Key Decision Log  

The Key Decision Log (KDL) is one of a suite of evolving tools that make up the WFDS System. It allows Agency Administrators, Fire Management Officers, incident management organizations and other fire leaders to accurately record, in near-real time, implementation decisions that directly and indirectly affect the management of a wildland fire.

 

Identifying best practices and promoting organizational learning is the cornerstone of a High Reliability Organization (HRO). By understanding how and why decision makers select a specific course of action, the complexity of an incident can be better understood and transparently communicated through agency channels. It can also be used as a real-time reference to past decisions that promotes consistency during team transitions and key decision points along the life of an incident. The KDL facilitates high reliability and continual improvement by allowing practitioners and researchers to recreate the sequence of events that occur over the life of an incident. These patterns can then be used to develop Lessons Learned that embrace the fundamental concept of Doctrine by sustaining best practices and identifying and eliminating unwanted decision traps.

Delegating authority is about assigning and sharing one's own authority to take action, with subordinate personnel. Policy requires an Agency Administrator (AA) to issue a Delegation of Authority (DOA) letter to an incoming Incident Commander (IC) to manage an incident within their administrative responsibility. Circumstances may arise when a verbal delegation is appropriate, i.e., immediate need for leadership to deal with a serious injury or fatality.

 

Document these delegations in a Key Decision Log. Issuing a brief DOA, (takeover date and time) with separate attachments covering leader's intent and the WFDSS Decision Analysis Report, allows an AA to modify intent and priorities without having to reissue a formal delegation.

 

At the heart of every briefing is the purpose or objectives of the assignment or "leader's intent." If followers know what the goal is, they will be able to determine what they must do to reach it, even if the leader is absent. Leader's intent consists of three parts:

• Task - how the leader envisions achieving the objectives, what has to be done.
• Purpose - illustrates why tasks are being done (sense-making)/
• End State - expected results, the goal, what the task should look like when completed.

The AA and IC should meet to discuss: leader's intent, decision-making parameters, during incident review process, approval protocols, collaboration processes, documentation of shared decision making and responsibility, strategic alternatives, cost management, etc. The meeting between the AA and IC complements the normal IMT in-brief.

During Incident Review

The goal of the During Incident Review (DIR) is to improve decisions expected to drive successful outcomes. The intent is to build trust and understanding by creating a solid working relationship that allows for intervention, course corrections and prevents surprises while establishing clear expectations for how to make risk-informed decisions on fires. The During Incident Review is a continuous learning opportunity for both the Incident Management Team and the Agency Administrator and contributes toward building a more highly reliable organization.

 

The DIR is a meeting held at various times throughout the duration of an incident. The IC and the AA can sit down and spend quality time together. The review provides a forum for important interactive discussions. The intent of these meetings and discussions is to build trust and understanding. Used well and often, the Agency Administrator is able to honestly describe his/her issues, worries, interests and the Incident Commander, in turn, is able to describe probabilities, concerns and expected results. It takes time together to build trust, honesty, predictability and reliable results (between the Host Unit and the Incident Management Team).

 

Predictive Services was developed to provide decision support information needed to be more proactive in anticipating significant fire activity and determining resource allocation needs. Predictive Services consists of three primary functions: fire weather; fire danger/fuels/ and intelligence/resource status information. Predictive Services staff units are located at the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) and the Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACC) across the country. Print quality RAVAR Map (2 MB)

 

      Weather: Meteorologists analyze a variety of weather products and services to provide briefings and outlooks for current and forecasted conditions and, in some cases, provide spot weather and smoke forecasts. A number of innovative products and tools have been created to help fire managers assess fire potential and high risk areas.

 

      Fuels and Fire Danger: Wildland Fire Analysts, stationed or detailed at some locations, provide predictions and condition reports on fuels, fire danger, fire behavior, fire occurrence statistics, and resource needs.

 

      Intelligence: The Intelligence Section provides fire management personnel, incident managers, firefighters and support staff with access to current intelligence on preparedness levels, fire situation, resources, mapping and satellite imagery, climatology, preparedness levels, resource availability, rotation schedules, and fire potential information. 

 

 

Key Decision Log Tips 4Capitalize the first couple of words in your Decision Description as a title. This will make it easier to find for future editing, and help readability in your report. 4What is a 'key' decision, action or issue? Think about the KDL as a 'cliff' notes version of the fire story - the things that define turning points in the development of outcomes in terms of the objectives outlinesi n the Delegation of Authority letter. Issues are those things that may have a significant impact on ultimate outcomes if they are not addressed or resolved.