Dinosaur National Monument partners with Uintah Basin Technical College to increase firefighter recruitment

Students to the Uintah Basin Fall Fire School dig fire line as part of their field skills day. 

J Logan/NPS

In the fall and winter of 2022, National Park Service (NPS) fire staff from Dinosaur National Monument joined an interagency effort to instruct an interagency fire school at Uintah Basin Technical College (UB Tech) in Roosevelt and Vernal, Utah. The goal of this fire school offered through the local community college was to help build a local recruitment pool for firefighter positions in the area.

The Uintah Basin Operation Committee coordinates and runs the fire school. Instructors ranged from engine captains to dispatchers and fire management officers from the interagency community: the NPS, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, and the State of Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands. UB Tech partnered with the interagency fire community to offer the class. The school helped publicize the class, managed enrollment, and provided classroom space and IT support. The classes were affordable and open to anyone over 18 years old.

Students ranged from high school seniors and recent graduates to adults looking for a career change. The class also attracted local volunteer fire department members looking to grow and better support their departments and community members who wanted a better understanding and awareness of wildland fire. By the end of the class, students completed the basic courses required for certification as a Type 2 Wildland Firefighter and participated in a field day to apply the skills learned in the classroom.

In 2022, the course had 23 graduates, eight of whom applied for positions with federal and local agencies. Three of those ended up securing positions in 2023. This effort is expected to continue in the fall of 2023, with Dinosaur National Monument’s fire staff coordinating the interagency effort. Offering this class not only contributes to a local pool of qualified individuals for entry-level positions in a location that has proven difficult to attract candidates, but it also contributes to wildland fire being seen as a potential career option alongside welding, healthcare, IT, and other trade professions.

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