Checklist - Wildland, Heat and Weather | Fire Service Safety Management System

Scope

This category audits Wildland and Interface Program (FSSMS-PRG-19) and Heat, Cold and Weather Program (FSSMS-PRG-20): qualifications and fitness for the fireline, wildland PPE and the structural-gear limit, LACES and the tactical safety core, the fire shelter position, structure protection and sprinklers, apparatus in wildland, air operations and airspace, deployment caps and housing, mutual aid and in-briefing, smoke exposure logging, heat and cold action levels, acclimatization, work-rest and hydration, lightning, wind and severe weather, carbon monoxide at scenes and in rehab, and the accountability loop of both programs. Rehab vitals and release are audited under the Firefighter Rehabilitation category and only referenced here. Run it annually by the internal audit schedule in 01 Audit Program, at the end of the fire season where possible, and score it per 02 Audit Checklist Master Index.

Criteria

The items below are drawn from: NFPA 1140 wildland competencies and continuing professional development (NFPA 1140, 2022); NFPA 1950 wildland ensembles (NFPA 1950, 2025); CAN/CGSB-155.22 fireline workwear (CAN/CGSB-155.22, n.d.); the Canadian interagency exchange standards and WFX-FIT (Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, n.d.); NFPA 1580 rehabilitation triggers and medical monitoring (NFPA 1580, 2025); NFPA 1550 risk management, air monitoring and accountability (NFPA 1550, 2024); CSA Z1010 extreme conditions (CSA Z1010:18); the ACGIH heat and cold stress threshold limit values, where the applicable OHS regulation adopts them (ACGIH, n.d.; J22 Exposure Limits, Heat and Cold Stress); CSA Z94.4 respiratory protection (CSA Z94.4-18); NFPA 1900 aerial wind ratings (NFPA 1900, 2024); NFPA 1910 in-service apparatus (NFPA 1910, 2024); NFPA 2400 public-safety RPAS (NFPA 2400, 2024); the 2023 Nova Scotia wildfire after-action themes (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024); the Ontario best-practice guidance notes on wildland PPE, helicopters, heat and cold, rehab, lightning, water and air monitoring (MLITSD, n.d.); and the accreditation criteria for the wildland program and for risk management at emergencies, hazard reporting, exposure records, accountability, safety training and rehabilitative medical evaluation (CPSE, 2019, criteria 5K.1 to 5K.3, 11A.2, 11A.5, 11A.8, 11A.10, 11A.12, 11B.1).

Scoring

0 not in place. 1 documented, not implemented. 2 implemented, not verified effective. 3 implemented and effective with evidence. Score every item; mark “n.a.” only where the Program Profile Worksheet records the wildland module as Not applicable (the heat, cold and weather items are never n.a.). The category score is the mean of scored items; report it as a category, never folded into one program number. For each item, the auditor records the evidence seen, the finding, the owner and the due date; findings below 3 go to the Corrective Action Register.

Items

A. Program, agreement and qualifications (wildland)

#	Item	Stage	Evidence expected
1	A written wildland and interface program approved by the fire chief, consulted on with the JOHSC, reviewed within 12 months of adoption and at least every three years, with scope, lead-agency statement and unified-command trigger (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1	Signed program; toolkit T1; JOHSC minutes; review dates
2	The structure protection and sprinkler set-up responsibility is written and agreed with the provincial or territorial wildfire agency (J35 Wildland and Interface Fire) and the municipality, dated within the last 12 months (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1	T1 sprinkler line; agency meeting record
3	Every member on the wildland roster holds the basic wildland course the province or territory recognizes (J35 Wildland and Interface Fire) with recurrency inside 12 months and entrapment avoidance training (Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, n.d.; BC Wildfire Service, 2026)	S1	Roster T2; certificates; sample five members
4	ICS-100 for all members; ICS-200 for officers who may hold command, division or branch roles; ICS-300 where the department fills section roles (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1	Training records; sample five officers
5	Crew and engine leaders meet the wildland fire officer competencies and the continuing professional development requirement (NFPA 1140, 2022)	S2	Qualification records; CPD entries
6	Fireline members hold medical clearance and the adopted job-related fitness test outcome (WFX-FIT for exchange-eligible members or the department’s standard) (Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, n.d.; NFPA 1580, 2025)	S1 clearance; S2 fitness	Outcome-only records (never the medical file); sample five
7	The department’s fire shelter position is written, taught, and includes what happens when a visiting crew carries shelters (Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, n.d.)	S1	T1; training outline; in-briefing card
8	A mutual aid and provincial resource request path is documented with check-in, check-out and demobilization steps, and visiting crews receive a recorded in-briefing	S1	Agreement; records from the last deployment; in-briefing sign-offs
9	An annual joint exercise or tabletop with the provincial agency and the emergency management office covered structure protection, evacuation and air operations, with an AAR (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1	Exercise record; AAR; recommendations in the register

