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Your Interagency Newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
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 The Center published 28 quarterly newsletters as Tactics, Techniques, Procedures and Processes were identified from the field from 2002 to 2011. These lessons and effective practices came from After Action Review Rollups, Information Collection Teams, and phone interviews. Scratchline's main purpose was to inform the wildland fire community in a fast and simple format. Two More Chains is the new Center newsletter. Check it out!
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Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Publication Protocols
Read the most recent Scratchline newsletters:
In October 2009 the National Fire Training Centers came together under one umbrella with the intent of providing a streamlined, specialized training program from entry through advanced levels. This Scratchline focuses on each of the National Fire Training Centers and covers program information, the incorporation of lessons learned, successes and challenges, and the vision for the future of each center.
The LLC staff recently interviewed seven fire training academy coordinators around the US regarding their notable successes, difficult challenges, effective safety practices, training recommendations and unresolved issues in the implementation of fire training academies.
The LLC staff recently interviewed eight Logistics Section Chiefs from around the United States regarding their notable successes, difficult challenges, effective safety practices, training recommendations and unresolved issues in the Logistics Section. Special thanks are extended to these Logistics Section Chiefs for sharing their significant lessons and practices with the wildland fire community.
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Liaison Officers play a critical role in IMT operations. All IMT members and others in wildland fire can learn from their lessons. The LLC staff recently interviewed seven Liaison Officers and Liaison Officer Trainees from around the United States regarding their notable successes, difficult challenges, effective safety practices, and training recommendations for Liaison Officers. Special thanks are extended to these Liaison Officers and trainees for sharing their significant lessons and practices with the wildland fire community.
(1MB pdf posted 2/19/2009) 
Eight Crew and Squad Bosses from around the United States were recently interviewed regarding their notable successes, difficult challenges, effective safety practices, crew training recommendations and unresolved issues in supervising squads and crews. Special thanks are extended to these Crew and Squad Bosses for sharing their significant lessons and practices with the wildland fire community.
(1MB pdf posted 7/25/2008) 
The LLC staff recently interviewed four Dispatch Center Managers and two Assistant Dispatch Center Managers from around the United States regarding their notable successes and difficult challenges in situational awareness (SA), effective practices, and pressing safety issues in managing dispatch centers. Special thanks are extended to these dispatch personnel for sharing their significant lessons and practices with the wildland fire community.  Scratchline Issue 22 - Australasia and U.S. Lessons Learned
Staff members of the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center and the Bushfire Cooperative Research Center recently interviewed twelve fire management professionals from the U.S., Australia and New Zealand regarding their experiences on one or more of their major wildfire assignments in these three countries as part of an exchange agreement . Specifically, these men and women shared their successes, challenges, effective practices, safety practices, and training recommendations.
 Scratchline Issue 21 - Air Operations on the Fireline
Ten experienced interagency aviation personnel were recently interviewed regarding their most notable successes, difficult challenges, effective practices and pressing safety issues in wildland fire air operations. Special thanks are extended to these interagency community members for sharing their important lessons and practices with the wildland fire community.
 Scratchline Issue 19, Wildland Urban Interface, Part 1 of 2 (1.5 MB PDF suitable for printing, posted 05/0707)
(1.5 MB PDF suitable for printing, posted 05/07/07)
Thirteen exerienced WUI specialists from federal and state fire agencies and Firewise were recently interviewed regarding their notable successes, effective work practices, most difficult challenges, most important WUI advice, and WUI training recommendations in wildland urban interface operations and practices.
The LLC staff recently interviewed ten forest supervisors, park superintendents, state fire managers and district rangers from around the United States regarding their notable successes, difficult challenges, effective practices and training recommendations for managing wildland fire incidents. These line officers also shared advice and guidance for other line officers and fire managers. Special thanks are extended to these agency administrators for sharing their significant lessons and practices with the wildland fire community.
Twelve journeymen chainsaw operators including regional saw program coordinators from the federal fire agencies and the private sector were recently interviewed regarding their notable successes, most difficult challenges, effective practices, and most pressing safety issues in chainsaw operations with respect to Lookout/Communications/Escape Routes/Safety Zones (LCES) and Situational Awareness (SA).  Scratchline Issue 15, Burned Area Emergency Response Lessons Learned (1.1 MB PDF suitable for printing, posted 031506)
Lessons Learned Center staff recently interviewed BAER team leaders and members from the interagency Burned Area Emergency Response community regarding their notable successes, most difficult challenges, effective practices, most pressing safety concerns and unresolved issues.
