Primary Objectives

• Establish and provide leadership to position steering committees.
• Collects seasonal updates:
  • Update qualification and curriculum.
  • Facilitate seasonal After Action Reviews (AARs).
  • Prepare content for refreshers.
  • Provide recommendations/edits to NWCG Standards for Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, PMS-515.
  • Other duties tasked by IFUASS.
• Makes recommendations to IFUASS for implementation.
• Reports to IFUASS.

Background

The IFUASS provides national leadership to develop and disseminate guidance on the use of UAS in wildland fire management (incident) operations. As UAS programs have become more prolific across the interagency spectrum, the need to recognize and share strategic, philosophical, and educational guidance has become clear. As UAS capacity and pilot demand continue to increase, the need for a sanctioned ‘Board’ to demonstrate transparent and collaborative leadership for UAS training and workforce development is recommended. By NWCG definition, a board is a “long-standing body of subject matter experts organized to establish performance criteria, evaluation processes, business requirements, and operational standards in specific NWCG business areas (e.g., airtankers, incident reporting, position naming).”

Membership

• Diverse representation of philosophy, expertise, experience, and strategic relevance.
• Seven – Nine Members:
  • CHAIR
  • Unmanned Aircraft System Pilot (UASP) Steering Committee Chair
  • Unmanned Aircraft System, Module Leader (UASL) Steering Committee Chair
  • Unmanned Aircraft System, Manager (UASM) Steering Committee Chair 
  • Unmanned Aircraft System, Data Specialist (UASD) Steering Committee Chair
  • Interagency Ariel ignition Committee (IAIU) Chair 
  • NWCG Representative
  • Other

Supervision

• Oversees Position Steering Committees:
  • UASM, UASL, UASP, UASD, and Aerial Delivery at a minimum