Project Background

Interagency Cache Business System (ICBS)

ICBS is an automated cache inventory system designed to assist in inventory control and cost tracking for all items stocked in the National Fire Equipment System (NFES). The application was first deployed in 1999 and is intended for use by the USDA Forest Service and USDI Bureau of Land Management National Interagency Support Caches.

Interagency Cache Business System Re-engineering (ICBS-R)

The ICBS-R Project was chartered by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) in March 2003. The USDA Forest Service and the DOI Bureau of Land Management are conducting this project in partnership with the National Interagency Support Caches (NISC). The NISC is a sub group of the NWCG’s Fire Equipment Working Team (FEWT) and National Fire Equipment System (NFES) Committee.

The re-engineered ICBS is intended for use by all National, Local Area and Remote Caches hosted by federal and state NWCG member agencies.

The ICBS-R Project will:

Introduce an improved system architecture that will allow the use of ICBS not only by National Caches, but also by Local Area Caches
Satisfy the essential business needs of the nationwide cache system
Exchange data on a real-time basis with the Resource Ordering and Status System (ROSS)

Completing the ICBS Re-engineering Project will lead to greater inventory visibility among caches; increased inventory accuracy; enhanced information sharing for sound decision-making; the elimination of most current manual cache processes; improved agency-reporting of cache inventory levels and usage; elimination of redundant data entry into separate systems and databases; and improved overall service to cache customers. These increased efficiencies will directly contribute to improved management of large wildland fire costs.

The National Cache System

The National Cache System is comprised of eleven national caches hosted by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, and a larger number of smaller local area caches hosted by various federal and state wildland agencies. Two national caches have associated sub caches or satellite cache locations that handle a unique type of inventory or cover sub-geographic areas.

Although the primary mission of the national cache system is to support wildland fire suppression efforts, the system also supports prescribed fire and fire use management activities, non-fire (“all risk”) incident management activities (such as natural disasters, human-caused disasters, special events, etc.), and distribution of publications and other specialty items.