The purpose of these Technical Fact Sheets, "Home Builder's Guide to Construction in Wildfire Zones," is to provide information about wildfire behavior and recommendations for building design and construction methods in the wildland/urban interface. Implementation of the recommended design and construction methods can greatly increase the chances of a building's survival in a wildfire.

This manual, part of the new Building Infrastructure Protection Series published by the United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division (IDD), serves to advance high performance and integrated design for buildings and infrastructure. This manual was prepared as a component of the S&T program for infrastructure protection and disaster management; the overall goal of this program is to enhance the blast and chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) resistance of our Nation's buildings and infrastructure to meet specific performance requirements at the highest possible level. One of the objectives of this manual is to provide the tools and guidance to reduce physical damage to structural and nonstructural components of buildings and related infrastructure and to reduce resulting casualties caused by conventional bomb attacks and attacks using CBR agents. Although the material and the risk assessment methodology in this manual can be applied to most building types, it is intended to assist with the design and management of facilities in eight designated sectors outlined in the DHS 2009 National Infrastructure Protection Plan (the NIPP): Banking and Finance, Commercial Facilities, Communications, Critical Manufacturing, Government Facilities, Healthcare and Public Health, Information Technology, and Postal and Shipping. The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance to designers and decision makers in these sectors, to building professionals working for public and private institutions, and to first responder communities. It presents tools to help assess the performance of buildings and infrastructure against terrorist threats and to rank recommended protective measures. A primary objective of this manual is the establishment of a common framework of terminology to facilitate the transfer of this information. For example, a basis for design is established by identifying the threat or hazard to which a building may be vulnerable. Within the military, intelligence, and law enforcement communities, the term "threat" is typically used to describe the potential threat elements (personnel) and their tactics for creating terrorism or manmade disasters. Within FEMA and other civil agencies, the term "hazard" is used in several different contexts. "Natural" hazard typically refers to a natural event, such as a flood, wind, or seismic event. "Human-caused" (or manmade) hazards are "technological" hazards and "terrorism." These are distinct from natural hazards, primarily, in that they originate from human activity. Furthermore, "technological" hazards are generally assumed to be accidental, in that their consequences are unintended. For the sake of simplicity, this manual uses the terms "threat" to describe terrorism or intentional attacks and "hazard" to describe accidental manmade or technological hazards. Another objective of this manual is the transfer of design concepts that have been in use by DHS these include concepts of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) Standards and Best Practices, the General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the U.S. Department of State (DOS), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC), and the military services] to commercial practice. Several valuable risk assessment methodologies are used by both the public and private sectors; however, this manual focuses on the methodology described in FEMA 452, Risk Assessment: A How-To Guide to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks (2005), which has been used extensively by Federal agencies, along with State and local governments and the private sector. This manual presents techniques that can be implemented incrementally over time to increase resiliency as well as decrease the vulnerability of a building to hazards and terrorist threats.

Citizen Corps is FEMA's grassroots strategy to build a nationwide culture of emergency and disaster preparedness to support national and community resilience. Citizen Corps Councils bring together government and community leaders to engage individual members of the public and organizations from all sectors to collaborate on preparedness planning, emergency response, and disaster mitigation and recovery. Engaging the public is a critical part of Citizen Corps' mission. Well-trained volunteers supplement governmental resources in all phases of emergency management. Identifying and supporting policy and practice that promote and strengthen public participation is, therefore, an important element of Citizen Corps' implementation. FEMA has learned from Citizen Corps Councils, volunteer program managers, and volunteers that liability is a significant concern and a potential barrier to volunteer involvement in emergency services. Liability-legal responsibility for one's acts or omissions-includes diverse concerns: legally imposed payment of damages for personal injury or property damage; penalties for practicing a profession or trade without the required license or permit; compensation for lost income and medical expenses of an injured volunteer; and damages for breach of contract. To offer guidance in this area, FEMA funded the nonprofit Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) to develop the Citizen Corps Volunteer Liability Guide (CCVLG) to provide an overview of liability and to suggest some approaches to addressing these concerns.

The purpose of this document is to provide general, consistent and uniform guidance to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) organization for use in conducting its business. The operating principles and guidelines presented in this document are intended to result in predictable and consistent organizational behavior. The principles and guidelines provide the foundation for repeatable business practices shared by all NWCG groups, thus eliminating the inefficiencies of each group developing its own processes. This document will be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure the guidance is always timely and relevant to the operations of the NWCG organization. This document is organized around a series of fundamental, organizational management questions and their answers regarding the NWCG organization: Who are we? What should we do? How do we do it? How do we keep things going?

