Following the release of the Interagency Fire Program Management Qualification Standard (IFPM) on October 1, 2004, the Washington Office determined that the IFPM Standard would only be applied to certain Key Fire and Aviation Management positions at the Forest / Ranger District level. A number of these positions are in the fourth tier or “sub-unit” that is unique to the Forest Service and are not specifically addressed in the interagency standard. Other positions are subordinate to those listed in one of the 13 “Key” IFPM positions. Since sub-unit and subordinate positions are not covered in IFPM, the Forest Service is implementing these positions as an agency addendum referred to as the Forest Service - Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) .

In 2007 the Forest Service established FS-FPM for the sub-unit and subordinate positions (see W.O. IFPM Clarification Letter dated 3/08/2007).

FS-FPM is tiered from IFPM, and although many of the implementation procedures are similar, many of the minimum qualification standards have been adjusted to be more appropriate for the Forest Service sub-unit and subordinate positions. The revised Forest Service 2008 IFPM / FS-FPM Crosswalk contains the most current IFPM Standard and FS-FPM Standard requirements for those positions within the Forest Service that have been included in either IFPM or FS-FPM.

FS-FPM was effective on Oct 1, 2008. The implementation period for FS-FPM is five years, and will end on October 1, 2013. The FS-FPM Implementation Plan should be posted after final adjustments to the roles and responsibilities are completed (approximately December 31, 2008).

The implementation period for IFPM has been extended until October 1, 2010.

---

Forest Service Crosswalk Summary:

IFPM Category	Forest Service Positions in IFPM	Forest Service Positions in FS-FPM (Previously "grayed out")
Unit Fire Program Manager	Forest FMO	Forest AFMO District or Zone FMO
Wildland Fire Operations Specialist	Note: The Forest Service has not identified any FS positions as being within the IFPM WFOS category.	District or Zone AFMO, T2 Handcrew Supervisors, Smokechase Module Leaders, Station Managers
Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist	Forest Fuels Specialist	District or Zone Fuels Specialists
Prevention and Mitigation Specialist	Forest Prevention Officer*	District Prevention Technicians*
Supervisory Fire Engine Operator	Engine Captains or Asst Captains
Engine Module Supervisor	Engine Captains
IHC Superintendent	IHC Superintendent	IHC Asst Superintendent and IHC Squad Leaders
Helicopter Manager	Helitack Crew Supervisor	Helitack Asst Supervisor and Helitack Squad Leaders
Senior Firefighter	Senior Firefighter
Center Manager	Center Manager
Lead IA Dispatcher / Assistant Center Manager	Forest Dispatcher / Assistant Center Manager
Initial Attack Dispatchers	Initial Attack Dispatchers
Geographic Area Fire Program Manager	Regional Office
National Fire Program Manager	National Office

*Prevention and Mitigation Specialist positions were removed from IFPM and FS-FPM (IFPM Decision Paper #4, Sept. 29, 2008).

back to the top