In 1991, a wildland fire in Spokane destroyed hundreds of residential structures and thousands of acres of forest. In the wake of that firestorm, the 1992 Washington State Legislature passed into law a bill directing the creation of the State Fire Service Mobilization Plan in RCW 43.43.961.

This RCW names the Chief of the Washington State Patrol as the authority to authorize a state-declared mobilization.

Under RCW 43.43.961, the Fire Service Resource Mobilization Plan is implemented to provide personnel, equipment, and other logistical resources from around the state when a wildland fire or other emergency exceeds the firefighting capacity of local jurisdictions.

General Information:

• Declaring a Mobilization
• Fire Service Resource Mobilization Plan
• Mobilization Authorization Form
• Wildland Fire Mobilization Statistics
• Mobilization Forms
• Washington State Fire Defense Committee
• Wildland Fire Prevention

• All local and mutual aid resources have been extended in attempting to stabilize and control an emergency incident, presenting a clear and present danger to life and property.
• A non-stabilized incident or simultaneous incident presenting a clear and present danger to life and property and requiring, in addition to local resources and mutual aid, the deployment of additional resources as established by the Region Fire Defense Plan approved by the State Fire Protection Policy Board.

Declaring a State Mobilization requires the following process:

1. When all local and mutual aid resources have been expended, the Incident Commander (IC) or Fire Chief of the jurisdiction where the fire is located fills out the proper form. Thereafter, they work in cooperation with the Regional Fire Resources Coordinator and/or Emergency Management Division (EMD) of the Washington Military Department (WMD).
2. When the Emergency Management Division receives the application from the local jurisdiction, the Chief of the Washington State Patrol is notified and briefed. The Chief will then render a decision.
3. If a mobilization is declared and signed by the Chief of the Washington State Patrol, the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) becomes operational and the WSP FPB Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) staff responds to begin the resource ordering process. A Deputy State Fire Marshal is dispatched to the scene and works with the local Incident Commander (IC) to ensure a smooth transfer of delegated authority. That Deputy State Fire Marshal is also a liaison between the OSFM, the EOC operations, and the on-scene local and State Incident Commander(s).