Formalized Agency Training Courses

Formalized agency training courses provide training in areas such as fuels management methods and technology, silviculture, contracting and GIS. Many times this training is sponsored by a region or local unit. If you have an interest in this type of training your supervisor or training officer may be the best starting place, you can also visit the websites listed below or visit your unit or region’s training website.

If you have an interest in this type of training your supervisor or training officer may be the best starting place, you can also visit the websites listed below or visit your unit or region's training website.

Fire Management Curriculum

Basic Fire Training—All personnel, including emergency firefighters, engaged in fireline operations must have completed a minimum of 32 hours of basic wildland fire training, including S-130, Firefighting Training, S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, L-180 Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service, and I-100, Introduction to the Incident Command System as indicated in the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Qualifications System (310-1).

Annual Fireline Safety Refresher Training—This training is required for all personnel participating in fire suppression or prescribed fire activities that may be subject to assignments on the fireline. NPS personnel will receive at least eight (8) hours of annual safety refresher training.

Annual Fireline Safety Refresher Training will have a 12 month currency. Annual Fireline Safety Refresher Training must include the following core topics:

Entrapments—Use training and reference materials to study the risk management process and rules of engagement. Current Issues—Review and discuss identified "hot topics" and "national emphasis topics."
Fire Shelter—Review and discuss last resort survival; conduct "hands-on" fire shelter inspections; and practice shelter deployments.
Other Hazards and Safety Issues—Choose additional hazard and safety subjects

A website entitled “Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher” (WFSTAR) is available to assist in this training.

Fire Program Management—The NPS requires all components of this course be successfully completed by all full-time fire management officers (FMOs).

Fire Management Leadership—The NPS requires all components of this course be successfully completed by superintendents with fire management responsibilities within their park.

Subject Matter Expert (SME) Program

The NWCG Training Development Unit uses subject matter experts (SMEs) from the interagency fire community to develop and revise courses. The National Park Service participates in these activities annually. Nomination requests for SMEs are distributed and selections made for each course. If you are interested in participating as an SME please contact Mark Koontz at mark_koontz@nps.gov or 208-387-5090.

Training Resources

These programs are designed to give participants a mix of classroom and field experience focused on prescribed fire implementation. FUTA holds regularly scheduled S-courses followed by field time while PFTC is primarily focused on field time with courses provided as time permits.

Fire Use Training Academy

Created in 1998 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Southwest Fire Use Training Academy is a national interagency fuels program that uniquely blends classroom and field experience on forests and rangelands throughout the United States.

Prescribed Fire Training Center

The Prescribed Fire Training Center (PFTC), located in Tallahassee, Florida, is a unique program blending maximum field prescribed burning experience with a flexible curriculum of classroom instruction on topics of interest to prescribed fire practitioners. Attendees will have the opportunity to complete portions of their National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) approved prescribed fire task books under the guidance of invited training specialists.

Additional Training Resources

Wildland Fire Training
Web site that enables access to Local Area, Geographic Area, National, and other related Interagency Wildland Fire Training information.

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program
Web site provides information which allows individuals to strive for a higher performance level as a leader through self-directed learning opportunities.

Refresher Training
The web site, updated annually, offers guidance, agency policies, emerging issues, training materials and topics to assist instructors in preparing to teach annual refresher training.

The Cispus Workshop
This hands-on workshop is designed to give today's natural resource professionals proven, innovative communication and collaboration skills. The workshop is taught by fellow agency professionals with on-the-ground experience working with people to resolve natural resource issues. We provide tools and techniques to help you become more efficient and effective in working with others on important issues and decision-making processes. You will also have abundant opportunities to learn from the experiences of fellow participants from various agencies. The skills you learn at Cispus will improve and enhance your ability to work collaboratively within your own agency, with other agencies, and the public.

Technology Enhanced Learning—Schedule of Classes
The Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Network is the mechanism whereby thousands of National Park Service employees receive competency based training at or near their work site at little or no cost to them.

Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
The Carhart Center addresses challenges in wilderness management, training, and education identified by wilderness managers all across the country. The staff works with experts at all levels of the four wilderness-managing agencies, along with outside experts, to develop comprehensive interagency solutions to wilderness challenges using a team approach.