B. PPE, LACES, structures, apparatus and air (wildland)

#	Item	Stage	Evidence expected
10	Wildland ensembles to the current standard or fireline workwear to the Canadian standard are issued or cached in the crew’s sizes on every wildland-capable apparatus, inspected after use and each spring, retired by condition (NFPA 1950, 2025; CAN/CGSB-155.22, n.d.)	S1	T3 sheets; cache inspection; sample two apparatus
11	The structural-gear limit (interior interface work and the first minutes only) is written in the SWP and observed in practice (CSA Z1010:18)	S1	SWP; incident safety officer observations; AAR notes
12	A LACES briefing form is completed before every engagement, naming the lookout, timed escape routes, safety zone and trigger points; sample the last three engagements (NFPA 1140, 2022)	S1	Form - Wildland Deployment Briefing and Work-Rest Log Part A; tactical worksheets
13	The ten standard orders, the watch-out situations and the common denominators are on the briefing card and in recruit and recurrency training (National Wildfire Coordinating Group, n.d.)	S1	Card; training outline
14	The interface size-up and triage worksheet was used for every structure at the last interface fire, with a withdrawal trigger and a driveway escape recorded	S1	Toolkit T5 worksheets; incident record
15	Apparatus placement rules (backed in, nose out, clearance, no dead-end without turnaround), soft-shoulder and backing rules, and the pump-and-roll procedure are written and taught (NFPA 1910, 2024)	S1	SWP; driver training records
16	Every wildland-capable apparatus carries coupling adapters for the structural and forestry thread patterns in use, and hose was tested in spring and washed and dried after every use (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1	T3; adapter inventory; hose records; check two apparatus
17	Chainsaw program: competent-person training, chaps and face shields, pre-use inspection, snag rules (CSA Z62.1 and Z62.3, n.d.)	S1	Training records; kit inspection
18	Air operations rules are written and briefed: aircraft and channels on the briefing, drop clearance, landing zone rules, no side channels, aircrews receive the plan; department RPAS never enter the fire traffic area without air operations approval and land on manned aircraft approach (NFPA 2400, 2024; MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-41)	S1 rules; S2 joint air exercise	Briefing forms; radio plan; RPAS flight logs showing approvals
19	Radios are programmed with the agency’s channels and the air-to-ground channel, checked each spring; crews have a field map or mapping application (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1	Channel check record; device inventory
20	A respiratory protection matrix for wildland and interface work exists inside the Respiratory Protection Program: SCBA for interior interface work, APR where assessed, rotation and clean-air rehab for the fireline; wildland members are fit tested for any APR issued (CSA Z94.4-18)	S1 matrix; S2 APR	Matrix; fit-test records; observation at an incident

C. Deployment, exposure and learning (wildland)

#	Item	Stage	Evidence expected
21	Work-rest ratio, shift cap and deployment minimum and maximum are written and tracked per member on every deployment; breaches were acted on (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1	Toolkit T8 tracker; work-rest logs; actions
22	Responders on deployment were housed in clean air with rest rotation, meals, showers, laundry and end-of-shift peer or counsellor access (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 2024)	S1 caps; S2 full camp standard	Camp decision record; demobilization checklist
23	An exposure record exists for every member on the last wildland deployment in the same tracking system as structural fires, with smoke intensity, duration, respiratory protection, proximity to burning structures and any carbon monoxide readings (IARC, 2023; CPSE, 2019, criterion 11A.10)	S1	Exposure records; sample five members
24	An after-action review was completed for the last significant wildland incident or deployment and its recommendations are tracked in the register with owners and dates (CPSE, 2019, criterion 5K.3)	S1	AAR; register entries
25	Heat illness, near misses with drops, aircraft, vehicles, snags and entrapment threats are reported and reviewed; the last season’s cases are closed	S1	Learning system records; closure evidence

