The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC, formerly Boise Interagency Fire Center) located in Boise, Idaho is a joint venture of the several agencies: USFS (U.S. Forest Service), BLM (Bureau of Land Management), BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), NPS (National Park Service) and NWS (National Weather Service).
In addition to fires it has also been active in floods, earthquakes and other disasters such as Hurricane Andrew, Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption and the Northridge Quake. For the latter the State Office of Emergency Services ordered virtually everything from the Boise radio warehouse - hundreds of portables, repeaters, control stations, fixed links, battery packs and antennas.
In addition to fires it has also been active in floods, earthquakes and other disasters such as Hurricane Andrew, Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption and the Northridge Quake. For the latter the State Office of Emergency Services ordered virtually everything from the Boise radio warehouse - hundreds of portables, repeaters, control stations, fixed links, battery packs and antennas.
The NIFC Telecommunications Branch has a large staff of administrators and technicians for communications assistance. It stocks equipment in caches, which consist VHF and UHF repeater and radio kits, some satellite equipment, radio telephone interconnect kits and electronic key telephone systems.
When the State has exhausted its cache of kits and transportable resources it may place a request for Federal assistance. Because of the size of California, two NIFC-type warehouses [in CA] duplicate some of the equipment stored further away in Boise. Requests are placed with the nearest Federal zone for delivery to the requesting agency. If Zone cannot fulfill the request it is forwarded to NIFC in Boise. The only costs associated with the use of the Federal equipment is shipping, any lost equipment, batteries, and the daily cost of a technician if required. To make the latter unnecessary, several people in California have been certified through NIFC training.
The center teaches a highly regarded two-week training course in Boise on the Incident Command System, Communications Unit Organization and staffing, theory and equipment, accountability, incident planning and demobilization. It includes both tabletop incident practice and hands-on field work with actual equipment. Completing the training enables one to be a fully qualified Communications Unit Leader.
Suggested by an article in the "APCO BULLETIN" by Brent Finster, Communications Director for Aspen-Pitkin County Communications Center, Aspen, Colorado.
When the State has exhausted its cache of kits and transportable resources it may place a request for Federal assistance. Because of the size of California, two NIFC-type warehouses [in CA] duplicate some of the equipment stored further away in Boise. Requests are placed with the nearest Federal zone for delivery to the requesting agency. If Zone cannot fulfill the request it is forwarded to NIFC in Boise. The only costs associated with the use of the Federal equipment is shipping, any lost equipment, batteries, and the daily cost of a technician if required. To make the latter unnecessary, several people in California have been certified through NIFC training.
The center teaches a highly regarded two-week training course in Boise on the Incident Command System, Communications Unit Organization and staffing, theory and equipment, accountability, incident planning and demobilization. It includes both tabletop incident practice and hands-on field work with actual equipment. Completing the training enables one to be a fully qualified Communications Unit Leader.
Suggested by an article in the "APCO BULLETIN" by Brent Finster, Communications Director for Aspen-Pitkin County Communications Center, Aspen, Colorado.
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