Regional Direction on Memorial Attendance

This letter provides administrative guidance for our employees who are attending the ceremonies to honor the contributions of our fallen firefighter, Daniel Laird. This guidance is provided for those employees attending as Official Agency Representatives of the Forest Service. These ceremonies are an important tribute to the deceased and their family, and the Forest Service intent is to conduct these activities with due respect.

The procession will begin at Yuba College Staging, 2088 N. Beale Road, Marysville, CA, at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2019. The procession will resume after burial services and continue to the memorial service at the House of Bread Church, 6521 Hazel A venue, Orangevale, CA.

Forest Service official representatives are excused from duty without loss or reduction in pay or leave to travel to and attend the ceremonies. Attendance at ceremonies falls under section 1345(a) of Title 31. Official Agency Representatives are authorized salary and travel expenses per direction in FSH 6109.11, Chapter 30. Attendees should charge these expenses to their respective work-related fund and program. Ceremonies do not meet the criteria for the overtime pay provision (Public Law 106-558) and coding with prefix 11 is not permitted.

The following parameters have been determined for Official Agency Representation within
Region 5:

• The Tahoe National Forest is approved to have all operational engines and crew buggies, Chief Officer vehicles, and non-fire vehicles for transportation of Forest LeadershipTeam members. The number of employees able to safely ride in these vehicles are authorized as Official Agency Representatives.
• The Eldorado, Plumas, Lake Tahoe Basin, and Mendocino are authorized (2) fire vehicles per unit (e.g. engine, crew buggy, Chief Officer, or Helitender). The number of employees able to safely ride in these vehicles are authorized as Official Agency Representatives.
• All other Region 5 Forests are authorized (1) fire vehicle per unit. The number of employees able to safely ride in these vehicles are authorized as Official Agency Representatives

Forest Supervisors

Please provide the name of all employees attending under these parameters to Lance Noxon at lnoxon@fs.fed.us so that we can accurately account for the number of authorized Official Agency Representatives in Region 5.

All government vehicles coming in attendance or participating in the procession will band vehicle shields with a two-inch black tape line horizontally across the most narrow part of the shield.

The required uniform is long sleeve uniform shirts only, with dark green nomex or dark green uniform pants (wearing the uniform tie is optional). Crew members only may wear crew shirts and nomex pants as an alternative. Those in official uniform need to place an elastic black band horizontally across the Forest Service badge.

If you have further questions pertaining to this guidance, please contact Regional Fire Director Bob Baird or Regional Deputy Fire Director Chris Schow.

RANDY MOORE

Regional Forester Pacific Southwest Region

For a PDF version, click here.