D. Heat, cold and weather

#	Item	Stage	Evidence expected
26	A written heat, cold and weather program on the CSA Z1010 structure, approved, consulted on with the JOHSC, with a seasonal hazard assessment by activity (CSA Z1010:18)	S1	Signed program; toolkit T1; JOHSC minutes
27	Heat action levels are keyed to WBGT against the adopted threshold limit values with a clothing adjustment for structural ensembles, with humidex proxies stated; cold action levels are keyed to wind chill with the work-warm-up schedule as the basis; each level names its controls and the stop level (ACGIH, n.d.; CSA Z1010:18)	S1	Toolkit T2 with numbers filled; posted at stations
28	A WBGT instrument is on the rehab unit and at the training ground, calibrated per the manufacturer, and readings are logged at the start and at least hourly during work in heat	S1	Instrument; calibration record; Form - Heat and Cold Stress Monitoring Log from the last three extended incidents
29	Rehab is established on the NFPA 1580 triggers at working fires, extended incidents and training, with medical monitoring and release criteria approved by the medical director; monitoring logs exist for all live fire and wildland training (NFPA 1580, 2025)	S1	Rehab logs; monitoring logs; medical director sign-off (detail scored in the Rehabilitation category)
30	An acclimatization schedule for recruits, new members and members returning from absence is in the recruit timetable and was followed by the last class (CSA Z1010:18; ACGIH, n.d.)	S1	Timetable; WBGT logs for hot training days; stop decisions
31	Hydration provisions are on every apparatus; cooling (chairs or basins, misting fan, shade) and warming (heated shelter, blankets, dry gloves and socks, dry change) equipment is inventoried on the rehab unit and changed over each season	S1	Apparatus sheets; rehab unit inventory; toolkit T6
32	Members and officers are trained in heat and cold illness recognition and first response, hydration, lightning, wind and carbon monoxide; the refresher was delivered this year (CPSE, 2019, criterion 11A.5)	S1	Toolkit T8 sign-offs; sample five members
33	The lightning 30/30 rule is written and practised: non-emergency work and training stop, crews off roofs, ladders and water, aerials lowered, resume 30 minutes after the last thunder; the aerial lowering was practised in the annual drill (MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-8)	S1	Toolkit T3; drill record
34	Each aerial device’s manufacturer wind limit is posted in the cab and in the SWP, and operators know it (NFPA 1900, 2024)	S1	Placards; interview two operators
35	A weather go or no-go table for training is posted and training stopped or cancelled on the stop level this year was recorded against it	S1	Toolkit T3; training records
36	Weather alerts (lightning, heat, extreme cold, wind, winter storm) reach dispatch and the day’s action level is broadcast at the start of each duty period and when it changes (Environment and Climate Change Canada, n.d.)	S1	Dispatch subscription; dispatch log sample; shift-change records
37	Multi-gas meters with carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide are bump tested at the start of every duty period on first-due apparatus; SCBA is worn at overhaul until readings are below the adopted action levels; readings are logged (NFPA 1550, 2024; MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-51)	S1	Bump test records; incident readings; incident safety officer observations
38	Generators and heaters at scenes are placed downwind and away from rehab and command; every rehab shelter with a fuel-burning heater carries a carbon monoxide alarm; SpCO is screened in rehab when smoke exposure is possible (NFPA 1580, 2025)	S1	Rehab unit checklist; alarm inventory; rehab logs
39	Members within 3 m of open water or ice at winter and shore operations wear a Canadian-approved PFD; the 1-10-1 principle is taught (MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-2; Lifesaving Society, n.d.)	S1	Apparatus PFD inventory; training records; observation
40	Heat and cold illness cases, carbon monoxide readings above the action level in rehab or command, and lightning and wind near misses are reported as injuries or near misses, reviewed, and trended annually at the JOHSC (CPSE, 2019, criterion 11A.2)	S1	Reports; JOHSC minutes; quarterly worksheet trend line

