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National Interagency Fire Center3833 S. Development AvenueBoise, Idaho 83705

July 6, 2010

To: Geographic Area Coordination Groups

From: National Multi Agency Coordinating Group

Subject: Firefighting Support from Australia

The National Multi Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) is requesting mid-level aviation and fire

management specialists from Australia to be deployed in specific locations in the United States. This will

be a 35 day deployment beginning on July 26 and ending on August 31, 2010.

Traditionally, requests between our two countries for fire suppression specialists have not been initiated

until we are in the midst of a wildfire siege. During the 2009-2010 bushfire season the Victorian

Government requested fire suppression specialists to pre-position around the state and be embedded in

fire management units to increase capacity and provide support to local fire managers in day-to-day

operations. In order to effectively meet this request, we developed a more stringent and formalized

application process to solicit qualified individuals. This included documentation of qualifications, fire

management experience, and professional skills. Geographic Area Coordination Groups (GACG) and theNMAC were involved in the selection and prioritization of applicants from their respective agencies and

Geographic Areas.

This proved to be a very successful exchange in providing them with incident management support and

allowing our personnel to gain knowledge of their fire programs and operational procedures prior to the

heat of battle.

We are requesting 14 mid-level specialists to be assigned to specific field units/Geographic Areas to

provide increased capability in key incident management positions and assist with day-to-day operations

and strategic planning. Certain criteria and consideration factors were thoughtfully evaluated in selection

of the host units:

a. Host units would be in locations where we expect to have the highest fire activity and thegreatest demand for incident management support at the peak of the season.

b. To the extent possible host sites would be within a 6-10 hour drive from Boise in order to facilitatetraining orientation, deployment, and oversight.

c. Hosts were determined from among the individuals that were selected for the Victoriandeployment in 2009-2010.

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There will be approximately 14 Australians assigned in pairs at seven host units:

- Wallowa-Whitman National Forest- Clearwater/Nez Perce National Forest- Idaho Falls District Bureau of Land Management- Winnemucca District Bureau of Land Management- San Bernardino National Forest- California Desert District Bureau of Land Management- National Interagency Coordination Center

The mutual benefits of this exchange are invaluable in addressing our common challenges in

wildland and bushfire management. Continuing this exchange provides opportunity to share

knowledge and best practices, while enhancing the personal and professional development of our

future leaders. Additional details and information updates regarding this deployment will be

provided as it becomes available.

Thank you for your involvement and commitment to making our exchanges successful and

maintaining positive relationships with our international partners.

Sincerely,

Karyn Wood

Chair, NMAC