The BLM recently announced a decision to grant equivalency to MCS’s Intent into Action program for NWCG’s S-420: Command & General Staff. This move enables BLM employees to receive credit for both S-420 and L-480 when completing Intent into Action. In a March 21 letter to the Geographic Area Training Representatives (GATRs), Assistant National Training Officer Mike Ellsworth announced that the BLM has accepted the U.S. Forest Service’s 2013 evaluation that resulted in a decision to confer S-420 credit for Intent into Action.
The BLM decision follows several similar decisions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs to accept the program as the equivalent of S-420. As a result of the BLM decision, all NWCG federal agencies now accept Intent into Action as an acceptable alternative to S-420.
Commenting on the BLM’s decision, MCS CEO Lark McDonald remarked, “This is a welcome move, as it simplifies the situation for BLM employees trying to find training for advanced incident management. S-420 is difficult to run, and prospective students from many areas have problems getting in to it. This accreditation will enable those employees more opportunities to get the training they need.”