This report presents results based on data from US local fire departments participating in a needs assessment survey. Public Law 106-398, Fire Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act, Title XVII - Assistance to Firefighters, recognized that America's fire departments provide service and protection with impact far beyond the borders of the communities that support them. In order to provide this service and protection with the effectiveness, speed, and safety that their home communities and the nation as a whole demand, many fire departments will need to increase their resources, in any of several categories. PL 106-398 created a fund to support worthy proposals to address these needs. But PL 106-398 also recognized that our current understanding of the magnitude and nature of fire department needs is not well defined. Furthermore, the rationale for Federal government assistance to meet these needs is also in need of greater definition, given the normal presumption that routine fire protection is a local function, set to meet locally defined goals and supported by local resources.

The goal of the Interagency Aerial Supervision Guide (PMS 505) is to promote safe, effective, and efficient aerial supervision services in support of incident goals and objectives. Its objective is to consolidate the Interagency Leadplane Guide, Aerial Supervision Module Guide, and the Interagency Air Tactical Group Supervisors Guide into one document which will: a) State consistent interagency aerial supervision standards and procedures. b) Define the roles, responsibilities, and scope of each aerial supervision position. c) Enhance information sharing between Air Tactical Group Supervisors (ATGS), Aerial Supervision Modules (ASM), Leadplane Pilots, Airtanker Coordinators (ATCO), Air Tactical Pilots (ATP), Air Tactical Supervisors (ATS), and Helicopter Coordinators (HLCO). d) Provide a common interagency guide, which can be utilized by all members of the aerial supervision community.

The care of the sick and injured on wildland fire incidents has expanded over the last 30 years. The mission of Medical Units on wildland fire incidents has evolved into a complex service which provides: (1) stabilization and emergency medical treatment of incident personnel, and (2) occupational health and preventative measures for incident personnel to remain safe and healthy. Wildland firefighting operations require a unique array of services due to the remoteness, terrain, and complexity of utilizing multiple agencies. Medical support is essential because of the inherent risks and exposures associated with these events. The issues of standard of care and legal licensure of providers come into play when emergency medical providers from other jurisdictions cross state lines or other geopolitical boundaries to provide medical care. These situations are further complicated in areas where medical control is sometimes nonexistent or the capabilities of nearby medical facilities may be limited, including the variability of local emergency medical services agency capacities. This document introduces stakeholders to the minimum standards developed by the Incident Emergency Medical Task Group (IEMTG) when a Medical Unit has been established by a National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) member agency. This document is intended to provide direction regarding medical personnel and equipment assigned to the Medical Unit. The IEMTG recognizes the National EMS Scope of Practice Model as the baseline standard for emergency medical service providers. Therefore, a key component of the minimum standards addresses the recognition of local, state, federal, and tribal jurisdictional authorities and the integration of medical services. Overall, the minimum standards seek to ensure that incident personnel receive quality, timely medical care on wildland fire incidents, which often occur in remote areas.

Nearly 1.7 million fires in the United States during 2002 claimed 3,380 lives, injured 18,425 people, and destroyed over $10 billion in property. Incendiary and suspicious acts (including arson), cooking and carelessness with open flames are the leading causes of fires. These causes have a common thread: human activity and human error. As such, most of these fires were likely preventable. Many activities that influence fire incidence change with the season of the year. In the winter, the need for heating increases. Hot, dry weather affects wildland areas and creates fire prone situations. Warm weather tends to bring people and their behaviors outdoors. Behaviors also change as people participate in various holiday customs and traditions. At some holidays, decorations in the home increase the load of combustible material. The use of candles and extra electric lighting may be used to celebrate other events. Fireworks are part of Fourth of July and other celebrations. As part of seasonal celebrations, people may prepare and cook elaborate meals. People also travel more, leaving some homes unoccupied while other homes increase in occupancy. Any of these behaviors can affect both the incidence and the severity of fires. By understanding the nature and scope of seasonal fires, public education and other fire related programs can be specifically targeted at these seasonal fire problems. This report first explores fire patterns by each season of the year; both the changes in incidence and the causes of fire are discussed. The report then focuses on the changes in fire profiles around four seasonal holidays: Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. These holidays were chosen because of their striking changes in fire patterns.

