"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other."
President John F. Kennedy
Incident Qualifications
The Incident Qualification Card in the Incident Command System (ICS) is commonly called a Red Card. It is an accepted interagency certification that a person is qualified to do the required job when arriving on an incident.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group sets minimum training, experience and physical fitness standards for wild fire positions. Incident Qualification Cards are issued by the firefighting agencies, that are members of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, to individuals who successfully complete the required training, experience and physical fitness (Work Capacity) test.
In place of Incident Qualification Cards, local and rural firefighting agencies may issue letters of certification that state the individuals have met the appropriate physical fitness, experience and training standards.
Qualifications for federal employees are maintained in the Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS). State employee qualifications are maintained in each state's Incident Qualification System (IQS). Both systems transfer this information to the Resource Ordering and Status System (ROSS).
Information on IQCS training can be found on the IQCS Website.
Obtaining a Qualifications (Red) Card Begin by discussing your interest in fire with your immediate supervisor to obtain permission to pursue the training and other requirements as well as go on incidents
Work Capacity Test The Work Capacity Test used in the National Park Service is the Pack Test. It is used to qualify individuals for the three levels of wildland firefighting duty: Arduous, Moderate, and Light.
Taskbooks Taskbooks are the final step following required training and prerequisite experience to gaining a qualification in a particular position.
Incident Management Team Participation There are two types of Incident Management Teams (IMTs): Type 1 and Type 2 used to manage large incidents. Some areas have Type 3 IMT's to manage smaller incidents that extend for multiple operational periods.
Wildland Fire Training
Web site that enables access to Local Area, Geographic Area, National, and other related Interagency Wildland Fire Training information.
Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program
Web site provides information which allows individuals to strive for a higher performance level as a leader through self-directed learning opportunities.
Refresher Training
The web site, updated annually, offers guidance, agency policies, emerging issues, training materials and topics to assist instructors in preparing to teach annual refresher training.