E. Accountability loop, psychological safety and program cycle (both programs)

#	Item	Stage	Evidence expected
41	Accountability and closed feedback loop. Each program names one accountable line owner, the doers, the verifiers and their intervals, the feedback path with cycle times, and the closure rule with escalation on the register’s priority scale; the loop test can be demonstrated with a real item from the last year (Wildland and Interface Program section 11; Heat, Cold and Weather Program section 11)	S1	Section 11 of each program; terms of reference; register entries showing escalation; the reply to a reporter
42	Psychological safety. Members report that they can call a withdrawal, call themselves out of the heat or cold, or send a crew member to rehab without consequence; the officer’s reply is acknowledge and act; withdrawal and member-initiated rehab calls appear in AARs and are reviewed without blame; the safety culture survey item scores 90 percent or better (Edmondson, 1999)DOI	S1	Interviews with five members across career and volunteer stations; AAR records; 05 Safety Culture Baseline result
43	Every heat or cold illness, entrapment threat, drop event, vehicle incident or carbon monoxide poisoning is triaged to the right After the Call tier and learning information is kept inside the learning firewall (Wildland and Interface Program; Heat, Cold and Weather Program)	S1	Triage records; sample three events; interview the HSO
44	The Wildland and Interface Program Improvement Team (or the named officer) holds a learning-team session after the season, issues quarterly updates within 15 days of quarter end, completes the annual appraisal before the budget cycle, and carries both programs’ indicators including the psychological-safety measures (06 Program Improvement Teams; CPSE, 2019, criterion 5K.3)	S2	Session write-ups; quarterly worksheets T10 and T9; appraisal
45	Corrective actions from this category were logged within five working days, have a priority, owners and due dates, and overdue items were escalated on the register’s priority scale	S1	Corrective Action Register extract
46	Editions are watched (NFPA 1140, NFPA 1950 and NFPA 1580; CSA Z1010; the Canadian wildland PPE and OHS standards in development; the ACGIH TLV year; the provincial course) and changes are logged as corrective actions (CSA Z2031, in development)	S2	Quarterly update line; register entries
47	The Stage 1 minimum of each program is met in full before the department claims Stage 2	S1	Gap Assessment entry; this checklist’s scores

Effectiveness questions

These cannot be answered from documents. Observe or interview.

At a wildland engagement or the spring practical, watch a crew leader brief. Is the lookout a named person with a radio and no other task? Does anyone time the escape route out loud? Does the leader ask whether anyone sees a reason not to go, and wait for the answer?
Ask five members, career and volunteer, what happened the last time someone said “I need rehab” or “pull back” on a hot day. Did they go? What did the officer say in front of the crew? Would they say it again tomorrow?
On a July training day, read the WBGT yourself and ask the training safety officer what the day’s level is and what it changed. Then ask the recruits what they were told about reporting symptoms and whether anyone has been held back for heat this week.

Category result

Section	Items scored	Mean score	Items at 0 or 1	Lead finding
A. Program, agreement and qualifications
B. PPE, LACES, structures, apparatus and air
C. Deployment, exposure and learning
D. Heat, cold and weather
E. Accountability, psychological safety and cycle
Category

Auditor (role); date; auditee program manager (role); JOHSC member present (role).

Jurisdiction requirements

This chapter relies on the following legal requirements, which differ by province and territory. Check your jurisdiction’s section on each topic page before adopting it.

Topic	What to check in your jurisdiction	Page
Joint Committee and Health and Safety Representative	Whether the committee must be consulted on the wildland and the heat, cold and weather programs and their reviews, and its role in reviewing heat, cold and weather incidents (items 1, 26, 40)	J05 Joint Committee and Health and Safety Representative
Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air	Which respiratory protection program standard applies to wildland and interface work, and how often users of air-purifying respirators must be fit tested (item 20)	J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air
Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices	Whether equipment must be inspected before use and by a competent person at set intervals, and the design and service-testing standard for aerial devices, including wind limits (items 10, 15, 16, 34)	J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices
Exposure Limits, Heat and Cold Stress	Which exposure limits the OHS regulation adopts, such as the ACGIH threshold limit values, and any heat stress, cold stress or work-warm-up rules it sets (items 23, 27, 30, 37)	J22 Exposure Limits, Heat and Cold Stress
Wildland and Interface Fire	Which agency leads wildland fire, the basic wildland qualification it recognizes and its recurrency, and how the department requests and receives provincial or territorial resources (items 1 to 4, 8, 9, 46)	J35 Wildland and Interface Fire

References

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists [ACGIH]. (n.d.). Threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents and biological exposure indices (current edition).

