Client: Nebraska Military Department
Location: Multiple Sites, Nebraska
EA worked with Sundance Consulting, Inc. to provide the Nebraska Military Department with an updated comprehensive Integrated Wildland Fire Management Plan (IWFMP) that includes all state Army National Guard training facilities. The goal was to recognize the probability of wildfire occurrence, fire frequency, and severity in the state of Nebraska.
The importance of wildland fire management to the Department of Defense (DoD) is evidenced by DoDI 6055.06, which mandates that any installation with burnable vegetation have an IWFMP to support fire-related resource management and mission support objectives.
The IWFMP established goals and objectives for the wildland fire management program at each training site. The overall goal is to manage wildland fires at the Nebraska Army National Guard training sites in a manner that minimizes safety risks, enhances natural resources, and has no net loss in training ability. The objective is to reduce wildfire potential, effectively protect and enhance valuable natural resources, and implement ecosystem management goals for the Nebraska Army National Guard training sites.
Each training facility has quantifiable goals and objectives in the IWFMP that clearly define future direction for fire management operations. Each site is unique with different natural resources available. Individual assessments were conducted to discuss fire viability, using controlled fire as a tool, wildfire concerns, and proactive firefighting protocols. A natural resources inventory with associated fire hazards and efficacy was discussed for each training site.
The IWFMP included a brief on the organizational structure for fire-related activities pertaining to Nebraska Army National Guard and its environmental program and how it relates to policies and programs of the military mission. A detailed disaster response procedure outlined interagency cooperation and mutual aid agreements with local county fire departments and the mission to provide fire suppression for all training sites.
In effort to manage wildland fires as safely and as effectively as possible, site-specific burn plans were created to mitigate smoke management and air quality to oversee the health concerns of surrounding communities. Up-to-date safety and emergency operation protocols were provided to aid in the vital safety of all personnel involved in wildfire fighting and prescribed fire as an industry standard. A list of appropriate personal protective equipment, communication strategy awareness, and proactive response protocols was included to support the highest rating of safety possible. The IWFMP also included site‑specific risk assessments and decision analysis that incorporated existing ignition risks and acknowledge current fuel hazards on site. Certification standards and related trainings are recommended in the management plan.
