1. Cooperative Agreements “Suppression”

2. What’s that Document? Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement
Cooperative Agreement
Fire Protection Agreement
Master Cooperative Agreement
Cooperators Agreement
Master
Sub-Geographic (multiple)
Master National
Southern Blue
Northern Blue
Reciprocal Fire Protection
Master Agreement for Reciprocal Fire Protection
Cost Share Agreement
Offset
Background
Why I was Interested in volunteering for the task group
Lets hold one another accountable and use the correct terminology.
Interactive – Learn from one another.
Not all assignments identified at the AAR in Bend have been finazlized. We can share what projects we have in the works.
The need: Lack of consistency in choice of instrument
Contract purchasing tool
Cost share
Partnership
Acquisition type
Fire-line agreement
Interpretation of authorities
Confusion amongst partners
Delayed payments when agreements not in place.
Supplemental Agreement
Fire Protection Assistance Agreement
Mutual Aid
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Annual Operating Plans
Operating Plans

3. Objectives
Recognize the differences between an agreement and procurement and when to apply each.
Identify common types of agreements and authorities used by Wildland Fire Agencies.
Identify national level agreements that allow for interagency participation in Fire Management activities.

4. Objectives - continued
Define the use of Cooperative Agreements and their operating plans.
Use of RFD template and a consistent template for operating plans
Practice/Interactive
Provide tools – Share what’s in the works

5. Interagency Cooperation
Interagency coordination and cooperation are essential at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels.
WHY?
Ask group question – Why
Looking for
Intermingled ownership
Resources
Landscape
Common training, communication and inter-operability
Reduced budget

6. Interagency Coordination
Intermingled ownerships
Efficient use of resources
Landscape level planning and treatments
Common training, communication, and inter-operability
Reduced budgets
Justification for the Fire Directives (DOI).
Fire Suppression is provided by BLM fire employees and through cooperative protection agreements and contracts with federal and state agencies to leverage resources and gain efficiency. Under these arrangements, protection responsibilities are exchanged and resources shared. It identified the planned contributions for interagency-shared resources in order to appropriately respond to wildland fire to meet land use plan objectives.

7. Interagency Cooperative Groups
National: NWCG
Geographic Area: PNWCG
Local: Sub-geographic Area groups
Provide first two pages of each agreement identified.

8. Cooperative Fire Agreement Flow Chart
Requested of GIS – Vale (flip chart size)
Will have handout of this page.
For todays presentation, we will focus on the center and items to the right; suppression.

9. Cooperative Instruments
Grants
Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)
Procurements
Agreements
Memorandums of Agreement (MOA)

10. MOU?? Procurement?? Agreement?? Grant??

11. MOU
Informal Agreement that documents the who, what, how, and why of an interagency relationship
Outlines procedures
Does not allow for payments or “exchange” of anything of value

12. Procurement
Acquire goods or services for the direct benefit of the federal agency.
Purchase requisition or Contract

13. Agreement Many kinds of agreements and authorities.
Mutual interest and benefit
Agency substantially involved in implementation
Transfer something of value to others for public benefit
Intergovernmental Orders (IGOs)

14. Cooperative Agreements
National Master Agreement signed by the 5 Federal Wildland Fire Agencies
Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Response Agreement ( PNWCG)
Local Cooperative Fire Protection Agreements
This could be Fire Cooperative Fire Protection Agreements
RFD template

15. Authorities
Federal Agency must have legal authority prior to entering any contract, grant, or agreement, which could result in the use, obligation or other commitment of any agency resources.

16. Fire Related Authority
Reciprocal Fire Protection Act of May 22, 1955 (42 USC 1856a; PL 84-46)
Authorizes any federal agency with fire protection responsibilities to enter into reciprocal agreements with any fire organization maintaining fire protection facilities adjacent to federal lands or facilities.

17. Master Agreements List authorities
Defines how agencies will cooperate in broad terms
Authorizes joint activities such as training, dispatching, etc.

18. Operating Plans Multiple levels PNW Geographic Area Local Area
Provides specific details on how the agencies will cooperate.
Reviewed annually and updated if necessary.

