Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO)

Did you know that we have Wildland Fire Crew personnel who are qualified as Fire Effects Monitors? They are referred to as FEMOs and are quite useful on both wildland fires and prescribed fires. A FEMO collects information about an incident from their own personal observations at the incident itself. Some information they collect could be fire perimeter, the weather on site, the fire behavior, fuel conditions, smoke and other information needed to measure firefighter safety and whether established incident objectives and requirements are being achieved. While many may know FEMOs as people who sling weather, they can be utilized so much more! They can collect the appropriate samples of fuel, soil, and vegetation for a moisture analysis. This can be useful so that you know what your fuels are doing. They are trained to be able to recognize atmospheric conditions that affect fire behavior – this can give you a heads up to get people to safety if needed. Along with this, they can monitor and record fire behavior data throughout the operation. A FEMO can also plot a fire’s progression on a map and record estimates of things like rate of spread, flame length and general fire behavior. This would be useful to generate a plan of attack or to have alternate plans ready. They can also monitor ongoing ignitions (this includes burnout or backfiring) and note any fire behavior characteristics, as well as monitor and record smoke dispersion and air quality information. Don’t be afraid to utilize a FEMO for more than just the weather! They are very versatile personnel.