Inventory -

The Northern Rockies Cache maintains a $12,000,000 inventory.  This provides the initial 48-hour supply for 5000 firefighters and support personnel plus ten Regional Mobile Cache Vans (NFES 82069).  As the initial ramp-up of support happens, the Cache establishes a supply logistics chain to maintain the support and manage it as necessary.

      Cache Catalogs:

                Alphabetical Catalog

                Numerical Catalog

Quality Assurance -

All Cache items must meet specific standards for use prior to being classified as "Ready For Issue".  New items and restock items are checked for damage, proper packaging, and correct quantity upon receipt.  Refurbished items are checked for serviceability, cleanliness, and life expectancy prior to repackaging in standard quantities, containers, and labeling. Items not passing Quality Assurance standards are returned to the Refurbishing section to correct any deficiencies or to be properly disposed if unserviceable. 

       Standards:

                Fire Equipment Storage and Refurbishing Standards (2007)

       Item Evaluations:

Kit Packing -

Kits are built to predetermined specifications.  Most kits adhere to national NFES standards, which are reviewed every two years by the NFES Kit Committee.  Other kits are unique to the Geographic Area, some of which are modified from national standards.

The Kit Committee is a subset of the National Fire Equipment System (NFES).  It receives and examines proposals for new kits, or changes in existing kits, from the interagency field community and Interagency Support Caches.  Committee proposals are then distributed to the field for review, input and concurrence.  After field review, the Committee presents a draft final for feedback from the National Cache Manager Committee, and then to the NFES group.  The NFES Committee makes the final decision before implementation.  Formal changes to standard packing lists are implemented prior to March 1 of the year following the decision. 

      Kits:   Kit Evaluation Form

Shipping -

Orders are processed as soon as possible with the objective to meet desired incident timeframes.  The resource order is received, reviewed and revised if necessary by the Administrative group.  Items or quantities may be changed or substituted to correct errors or prevent stock depletions.  Once the order is ready, it passes to the Shipping group to pick and prepare for transport.  Occasionally the Shipping group will discover a discrepancy which forces a modification of the order by the dispatcher.

Generally, we strive for a two-hour dispatch of supplies for same-day orders.  As business activity increases with multiple on-going incidents, it is reasonable to expect delays.  During these high volume periods when available supplies conflict with demand, priorities may be set by the Northern Rockies Coordination Center or the Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) groups. These priorities are used to determine the customer's place in line for services: Low priority equates only to a delay in delivery and not a lack of service. 

       Orders:

                Cache Vans

                Incident Ordering

                Incident Ordering Checklist

       Transportation:

                Quick Look At The Cache Fleet

Returns -

Items issued from the Cache are expected to be returned:  The only exception are used consumable items having a single-use purpose.  We offer Cache Demobilization Specialists to assist customers in the return process for large volumes of supply.

Customers receive full credit for the return of standard Cache items.  Items are received, inventoried and documented per incident.  The items are initially evaluated as either used or unused.  Unused items are immediately placed back into stock for reissue.  Used items are sent to various locations for repair and refurbishment. 

"Non-standard" items are those not stocked or issued by the Cache or do not meet NFES standards.  Generally these are purchased directly by the customer outside the Cache system.  All items that are deemed "non-standard" are offered back to the customer.  If the customer declines the offer, the items are set aside for use by other incidents upon request, or placed on the excess list for redistribution. 

Note: Customers are not credited for the return of Non-standard items to the Cache.

       Standards:

                Returns

                HAZMAT Haulback

                Demobilization Procedures

Repair and Refurbishment -

The Cache's Refurbishment program is composed of a variety of activities in-house or on contract, indoor and/or outdoor.  The indoor refurbishing team focuses on hand tools, sleeping pads, PPE (personal protective equipment, lanterns and other similarly small items.  The outdoor team handles the larger items and items requiring extensive cleaning such as fire hose, water tanks, outdoor heaters and tents.  The Cache employs service agreements for a number of different refurbishment and repair tasks.  For most of the Cache items, the Cache applies the Fire Equipment Storage and Refurbishing Standards (2007).  Otherwise, we incorporate best business practices.

                Small Engine and Pump Repair Shop