Fire Procurement
INCIDENT BUSINESS PRACTICES WORKING TEAM
To: Don Artley, Chair, NWCG
Date: June 5, 2001
Incident Business Coordinators
From: Incident Business Management Working Team
Subject: Incident Business Operating Guidelines and Unique Items
The Incident Business Practices Working Team (IBPWT) was contacted by several incident business coordinators requesting assistance in the area of purchasing or leasing of unique items, supplemental foods, and rental cars. At out recent meeting we drafted the following language that an Agency Administrator may include in some form in their unit's incident business guidelines:
Specialty Items:
The Agency Administrator has the authority to establish additional purchasing restrictions or limitations on specialty items, such as:
- Cameras: digital, video, still
- Cellular Telephones
- GPS Units
- Laptop Computers
- Personal Digital Assistant (electronic organizers)
- Handheld radios
- Scanners
- Facsimile machines
- Copy machines
Procurement officials must follow agency regulations when purchasing.
Cellular Telephones:
If an individual has a cellular phone with them from their home unit, approval for the use of the phone during the assignment must be received from the incident agency in order for the cost of the telephone calls to be billed back to the incident. A resource order number should be issued for documentation and approval, and a cop attached to any billings submitted for reimbursement.
Reimbursement will not occur without the proper documentation.
Rental Cars:
Rental cars may not be leased or rented without prior authorization and a resource order number.
The Agency Administrator has authority to limit the number of rental cars.
Supplemental Foods:
Incident Agency regulations apply when determining the appropriate types and quantities of food and drinks provided over and above catered meals at the incident The incident agency should provide a supplemental food and drink policy to the Incident Management Team.
The standard template of the guidelines can be found in the Interagency Incident Business Management Handbook, NFES 2160, in the tool kit, as well as on the NWCG website. The best location for these types of items in the guidelines is after the Buying Team Procedures and before Property Management. The items listed above should serve as a tickler list for the unit to develop specific criteria they want followed by any incident management team when they arrive. The guidelines are there to serve as a tool for ensuring the Agency Administrator's criteria for sound business management practices occurs.
The working team felt it was not their place to propose establishment of specific guidelines, since the Agency Administrator has control within the delegation of authority as to what is acceptable.
The addition of this section will be posted to the electronic version of the incident business guidelines found at http://www.nwcg.gov/.
Sincerely,
/s/ Tory Majors
Tory Majors, Chair IBPWT