BC Wildfire Service. (2026). S-100 2026 training standard (wildland fire suppression). Government of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/wildfire-status/employment/contract-opportunties/s-100_2026_training_standard.pdf

Canadian General Standards Board. (n.d.). CAN/CGSB-155.22, Fireline workwear for wildland firefighters (Standards Council of Canada notice of intent). https://scc-ccn.ca/standards/notices-of-intent/canadian-general-standards-board-cgsb/fireline-workwear-wildland-0

Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. (n.d.). Canadian Interagency Exchange Standards and WFX-FIT [Web page]. https://ciffc.ca/standards/wfx-fit

Center for Public Safety Excellence [CPSE]. (2019). Fire and emergency service self-assessment manual (10th ed.). Commission on Fire Accreditation International. https://cpse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10th-Edition-FESSAM-Strikethrough-Underline-v.4.pdf

CSA Group. (n.d.). CSA Z62.1 and CSA Z62.3, Chain saws; Chain saw safety.

CSA Group. (2018). CAN/CSA-Z94.4-18 (R2023), Selection, use, and care of respirators (5th ed.). https://www.csagroup.org/store/product/2426374/

CSA Group. (2018). CSA Z1010:18 (R2023), Management of work in extreme conditions. https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/csa/csaz10102018

CSA Group. (in development). CSA Z2031, Personal protective equipment ensembles for workers engaged in wildland firefighting (Standards Council of Canada notice of intent; comment period ended 2026-01-21). https://scc-ccn.ca/standards/notices-of-intent/csa-group/personal-protective-equipment-ensembles-workers-engaged

Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. doi:10.2307/2666999

Environment and Climate Change Canada. (n.d.). Public weather alerts for Canada; humidex and wind chill guidance [Web page]. https://weather.gc.ca

International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC]. (2023). Occupational exposure as a firefighter (IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans, Vol. 132; working group met June 2022). https://monographs.iarc.who.int

Lifesaving Society. (n.d.). Cold water immersion: The 1-10-1 principle. https://www.lifesaving.ca

National Fire Protection Association. (2022). NFPA 1140, Standard for wildland fire protection (consolidates NFPA 1051, 1141, 1143 and 1144). https://www.fire-police-ems.com/NFPA1140-2022.shtml

National Fire Protection Association. (2024). NFPA 1550, Standard for emergency responder health and safety (consolidates NFPA 1500, 1521 and 1561). https://www.fire-police-ems.com/NFPA1550-2024.shtml

National Fire Protection Association. (2024). NFPA 1900, Standard for aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles, automotive fire apparatus, wildland fire apparatus, and automotive ambulances (consolidates NFPA 414, 1901, 1906 and 1917). https://www.fire-police-ems.com/NFPA1900-2024.shtml

National Fire Protection Association. (2024). NFPA 1910, Standard for the inspection, maintenance, refurbishment, testing, and retirement of in-service emergency vehicles and marine firefighting vessels (consolidates NFPA 1071, 1911, 1912 and 1925). https://www.fire-police-ems.com/NFPA1910-2024.shtml

National Fire Protection Association. (2024). NFPA 2400, Standard for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) used for public safety operations. https://www.fire-police-ems.com/NFPA2400-2024.shtml

National Fire Protection Association. (2025). NFPA 1580, Standard for emergency responder occupational health and wellness (consolidates NFPA 1581, 1582, 1583 and 1584). https://www.fire-police-ems.com/NFPA1580-2025.shtml

National Fire Protection Association. (2025). NFPA 1950, Standard on personal protective equipment for technical rescue incidents, emergency medical operations, and wildland and urban interface firefighting (consolidates NFPA 1951, 1977 and 1999). https://www.fire-police-ems.com/NFPA1950-2025.shtml

National Wildfire Coordinating Group. (n.d.). 10 Standard Firefighting Orders, 18 Watch Out Situations, and common denominators of fire behavior on tragedy fires.

Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. (2024). 2023 Nova Scotia wildfires after-action report (prepared by Calian). https://novascotia.ca/natr/forestprotection/wildfire/nova-scotia-wildfires-2023-after-action-report.pdf

Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development [MLITSD]. (n.d.). Firefighter guidance notes (Section 21 Advisory Committee; individual notes revised to 2026). https://www.ontario.ca/document/firefighter-guidance-notes