In 1973, the presidentially appointed National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control published America Burning, its landmark report on the nation's fire problem. The report presented 90 recommendations for a fire-safe America. For the past 15 years, America Burning has served as a road map, guiding the fire service and the federal fire programs toward the goal of improving fire safety in the United States. The original America Burning report made 90 recommendations in 18 chapters in the following general subject areas: the nation's fire problem; the fire services; fire and the built environment; fire and the rural wildlands environment; fire prevention; and a program for the future. While much of the report and its recommendations remained valid and relevant, it was time to take a second look at America Burning and re-examine the progress made toward the goals and objectives stated in the report. Perhaps more importantly, it was time to make new recommendations that would reflect the changes in our society and environment since 1973, but still move toward a more fire-safe America. As a result, the conference on 'America Burning Revisited" was convened in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., from November 30 to December 2, 1987. "America Burning Revisited" had a threefold purpose. First, conference participants were to reach a consensus about the status of, and trends in, America's fire problem. Second, they were to revisit America Burning by reviewing and evaluating the progress toward the report's 90 recommendations. Finally, the conference participants were to recommend guidelines for local, state and federal efforts to reduce the life and property loss from fire. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) planned to use the results of this conference as the basis for establishing its program priorities for future activities. This meant that the fire protection leaders participating in "America Burning Revisited" were to have the opportunity to map out the future course of fire safety in this country.

The purpose of this U.S. Fire Administration special report is to document the problem of older chil-dren who set fires resulting in serious or potentially serious consequences. The report also examines the factors that commonly are associated with intentional firesetting by teenagers and discusses a number of community programs that intervene to control arson. Historically, the term "juvenile firesetting" has been viewed as a "curious" kids' problem. Fires set by youngsters playing with matches and lighters tend to be categorized as "accidental" or "children playing." However, juvenile firesetting also includes the deliberate destruction of property by juveniles through fire, which sometimes results in casualties. This is an increasingly serious problem in most U.S. cities. Information from a 10-year U.S. Fire Administration project of direct technical assistance to over 60 jurisdictions verifies the high rate of juvenile-set fires. This report focuses on adolescent firesetters between 14 and 18 years of age. Several case studies are presented to demonstrate the impact of these arson fires and to outline the family circumstances of the youth who were involved. The report also covers how the criminal justice system has been handling teen arson and reviews and compares several treatment and intervention programs.

In 2004, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) worked in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) to revise the 1998 text, Retention and Recruitment in the Volunteer Fire Service: Problems and Solutions. The original text was based on a series of workshops bringing together volunteer fire service members from all the States. This edition has been enhanced with new research and current issues as the emergency services enter the 21st century. Many of the original reasons for the recruitment problems remain: lack of time, apathy, and excessive requirements. However, they appear to have become even greater issues with the passing of time. Although the recruitment and retention challenges continue to grow, some volunteer organizations maintain good membership while others continue to function with reduced numbers. Those organizations that seek solutions and adapt to our changing personnel environment are successful. Individuals are still willing to give their time to volunteer emergency services organizations provided the following: The experience is rewarding and worth their time; The training requirements are not excessive; The time demands are adaptable and manageable; They are rewarded with a personal sense of value; There is good leadership minimizing conflict; There is ample support for the organization. The emergency services are the most demanding of volunteer activities today. The physical and time demands associated with training; responding to incidents; maintaining facilities, apparatus, and equipment; fundraising; and administering a nonprofit corporation are grueling if not managed properly. In today's hectic world, strong leadership is required to make the emergency services the organizations that will attract volunteers. This text will cover many of the problems of recruitment and retention and provide some examples of solutions that have worked in volunteer organizations across the Nation.

On September 5, 1996, Hurricane Fran made landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina and generated considerable rainfall, moderately high winds, and storm surge and waves along the cost. Although the storm generated high winds along the coast and well inland, severe damage to buildings was concentrated in those areas also impacted by the flood surge and waves. This report focuses on the damage along the North Carolina coast that resulted from flood surge, wave action, erosion, and scour. On September 12, 1996, the Mitigation Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed a Building Performance Assessment Team (BPAT) to coastal North Carolina to assess damage caused by Hurricane Fran. The mission of the BPAT was to assess the performance of buildings on the barrier islands most directly affected by Hurricane Fran and to make recommendations for improving building performance in future events. Better performance of building systems can be expected when the causes of observed failures are determined and repair and construction are undertaken in accordance with recognized standards of design and construction. The immediate goal of the BPAT process is to provide guidance to State and local governments for post-hurricane reconstruction. In addition, the BPAT's findings can enhance future coastal design and construction. The BPAT developed recommendations for reducing future hurricane damage. The recommendations address areas of concern such as building materials, design practices, construction techniques, and quality of construction. The recommendations presented in this report are applicable in other communities that experience similar coastal flooding. This report presents the BPAT's observations of the successes and failures of buildings that experienced the flood effects of Hurricane Fran, comments on building failure modes, and provides recommendations intended to enhance the performance of buildings in future hurricanes.