 The key to being an effective crew boss is the ability to safely adapt to a wide variety of environmental, physical and mental situations. The ability to perform fundamental tactics is critical in performing hand-crew operations in a successful suppression strategy. Also, most incidents have interagency involvement and you are there to provide a service to the using agency. Make sure that it is a quality service you provide. Four operational activities hand-crews perform are fire line construction, firing and holding operations, mop-up rehabilitation and initial action. Many individual tactical decisions must be made and tasks performed for these fundamental activities to be accomplished. In the process of executing tactics, the crew boss is the key transition position between management and the firefighters who perform the necessary tasks. Sound tactical decisions are based on a thorough and adequate size-up. It is essential that size-up be conducted in order for resources to be safe, productive and cost-effective. The crew boss begins collecting and verifying information in the operational briefing and continues by monitoring conditions throughout the operational period. There are many elements a crew boss should consider when conducting size-up operations. They include fuel characteristics, topographic characteristics, present and predicted weather conditions, present and predicted fire behavior conditions, lookouts, communications, escape routes and safety zones, LCES. The operational period, are you working during the day or are you working during the night? The overall size of your area of responsibility. There are a variety of personnel the crew boss can consult with when collecting and verifying information. Line personnel going off duty, such as crew bosses or division supervisors. The air tactical group supervisor or helicopter pilots. Local people including residents and utility personnel. Planning unit personnel such as field observers or the situation unit leader. There are items that are important to have in your possession when conducting size-up. These items will play an important role during size-up activities. There may be other items depending on the geographic location of the fire and or assignment. There are several methods a crew boss can use to perform a size-up mission. Ask pertinent questions concerning your assignment during the incident briefing. Request a helicopter flight through the division supervisor. Take advantage of the first flight into an assigned area and request the pilot to make various passes over the work area prior to landing at the assigned helispot. Personally travel through the area. Walk the fire line. Assign individuals to perform size-up in conjunction with you or separately on their own. There are various elements to be observed in relation to topography when conducting an aerial size-up. Observation and questioning of these elements and others provide information regarding fire behavior, safety and tactical support considerations. What is the aspect in relation to the assignment? Position on slope. Is the fire on the bottom, mid or upper part of the slope? Will line be built downhill or uphill? Width of canyons. Are they narrow or wide? Are there box canyons or chutes? What is the percent of slope? Is there potential for rolling material? Are there available natural or constructed barriers? What is the elevation? Are there any saddles? There are important elements to observe in relation to fuels during the size-up of the assigned or adjoining areas. The fuel type and model should provide information regarding fire behavior, safety and tactical support considerations. The crew boss should consider fuel characteristics that may affect fire behavior, line construction specifications, access and mobility, safety zones, spotting potential and hazards to personnel. There are important elements to observe and question in relation to fire behavior during the size-up of assigned or adjoining areas. Some of these elements include the rate and direction of spread. Is the fire smoldering, creeping, running, spotting or torching? The type of fire spread. Is the fire backing, flanking or is there a head fire? Classification of the fire. Is it a ground fire, a surface fire or are trees torching and crowning? Indicators of extreme fire behavior. Is there a rapid build-up of intensity? A high sustained rate of spread? A well-developed convection column? Frequent or long-distance spotting of 600 feet or more? Fire whirls? Horizontal flame sheets? The presence of area ignition? What is the fire size? What is the location of the fire in relation to topographic features? Is it in a chute, a canyon bottom, a ridge top or is the fire at mid-slope? These observations and expected fire behavior should influence decisions a crew boss must make to ensure personnel safety and efficient tactical deployment of the crew. It's critical that the crew boss consider the fire orders and the watch out situations at all times. It is the responsibility of the crew boss to establish the LCES system and to update the crew and adjoining forces throughout the operational period accounting for changes in hazards. The crew boss must identify any condition which imperils the safety of the crew and adjoining forces and take appropriate action to correct the situation immediately. Motor vehicle accidents, snags and aircraft accidents have killed as many personnel recently as have wildland fires. If crew bosses practice the LCES system, they will identify hazards and take proper precautions to eliminate or mitigate them. Awareness is the first step. Clear decisive action by the supervisor is the goal. There are important elements to question and observe in relation to weather conditions prior to or during the size-up of assigned and adjoining areas. Some of these elements include, what are the maximum and minimum relative humidities? What is the wind velocity, direction and pattern? Is the wind gusty or steady? Are there temperature variations? Are there thermal belts? Is there thunderstorm activity? Are there inversions? Are fern winds present? What is the availability of a fire weather forecast? Are there red flag warnings or alerts? When was the last precipitation and what was the amount? Are there indicators of stability such as clear vision, smoke rising straight up or inversions lifting? These observations should influence decisions a crew boss must make to ensure personnel safety and efficient tactical deployment of the crew. In addition to fuels, weather, topography and fire behavior, there are other critical elements a crew boss should consider prior to and during the size-up of the assignment. Biological and environmental hazards, human-made hazards, availability of critical support, crew condition, natural or constructed features, sensitive resource areas, accessibility and coordination with adjoining forces.