Author: Mike Santucci
Last saved by: Randall, Andrew
Company: NDFS

DRAFT

North Dakota Fire Council
NDFC
(North Dakota Zone NRCG)

CHARTER

I	MISSION:

It is to the mutual advantage of all agencies having wildland fire responsibilities within North Dakota to assist each other in fire related activities.  The North Dakota Fire Council (NDFC) is established to coordinate the management, control and prevention of wildland fire, enhance cooperation and efficiency in prescribed fire activities, promote and coordinate fire training opportunities, and provide zone representation to the Northern Rockies Coordinating Group (NRCG).

II	OBJECTIVES

The NDFC will work to provide interagency cooperation, communication and coordination for the North Dakota Zone within the Northern Rockies Geographic Area.  Specifically the NDFC will:

A.	Provide leadership and a coordinated direction to wildland fire management programs in the North Dakota Zone.

B.	Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and issue resolution.

C.	Foster cooperation, avoid wasteful duplication, and facilitate maximum efficiency in wildland fire management programs through coordinated planning and utilization of closest forces and shared resources concept. 

D.	Provide an interagency group response to agency specific requests that have interagency implications.

E.	Provide representation to the Northern Rockies Coordinating Group and the North Dakota Dispatch Center Board of Directors.

F.	Identify training needs and coordinate training activities.

G.	Provide for the development and support of a Type III Incident Management Team within the North Dakota Zone.

III	MEMBERSHIP

Membership on the Council will be two-tiered, consisting of voting and non-voting members. Voting membership shall be limited to those agencies directly involved with wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire implementation within the North Dakota Zone.  Non-voting membership will be available to those agencies affiliated with fire management activities, but not directly involved with wildland fire suppression or prescribed fire activities.  The voting membership of the Council shall include representatives from the following agencies:

ND Forest Service 
ND Game and Fish 
ND Parks and Recreation
ND Department of Emergency Services
ND Firefighter’s Association
Bureau of Land Management
National Park Service
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Bureau of Indian Affairs
U.S. Forest Service
	Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe
	Turtle Mountain Agency
	Three Affiliated Tribes

Non-voting membership of the council shall include representatives of the following agencies and entities: the Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, National Weather Service, ND Department of Health, Private Contractors, and the ND State Fire Marshal’s Office.  Any other organizations interested in membership shall submit a request in writing to the Chairperson for confirmation by the NDFC Executive Committee.  New membership shall require a two-thirds vote of the quorum.

IV	OFFICERS

The Fire Council will elect a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson for a two-year term.  The Center Manager for the North Dakota Dispatch Center (NDC) will be the permanent Secretary for the council and will be responsible for maintaining the permanent files for the NDFC.  The Vice Chairperson shall advance to the position of Chairperson after completion of a two (2) year term or upon vacancy of the Chairperson.  Elections shall be held during the fall meeting or whenever necessary to fill an office vacancy.  The newly elected Chairperson shall take office at the next full meeting of the council after the election is completed, or as soon as the incumbent Chairperson vacates the seat.

V	OFFICERS DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A.	The Chairperson is responsible for the overall operation of the NDFC.  The Chairperson calls the meetings and conference calls, sets the agenda, facilitates the meetings, insures that all orders and resolutions voted on by the membership are acted upon and put into effect, and provides Zone representation at NRCG meetings.  The Chairperson will sign all NDFC decision documents, and a signature by the Chairperson shall represent consensus agreement by NDFC participating members.

B.	The Vice-Chairperson, in the absence of the Chairperson, shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Chairperson.

C.	The Secretary reports to the Chairperson.  The Secretary will insure that meeting notices are distributed, minutes of meetings are taken, edited, filed and distributed; products from working groups and committees are reproduced and distributed to all NDFC members, and shall have charge of the historical records of the Council.

VI	EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A.	An Executive Committee shall be established and shall consist of eight (8) members; The Council Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, North Dakota Forest Service, a rural fire department, and a Bureau of Indian Affairs/Tribal representative.  The Executive Committee representatives shall be selected by a majority vote of their representative sections.

B.	A term on the Executive Committee shall be for two (2) years.  Executive Committee members may serve no more than two consecutive terms.  The Chairman and Vice-Chairman are ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.

C.	Emergency elections of Executive Committee members shall require a two-third vote of the quorum.  Emergency elections may be held upon the vacancy of an Executive Committee position as deemed necessary by a quorum vote of the remaining committee.

D.	The North Dakota Fire Council will provide direction to the Executive Committee by identifying and elevating issues and concerns of mutual interagency interest to the Executive Committee.

E.	The Executive Committee shall establish working groups, task forces, or make committee assignments in order to address issues.

F.	The Executive Committee shall provide guidance to the interagency operations of the North Dakota Dispatch Center (NDC) through the NDC Board of Directors (BOD).  

VII	NDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A.	The Board of Directors of the North Dakota Dispatch Center shall be a six-member board and shall include five members of the NDFC Executive Committee plus the NDC Coordinator.  The five NDFC members shall include the U.S. Forest Service Representative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Representative, the National Park Service Representative, the BIA/Tribal Representative, and the North Dakota Forest Service Representative.  Members of the Board of Directors shall have the authority to speak for their organizations.

B.	The BOD shall provide guidance to the NDC including maintenance of the NDC Charter and Annual Operating Plan, and will also function as the North Dakota Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MAC) when required.  The MAC Group shall have the authority to make decisions regarding resource allocation and priority setting within the ND Zone.  Decision-making within the BOD and MAC group shall require a quorum of a minimum of 4 out of the 6 voting members for vote approval.
VIII	COMMITTEES, WORKING GROUPS AND TASK FORCES

The NDFC Executive Committee shall establish committees, working groups and task forces to address issues.  All standing committees shall operate with a charter.  When working groups and task forces are established, work orders shall define specific issues to be addressed.  All Committees, Working Groups and Task Forces shall appoint a chairperson.  Standing Committees may develop their own working groups and task forces to address specific issues.  All Committees, working groups and task forces will keep meeting notes that will be distributed broadly to NDFC members.

IX	MEETINGS

A.    	Council meetings shall be called by the Chairperson, when necessary, to carry out the responsibilities of the Council.  Normally, a minimum of two (2) meetings will be held in each calendar year in the spring and fall.

B.	Executive Committee meetings shall be called by the Chairperson, when necessary, to carry out the responsibilities of the Executive Committee.

X	ADOPTION OF POLICY

A.	Voting privileges are limited to member agencies that have direct involvement with suppression, prescribed fire or other wildland fire activities in North Dakota.

1.	Agency representatives will be responsible for distributing documents through appropriate channels for review and revision prior to voting.

2.	One-half of the voting membership of the NDFC shall constitute a quorum at any meeting. 

3.	Each voting member of the NDFC shall have one vote and only one vote shall be cast per agency.

4.	Adoption of policy requires a two-thirds vote of the quorum.

5.	Adoption of operational activities that require agency policy changes or modifications must be approved and signed off by agency administrators.

XI	MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS

A.	The North Dakota Fire Council shall make changes to the charter in the following                                          manner:

1.	A proposed change will be submitted in writing to the Chairperson prior to the next meeting.  It will be presented to the voting members at the meeting for open discussion and amendment.

2.	To be approved, proposed changes must receive an affirmative two-thirds vote of the quorum.
B.	Nothing in this agreement shall be considered as obligating a member agency to expend funds or involve them in any contract or obligation for future payment of money without agency administrator approval.

C.	This agreement shall become effective on the latest date shown below.  Any agency may terminate their membership in the North Dakota Fire Council by written notice to the Chairperson.

12/8/2011