FIRESCOPE: A Unified Voice for California’s Fire Service

CalChiefs is honored to participate in and support the mission of FIRESCOPE.  President Molloy represents CalChiefs on the FIRESCOPE Board of Directors and CalChiefs member/Fire Chief Dustin Gardner serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors.

FIRESCOPE’S FOUNDATIONS
The FIRESCOPE program has its roots in Southern California, where it was originally formed in 1972 as Firefighting Resources of Southern California Organized for Potential Emergencies. Its creation followed major wildfires that highlighted the urgent need for improved coordination among fire agencies responding to large, complex incidents.

In 1986, FIRESCOPE took a major step forward when the FIRESCOPE Board of Directors and the Office of Emergency Services (OES) Fire and Rescue Services Advisory Committee were formally consolidated into a single working partnership. This structure brought together representatives from local, rural, and metropolitan fire departments, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and federal fire agencies—ensuring broad, statewide representation.

As FIRESCOPE evolved into a truly statewide program, its acronym was redefined as Firefighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies. To further strengthen statewide coordination, CALFIRMS (California Fire Information Resource Management Systems) joined FIRESCOPE as the Northern Operations Team, extending the program’s reach throughout Northern California.

Under the authority of Senate Bill 27 (1989) and Health and Safety Code Section 13070, the FIRESCOPE Program is jointly established and administered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), CAL FIRE, and the State Fire Marshal. This legislative framework formalized FIRESCOPE’s role as a unifying body for California’s fire service.

A Collaborative, Practitioner-Driven Program
FIRESCOPE was designed to bring diverse fire agencies together under a shared voice and direction. Its strength lies in the diversity of its membership and the collaborative process established by its founding legislation. This partnership provides critical input to the Director of Cal OES and ensures the continued development of FIRESCOPE products that reflect real-world operational needs.

The FIRESCOPE organization works in close alignment with the Cal OES Fire and Rescue Services Advisory Committee to address issues related to mutual aid, cooperative agreements, and regional and statewide fire-rescue policy. Through this structure, FIRESCOPE plays a key role in advising the Director of Cal OES on matters of statewide importance.

Decision-making within FIRESCOPE follows a majority-rule process, while also ensuring that minority viewpoints are documented and forwarded to the Cal OES Director for consideration—reinforcing transparency, inclusion, and professional respect.

Mission
The mission of FIRESCOPE is to provide recommendations and technical assistance to Cal OES; maintain the FIRESCOPE decision-making process; and support the ongoing operation, development, and maintenance of the Incident Command System (ICS) and the Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS).

Vision
The FIRESCOPE Board of Directors and the Cal OES Fire and Rescue Services Advisory Committee envision continued national leadership in all-hazard incident management and multi-agency coordination; expanded participation in California’s Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System; and a strong, unified voice for the California fire service on issues of statewide significance.

Why FIRESCOPE Is Essential
FIRESCOPE ensures that when agencies come together, they already share a common playbook. Its value includes:

• Standardized command and control (ICS)
  
• Mutual aid system enhancements
  
• Common terminology and operational practices
  
• Position task books and qualification guidance
  
• Operational lessons learned from real incidents

These shared systems reduce confusion, improve firefighter safety, and increase operational efficiency during high-risk, high-consequence incidents.

More Than Wildfire
Although FIRESCOPE grew out of wildfire response, it is now firmly all-hazards. The same principles support:

• Urban and interface fires
  
• Floods and severe weather
  
• Earthquakes and major disasters
  
• Multi-agency law enforcement and EMS incidents
  
• Planned events requiring unified command

When agencies train and operate under FIRESCOPE doctrine, they arrive ready to integrate—no matter the incident type.

Local Control, Statewide Interoperability
FIRESCOPE does not replace local authority or day-to-day operations. Instead, it provides a common framework that allows diverse agencies—urban and rural, career and volunteer—to function as one system when incidents cross jurisdictional boundaries.

In California, that interoperability is not optional—it is essential.

Fore more information on FIRESCOPE, please visit: Firescope Home