19. Supplemental Fire Suppression Agreement (Cost-Share) Master Agreement Exhibit F
Required for multi-jurisdictional fires between federal and state agencies.
Defines the process for sharing costs
R6 and BLM Templates available
You can only engage in a cost share agreement with parties that have signed a cooperative fire protection agreement.
This identifies what resources are on incident.
Who is responsible for what resources and the cost associated with them.
(template available)

20. Local Cooperative Fire Protection Agreements
Local fire protection entities, i.e. Fire Districts
R6 and BLM Templates available
State Entities have Mutual Aid Agreements in place.
Minor changes to language – will be issued soon (FS).
Presented to State FMO. Received his concurrence, need to have Grants personnel to look at. (BLM)
Dispatchers need to annotate which agreement they are utilizing.

21. Tools Information Being Gathered from FMOs and Center Managers
Information being gathered for posting on a website.
How to be maintained has not been finalized.

22. What Instruments? Situation 1
To obtain goods and other services from non-signatory parties to the R6 Master Agreement during an incident for the exclusive use and benefit of the Federal Government
use a procurement action

23. What Instruments? Situation 2
To establish incident cost-sharing responsibilities with a non-Federal entity that IS signatory to the R6 Master Agreement for a multi-jurisdictional fire
Supplemental Fire Suppression

24. What Instruments? Situation 3
To obtain from or provide assistance to another Federal agency that IS signatory to the R6 Master Agreement (BLM, NPS, BIA, USFWS) in a fire emergency
no additional agreement is required because "Federal agencies will not bill each other for fire suppression support

25. What Instruments? Situation 4
To establish a mutual aid relationship with, OR to obtain from and/or provide services to a non-Federal party that IS NOT signatory to the R6 Master Agreement (e.g., County, City, or Rural Fire District/Department, etc.) for: Personnel, Equipment OR a combination of the above,

26. What Instruments? Situation 5
To plan for and obtain emergency assistance from another NON-wildland management Federal agency (Federal agency NOT signatory to the R6 Master Agreement)
Interagency Agreement format of the "Requesting Agency" (agency providing funds)

27. What Instruments? Situation 6
To develop, or to revise (annual update), an Operating Plan with another entity that IS signatory to the R6 Master Agreement (Federal or non- Federal) for suppression-related activity and NOT transferring any funds
Operating Plan Outline Guide in the R6 Master Agreement

28. The Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement (NW Compact Act)
INDIAN SPRINGS 2001

29. History
CIVIL WAR - STATES PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING INTO COMPACTS WITHOUT PERMISSION OF CONGRESS.
Authority
NOVEMBER 1998 CONGRESS GAVE PERMISSION BY PASSING PUBLIC LAW

30. Membership Oregon Washington Alaska Idaho Montana Yukon Territory
Northwest Territories
Province of Saskatchewan
Province of British Columbia
Province of Alberta

31. Billing Procedure This entire subject is a hot topic.
Under The Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement (NW Compact Act) Neither the FS or the BLM are signatories to this agreement.
Bills should be between the parties within the agreement.
Billing for FEPP (Federal Excess Property) is not allowed. It has already been paid for.

32. Remember!
Since consistent application of interagency policies and guidelines is essential, procedures in the IIBMH will be followed.
We all have responsibility to ensure that any agreement initiated is in the best interest of the agency.
For Federal include the local Grants and Agreements Coordinator in the development process for all agreements.
At that time of dispatch, it would be helpful if Dispatch document under what agreement a resource is being ordered. Another words, is Pine Valley Rural Fire Department hired under and agreement with FS/DOI or are they being hired through ODF as a pass-through. Otherwise, they like Contractors could utilize the agreement that is most advantageous to the RFD.

33. QUESTIONS?

34. Objectives
Recognize the differences between an agreement and procurement and when to apply each.
Identify common types of agreements and authorities used by Wildland Fire Agencies.
Identify national level agreements that allow for interagency participation in Fire Management activities.

35. Objectives - continued
Define the use of Cooperative Agreements and their operating plans.
Use of RFD template and a consistent template for operating plans
Practice/Interactive
Provide tools – Share what’s in the works