Hurricane Response Revisited: Lessons from Dennis, Katrina, and Rita in 2005 from teams describing their successes, challenges and unresolved issues from Operations and Logistics Staging Areas, Shelter Operations, Field Hospital/Trauma Centers. Also Highlights of the National Response Plan and Common Lessons from the Assignments are included.
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 Scratchline Issue 13 (1.1 MB PDF suitable for printing, posted on 080805)
Dozer and Tractor Plow Lessons Learned article focuses on Notable Successes in LCES and SA (Customized Dozer Fleet, Sticking to the Basics, Coordinating Swamper and LCES, Situational Awareness in Dozer Operations, Locating Safety Zones, Tactics That Incorporated LCES), Difficult Challenges in LCES and SA (Blow Down Increases Need for SA, Re-establishing LCES, Topography and Soils, Communicating with Overhead, Locating Safety Zones, Challenges in the Southeast), Effective Practices (Maneuvering in Boggy Terrain, Practice, Practice, Practice, Air Attack and HLCO Support, Using a Track Chain, Scouting the Line, Tactics and LCES, Direct Attack Preferred, Day and Night Operations, Tractor Plow Practices, Pinching Technique Effective) and Pressing Safety Issues (Equipment Maintenance and Inspections, Over Dependency on Aircraft, Assigning and Supporting Dozers, Standards for Dozers and Tractor Plows, Maintaining Current Communications). |
Wildland Fire Related Vehicle Accidents: An Emphasis on the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), ATV's vs. Passenger Vehicles, Perception and Reaction in Off-Road Situations, and The Do's and Don'ts of ATV Operation (also available in a High Quality Printing Version 2 MB PDF) |
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The Center's Eleventh Issue features information on Wildland Fire Use (WFU) Lessons Learned In 2004 (Preparing Internal Stakeholders for WFU, All Fire Management Personnel Need Adequate Exposure, WFU Definitions, Preparing for WFU Assignments, Provide WFU Orientation for Incoming Resources, Unit Cohesion in a Fire Use Module, Effective and Productive Data Collection, Sharpen Situational Awareness Skills for WFU, Resource Advisors and Briefings, Wilderness Boundaries and Maximum Manageable Areas (MMA), Acquiring Weather Data, Local Units Must Train to Prepare WFIP, Use an Interdisciplinary Approach to Prepare the WFIP, FUMT to Manage All Aspects of the Incident, FUMT Command Post Needs, Balance Between Oversight and Team Operations, and Risk Communications and the Information Plan). |
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The Center's Tenth Issue features information on Prescribed Fire and Fire Use Lessons Learned (The Value of Public Education and Information, Managing Multiple Events, Capturing Fuels and Fire Behavior Knowledge, Lessons In Complexity, Contingency Planning in Extreme Drought Conditions, Situational Awareness and Human Factors) and a one page After Action Review (AAR) Tips Sheet.
