computer Requirements

All participants attending S-590 will need to provide their own laptop, portable printer and data cable with the appropriate printer driver installed.

Students should be equipped with the hardware (laptop & printer), and software to function as an FBAN and or LTAN and be self-sufficient in the field or at the course.  A detailed listing of hardware and software needs will be included in the course selection letter.

Processors used at S-590 include:

• BehavePlus,
• FireFamilyPlus
• WFDSS fire behavior tools

Current software and versions are available at: http://www.firemodels.org

Students will also need a current WFDSS User Name and Password.

Mentoring Program
To assure an adequate supply of highly qualified Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) and Long Term Fire Analyst (LTAN) positions for future wildland fire incident management teams, the following steps are deemed necessary:
Geographic Area Coordinating Groups (GACG) take a nationally consistent and active role in the identification, prioritization and nomination of candidates.

GACG’s, Geographic Area Training Representatives (GATR), and Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACCs) place mentee assignments as a priority to fully utilize the mentoring process.

Current Fire Behavior Analysts (FBAN) and Long-Term Fire Analysts (LTAN) take an active role in the mentoring of identified candidates.

Mentoring opportunities should provide candidates with meaningful experiences as Behave (BHAV), FARSITE (FARS), and FSPro (Proposed) Technical Specialists, and as FBAN and or LTAN trainees.

The National Advanced Fire and Resource Institute (NAFRI), GACGs, FBANs and LTANs are responsible for the following:

TASK	WHO	WHEN
1. Identify interested candidates with potential to successfully complete S-590.	GACG	Ongoing
2. Issue call letter to GACGs for potential S-590 candidates.	NAFRI	June 2012
3. Provide NAFRI with prioritized S-590 nominations by targeted positions (FBAN and/or LTAN).	GACG / GATRs	May 2012 & Ongoing
4. NAFRI notification to candidates of prerequisite qualification needs, with a cc to GACG’s & GATR’s.	NAFRI
5. Facilitate mentoring process by assigning candidates to appropriate FBANs and LTANs.	GACG
6. Provide meaningful assignments and mentoring to candidates including periodic assessments.	GACCs FBAN/LTAN	Fire Season 2012 & 2013
7. Reconfirm prioritization of final candidates by position.	GACG	November 2013
8. Send Pre-Course Test and notify GACG’s and candidates.	NAFRI	November 2013
9. Final selection of candidates to attend S-590 course.	NAFRI	January 2014
10. Send Pre-Course Work and notify GACG’s and candidates.	NAFRI	January 2014
11. Conduct S-590 course.	NAFRI	March 2014

Mentoring contacts by Geographic Area

GA	Agency	Name	email
AK	ST of  AK	Marsha Henderson	marsha.henderson@alaska.gov
CA	CALFire	Hugh Scanlon	hugh.scanlon@fire.ca.gov
GB	FS	Lisa Elenz	lelenz@fs.fed.us
NE	NPS	Al Stover	Alan_Stover@nps.gov
NR	FS	Risa Lange-Navaro	rlangenavarro@fs.fed.us
PNW	BLM	John Saltenberger	jsaltenb@blm.gov
RM	FS	Ross Wilmore	rwilmore@fs.fed.us
SE	NPS	Caroline Noble	Caroline_Noble@nps.gov
SW	FS	Marlena Hovorka	mariannehovorka@fs.fed.us

Important Dates
Nomination Due: No later than November 1, 2013
Pre-course Test Mailed: November 11, 2013
Pre-course Test Due: December 2, 2013
Notification of Selection: December 13, 2013

Nomination Process
Please see the NAFRI nomination process available at:
http://nafri.gov/pages/nominationprocess.htm.

Course Coordinator: Donna Kreiensieck, (520) 799-8745; fax (520) 799-8785

Course Location: NAFRI, Tucson, Arizona
Tuition: None