National Interagency Coordination Center

National Interagency Coordination Center
Name	National Interagency Coordination Center
Formation	1968
Headquarters	Boise, Idaho
Parent organization	United States Forest Service; National Interagency Fire Center

National Interagency Coordination Center is the federal focal point for strategic coordination of wildland fire resources across the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of the Interior. Located at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, the center integrates assets from the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. It operates within the framework of the National Incident Management System, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and interacts with agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Department of Homeland Security.

Overview

The center provides national-level coordination for allocation of fire suppression resources including aircraft from entities like United States Air Force contracted operators, crews from the Civilian Conservation Corps legacy training programs, and logistical support tied to National Guard mobilizations and United States Coast Guard assets. It aligns strategic objectives with policies established by the Wildland Fire Leadership Council and operational guidance from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. The center serves as a nexus among federal agencies, state entities such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and tribal authorities including the Navajo Nation and Cherokee Nation.

History

Origins trace to interagency responses to large incidents like the Mann Gulch Fire and systemic reforms following inquiries into incidents such as the Yosemite Firestorm of 1990 and the 1994 South Canyon Fire aftermath. Institutional evolution was influenced by federal inquiries including recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel on Wildland Fire and policy shifts after the formation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Over decades the center incorporated practices from the Incident Command System developed after the Kerfoot Creek Fire era and lessons learned from major conflagrations such as the Yellowstone fires of 1988.

Organization and Mission

Staffed by representatives from the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and state partners like the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, the center functions under policy oversight from interagency bodies including the National Interagency Fire Center board and the Wildland Fire Leadership Council. The mission aligns with legislation such as the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and operational guidance from the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Executive-level coordination involves stakeholders from the Department of the Interior and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Operations and Incident Coordination

Operational duties include national resource ordering, prioritization during periods like the 2002 Western North America Drought, and deployment coordination during incidents such as the Camp Fire (2018) and Bootleg Fire (2021). The center manages resource ordering portals and dispatch coordination with incident command posts operating under the National Incident Management System and interfaces with aviation regulation from the Federal Aviation Administration and meteorological support from the National Weather Service. Coordination also includes international exchanges under agreements with partners like Canada and contingency planning referenced in documents from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments.

Resources and Capabilities

Capabilities encompass management of fixed-wing airtanker contracts held by companies formerly including Tanker 131 operators and modern large air tankers derived from conversions used by contractors tied to the 1970s aerial firefighting programs. The center tracks national caches of fire suppression supplies, manages mobilization of hand crews trained by institutions like the National Wildfire Coordinating Group training centers, and allocates resources including smokejumpers from bases associated with the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. It also coordinates heavy equipment such as dozers and aviation assets procured under procurement rules influenced by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Interagency Relationships and Partnerships

The center maintains formal liaisons with entities including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and state agencies like the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. It engages with tribal governments such as the Yakama Nation and research institutions including the United States Geological Survey and universities like University of California, Berkeley and Colorado State University for fire behavior science and fuel modeling. Partnerships extend to private contractors, aviation companies, and non-governmental organizations like the American Red Cross during large incident support.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have centered on prioritization algorithms during high-demand seasons after events like the 2017 California wildfires and debates over cost-sharing mechanisms exemplified during disputes involving the Great Recession (2007–2009) budgetary constraints. Scholars and practitioners citing cases such as the Mendocino Complex Fire have questioned centralized resource allocation versus local control, referencing analyses from think tanks and commissions that include the Congressional Research Service and congressional hearings in the United States Congress. Controversies also touch on aviation safety following incidents investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and policy tensions over fire management strategies noted in reports by the Government Accountability Office.

Category:United States firefighting