IQCS Background

This project was chartered by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) at their January 2001 meeting. Presently, there are several incident qualification and certification systems being used by the wildland fire community. This redundancy has created data management problems for field units.

An Information Engineering requirements study, the Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS) Study was completed in April 2000. IQCS Study team members were from USFWS, USFS, BLM, BIA, NPS, and NASF. This study identified the business, information and generalized technical requirements for a qualifications and certification system.

The goal of the IQCS Project is to provide a system that efficiently documents that the personnel assigned to incidents are qualified to perform in a safe and efficient manner. The system will also consist of training and work force analysis modules.

The IQCS will use NWCG Enterprise Architecture standards for development of interagency wildland fire systems and take advantage of opportunities for interoperability and timely data exchange between these systems.

An open bid acquisition strategy has been used to determine the vendor best equipped to meet the IQCS Study requirements and needs of the fire community. Bearing Point was awarded the contract to design, construct, and implement the IQCS. Bearing Point is a technology integrator based in McLean, Virginia with excellent past performance in both the government and private sector. They have partnered with ML Technologies, the current DOI, IQCS contract, and have proposed a PeopleSoft based solution.

The Bearing Point will consist of a Project Manager and five information technology specialists. The Government Team, of interagency composition, will consist of a Project Manager, four business specialists, and two information technology specialists. Both team swill work together in office spaced located at the BLM Idaho State Office in Boise, Idaho. The project is scheduled to start May 2002.

For more information on the IQCS Project visit the Web Page at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/iqcs/index.htm