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 Scratchline, Issue 9, Spring 2004 (276 KB PDF posted 061704)
The Center's Ninth Issue features information on How The New Wildland Fire Community Center Can Serve You with a Community Directory, a Discussion Center, and a Knowledge Exchange, lessons learned from the 2003 Successes and Challenges From AAR Rollups, a reminder about the Winning Series section of the Center's site, and Common Denominators of Serious Wildland Fire Related Vehicle Accidents (Perceptual Errors, Alcohol & Driving, Fatigue, and Lack of Seat Belt Use). |
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 Scratchline, Issue 8, Winter 2004 (270 KB PDF posted 050404)
The Center's Eighth Issue features lessons learned from the Southern California Firestorm 2003, Strategy and Tactics (Adapting Strategic Thinking, Structure Triage, Structure Protection Branches and Groups, Strike Team Organization, Bump and Run versus Anchor and Hold, and Residual Fire). This issue also features Lessons Learned by Crew Bosses collected through interviews with 10 Type-2 Crew Bosses during the summer of 2003. Lessons learned from achieved successes (A Well-Prepared Crew, A People Job, Taking Initiative and Providing Leadership in a Deteriorating Situation, and Turning a Crew Around), overcoming a challenge (Creating a Cohesive Team, Maintaining Control, Crew Safety and Welfare, Developing Crew Cohesion, and An Important Developmental Position), training curriculum recommendations (Qualification and Certification), and unresolved issues with recommendations (Training and Certifying Contract Crews). |
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 Scratchline, Issue 7, Fall 2003 (244 KB PDF posted 020504)
The Center's Seventh Issue features lessons learned from the Southern California Firestorm 2003, Part One, about Fire Behavior and Fuels (Extreme Fire Behavior, Transition to an Urban Conflagration, Fire Whirls, Wind Shifts, Fuels, Effects of Fuels Programs and Fuels Treatments). This issue also features lessons learned by Smokejumpers collected through interviews with crews from Idaho, Alaska and California, achieved successes (Rookie Training, Seizing Opportunity, Trainer Responsibilities and Influence), overcoming a challenge (Raising the Bar, Becoming a Leader, Incentive from Others, Making Good Decisions, Recognizing Abilities), training curriculum recommendations (Applicability of Leadership Training, AARs Improve Training Curriculum, Leadership Styles and Philosophies). |
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Special Reprint Edition, Issue 6, Summer 2003 (275 Kb PDF)
Our Driving Responsibility Reprinted collection of articles on driving and some very useful tools for everyone related to driving safety. |
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 Scratchline, Issue 5, Summer 2003 (218 Kb PDF)
The Center's Fifth Issue features Engine Crews' lessons learned from their recent fire seasons. The crews discuss successes (The IRPG as a Useful Tool for Engine Crews, Improvements to Radio Communications, Engine Access to Wildfires, Reduced Mechanical Problems), overcoming challenges (Sharing Ideas, Supplementing Agency Resources), training curriculum recommendations (Engine Boss Training, Toward a Cross-Functional Work Force), and an unresolved issue (Maximizing Ground Access for Engine Resources). A useful Practice Hoselay Drill Form is included. The cover article describes the After Action Review (AAR) and the AAR Rollup as new tools that everyone can use and benefit from. A Scratchline Survey for All Operations Supervisors finishes out this edition. |
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 Scratchline, Issue 4, Spring 2003 (PDF 335 Kb)
The Center's Fourth Issue features Hotshot Crew Superintendents' lessons learned from their recent fire seasons. The Superintendents discuss successes (Demonstrating Effective Leadership, Using Basic Tactics, Turndown Protocols), challenges (Thinking Firefighters, Operational Briefings, Transporting Crew Rigs, Concentrating on the Task at Hand), training recommendations (Interactive Training, Training During an Incident, Basic Training Emphasis), and unresolved issues (Overspecialization of Fire, Fatigue Management vs. Time Management, Rules of Engagement/Disengagement) in wildland fire. A second article examines two means to institute safety improvements in wildland fire vehicle operations (Specialized Training and Response Kits). |
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 Scratchline, Issue 3, Winter 2003 (PDF 361 Kb)
The Center's Third Issue with articles on the Interface Danger Zone Conference, Getting Prepared for the Fire Season with Updated Information, Tools of the Trade: Best Practices for Driving During Wildland Fires, Driving - A Shared Responsibility, Supervising Vehicle Operators: Pre-Hire Tools for Managers, and Web Sources for Driving Best Practices. |
 Scratchline, Issue 2, Fall, 2002 (PDF, 226 Kb) Second issue with articles on the New Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Web Site, Driving and Wildland Fires (Vehicle Accidents and Lessons Learned), Crews and Line Overhead (Operational Tactics, ICS Briefings, Crew Morale, Safety and Communications, Physical Training), and Fire Use Modules 2002 Season (Lessons Learned - Notable Successes, Overcoming a Challenge, Best Practices, Training Recommendations and Unresolved Issues. |
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 Scratchline, Issue 1, Summer, 2002 (PDF, 386 Kb)
Inaugural issue with articles on Incident Management Team's at the World Trade Center responding to the 9/11/01 Terrorist Attacks, Lessons From 2002 Type 3 Incidents in Hawaii, New Mexico and Arizona, and the After Incident Report on the Type 1 Bullock Fire near Tucson. |
Credits
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Editors - Brenna MacDowell and Paul Keller
Readability/Technical Advisor - Mike DeGrosky |
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