Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG) establishes standards for wildland fire incident response. The guide provides critical information on operational engagement, risk management, all hazard response, and aviation management. It provides a collection of best practices that have evolved over time within the wildland fire service.
The IRPG does not provide absolute solutions to the unlimited number of situations that will occur. Some fireline decisions may be relatively simple; many are not. These decisions often require individual judgement and creativity-skills developed through extensive training, dedicated practice, and experience.
2018 Revision Summary
This edition reflects feedback and input received since the 2014 version. Therefore, the cover color has been changed to purple. The notable changes include:
New References
Smoke Hazards and Mitigations
Smoke and Transportation Safety
Principles of Airtanker and Water Scooper Use
Recommended Retardant Coverage Levels
Important Winds to Firefighters
Alignments and Patterns for Dangerous Fire Behavior
Deleted References
Flight Following
Working with Airtankers
Severe Fire Behavior Potential Related to RH and Fuel Moisture Content
Existing References with Significant Changes
Added Assets/Values at Risk to Size Up Report
Added LCES to Briefing Checklist
Revised Look Up, Down, and Around
Added Critical Burn Period to Common Denominators of Fire Behavior on Tragedy Fires
Emphasized effects of slope and wind on Safety Zones
Updated Wildland Urban Interface Firefighting
Removed the 30/30 Rule in Thunderstorm Safety
Edited Last Resort Survival
Updated Aviation User Checklist
Revised Retardant Use Reminders
Updated Directing Retardant and Bucket Drops
Updated Spot Weather Forecast information
Updated Medical section including the Medical Incident Report
April 2018
PMS 461
