PUAFIR012 — Supervise aerial firefighting operations

1 Apply principles of team resource management to aerial operations missions

• 1.1Team Resource Management (TRM) principles are applied and roles and responsibilities for missions are confirmed
• 1.2Communication is maintained with appropriate ground and air team members, where appointed
• 1.3Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements are implemented
• 1.4Job hazards are identified and action is taken to eliminate, minimise or control them
• 1.5Legislation, regulations, contracts and organisational procedures for the mission are implemented

2 Assist with development of air operations plan

• 2.1Incident controller’s intent and incident management objectives are confirmed
• 2.2Strategies for aerial fire suppression to achieve incident management objectives are developed
• 2.3Most appropriate product is selected based on level of fire risk, types of fuels and any restrictions on use of specific products
• 2.4Resources to implement strategies are confirmed
• 2.5Assistance is provided for development of the air operations plan within the incident action plan, as required

3 Plan aerial operations mission

• 3.1Briefing is obtained from task supervisor on mission location and objectives
• 3.2Assessment of forecast weather conditions on aerial operations is undertaken in discussion with the pilot
• 3.3Operational and support resources for mission are confirmed
• 3.4Hazards are identified and assessed for effect on aerial strategies and tactics
• 3.5Information for the mission is collated
• 3.6Air communication and operational communication plans are obtained and contact arrangements for team members are confirmed

4 Deploy to mission site

• 4.1Briefing on situation, aerial mission, roles, command and communication arrangements, safety and identified hazards is delivered to pilots
• 4.2Communication equipment is tested for correct frequencies and functionality
• 4.3Where an air attack supervisor is airborne, pilot is requested to fly to mission site and flight following protocols are established and maintained

5 Assess proposed mission site

• 5.1Mission site is located and key topographic features and hazards are identified
• 5.2Communication is established and maintained with ground based commander and pilots of tactical aircraft assigned to mission
• 5.3Flight hazards within mission area are noted including topography, tall infrastructure, other aircraft, smoke and extreme fire behaviour
• 5.4Weather, fuels, fire behaviour and smoke in the mission area are monitored
• 5.5All aircraft flying in the vicinity of the mission area are identified
• 5.6Location of ground based resources and members of the public are identified
• 5.7Progress of incident and incident control activities are observed, noted and communicated

6 Prioritise and coordinate aircraft assignments

• 6.1Liaison is maintained with ground based commander to identify appropriate targets for tactical aircraft assignments
• 6.2Proposed assignments are prioritised on basis of incident management priorities and safety and effectiveness and are, where appropriate, allocated to individual aircraft
• 6.3Safety of ground based resources and members of the public in the mission area is assured prior to commencement and during assignments
• 6.4Pilots are briefed on their assignments including area hazards, targets, drop pattern and location of any people
• 6.5Activities of multiple tactical aircraft are coordinated
• 6.6Separation and stacking of tactical, observation, media and itinerate aircrafts are coordinated and maintained in consultation with pilots

7 Review, monitor and adjust aircraft strategy and tactics

• 7.1Aircraft and pilot performance are monitored and requests to modify tactics are made, as required
• 7.2Ground based commander, where appointed, is contacted to determine effectiveness of assignments
• 7.3Pilots are directed to cease assignments where mission is unsafe, ineffective or conditions are unsuitable
• 7.4Aircraft not achieving performance are stood down and replacements are requested, as required
• 7.5Changes to types of fire product being used is requested, as required
• 7.6Observed hazards or changes in operational conditions that pose a risk to people, property, assets or the environment are reported to ground based commander or operations officer

8 Conclude mission

• 8.1Aircraft pilots are advised when to cease operations and return to air base
• 8.2Ground based commander and members of mission team are provided with situation reports prior to departure of aircraft from fire site
• 8.3Notifiable incidents are reported in accordance with organisational procedures
• 8.4After action review is conducted with team members
• 8.5Details of aerial fire suppression mission are recorded in accordance with organisational procedures

What does an assessment tool for PUAFIR012 need to cover?

To satisfy the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence, an assessment for PUAFIR012 needs to address all 99 unit components: 8 elements with 43 performance criteria, 21 performance evidence requirements, 35 knowledge evidence requirements, and the foundation skills. A coverage matrix mapping each question and task to these components is what an auditor looks for.

How does Auditori generate an assessment tool for PUAFIR012?

Auditori pulls the current release of PUAFIR012 from training.gov.au and generates a complete package: candidate assessment, assessor guide with model answers and observation criteria, and a coverage matrix mapping every component. A suitably qualified person then reviews and approves the draft in a built-in workflow — consistent with ASQA's guidance on AI use in VET — before export as branded PDF and editable Word.

Is the first assessment tool really free?

Yes. Every new account includes one free credit — enough to generate the complete assessment tool for PUAFIR012 — with no card and no subscription required. After that it's pay-as-you-go per unit.

Can I check my existing PUAFIR012 assessment instead of generating a new one?

Yes — upload your existing assessment or learner guide and Auditori maps it against every element, performance criterion, PE and KE of PUAFIR012, showing exactly what's covered and what's missing. Mapping costs a quarter of a credit.