training

During this time of COVID-19 altered work schedules, we recognize that there may be new opportunities to train, update, and learn new wildland fire information. This page is a collection of wildland fire and fire science related training resources that can be accessed remotely for little or no cost. These resources can be used to develop in-service training events, RT-130 refreshers or other classes for professionals, landowners, and students. We are working to add to this list over time as we become aware of new programs and opportunities. If you are aware of additional training resources that should be added to this list, please let us know (contactus@southernfireexchange.org). 

Please note that inclusion on this list does not indicate specific endorsement or review of the information provided by the educational programs.

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Fire Weather Training Resources

• COMET Advanced Fire Weather Forecasters Course (18 hrs.) The Advanced Fire Weather Forecasters Distance Learning Course addresses advanced training needs of Incident Meteorologists (IMETs), Fire Weather Program Leaders (FWPLs) in NOAA’s NWS weather forecast offices (WFOs), and Regional Program Managers. These individuals are responsible for maintaining local fire weather programs and supporting all-hazards incidents on site including wildfires, hazardous material releases, and incidents of national significance.
• COMET GOES-R/JPSS Case Exercise: Detecting and Monitoring US Western Wildfires New-generation GOES-R and JPSS satellite products offer improved capabilities for detecting and monitoring wildland fires in the Western US and similar geographic regions. In the case of the northern California Kincade fire of October 2019, satellite monitoring capabilities provided useful tactical information to meteorologists who were working with fire agencies, emergency managers and first responders throughout the life of the fire. The lesson takes learners through two significant points in the life of the Kincade fire. Multiple satellite products are applied toward monitoring the conditions involving a potentially rapidly spreading fire. To identify how and when satellite information can be most effective, learners compare different products that can aid meteorologists in identifying fire starts and rapid spread associated with high winds and low relative humidity in the difficult terrain of California. The intended audience of GOES-R/JPSS Case Exercise: Detecting and Monitoring US Western Wildfires is operational meteorologists, including IMETs, and others needing to use satellite information for fire/smoke detection and monitoring. The lesson should also appeal to individuals from emergency operation centers and others (fire and land management agency personnel, USFS and state forestry fire behavior analysts) with interest in detecting and monitoring fires.
• COMET Navigating the National Weather Service Fire Weather Program (1 hr.) This lesson provides the latest Fire Weather Program information to new and veteran staff in the US National Weather Service.  It includes an overview of the organizational structure and responsibilities of each Fire Weather Program branch, main policy documents, and partners that collaborate and use the program’s product and services.  The learners will play a Jeopardy-style game and practice using a process map to resolve various problems at different levels of the Fire Weather Program. The lesson will take between 45 and 60 minutes to complete (not including the quiz).

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Online NWCG Training Resources

• Fire in the Field wildland firefighter training courses are offered online or on CD-Rom by Interactive Training Media, Inc. The courses are currently recognized as National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) training equivalents in many states. Training may require partnering with a fire agency or NWCG qualified Instructor.
• Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center has much to offer to the wildland firefighter and prescribed fire practitioner. With a focus on safety, the center provides feedback and a place to share knowledge to improve safety, performance, efficiency, and organizational learning throughout the entire wildland fire community.
• National Wildfire Coordinating Group Training Catalog includes a variety of resources, including downloadable training courses for some positions. NWCG has also made the following courses available for download: S-131 | S-190 | S-200 | S-203 | S-211 | S-212 | S-215 | S-230 | S-260 | S-290.
• The Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) library contains the entire catalogue of RT-130 videos and resources developed for annual fire line refresher courses.
• WFSTAR Firefighting Orders and Watch Out Situations Immersive Activity developed and hosted by the WFTSTAR team that creates learning resources for RT-130 programs.
• S-290 Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (15 hrs.) is the second course in a five course sequence developing wildland fire behavior prediction skills and knowledge. In the Wildland Fire Qualifications System Guide, PMS 310-1, this course is required of those planning to work as one of the Single Resource Bosses or a Fire Effects Monitor on wildfires, fire use fires, and prescribed fires. It builds upon the basics in S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, but with more detailed information about characteristics and interactions of the wildland fire environment (fuels, weather, and topography) that affect wildland fire behavior for safety purposes.

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 Online Non-NWCG Wildland Fire Training

• FEMA National Fire Academy Online Courses offer several self-study and online-mediated courses of interest to wildland fire professionals.
• Wildland Fire Learning Portal offers several on-demand self-enroll courses.
• World of Wildland Fire Video Series (1.5 hrs) is a series of technical YouTube videos that cover topics ranging from fire ecology to fuel moisture to fire behavior and fuel load sampling. For more information on this program, see the Wildland Fire Education & Training Collaborative (WETC) includes multiple sources of media, including but not limited to books, videos and classroom exercises, for the purpose of synthesizing the knowledge in fire science.
• LANDFIRE Instructional and Tutorial Video Series provides instructional videos, tutorials and case studies for accessing, using and analyzing LANDFIRE datasets.
• Wildfire Lessons Learned Center TED Ed Lessons are wildland fire focused presentations and discussion materials for learning from past wildfire events.

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Fire Science Webinar Recordings

Check out the upcoming and archived webinar SFE webinars from the past ten years. Continuing education credits are often offered for participation in live webinars.

• Other JFSP Fire Science Exchanges also provide fire science, wildland fire, and prescribed fire webinar opportunities that may be of interest.
• Forestry Webinar Portal offers live and on-demand webinars on a variety of topics. Continuing education credits are often offered not only for live webinars, but recorded on-demand webinars as well.
• The U.S. Drought Portal, maintained by the National Integrated Drought Information System provides a calendar of webinars on drought conditions in various regions, including the Southeast.

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Online General Prescribed Fire Courses

• Introduction to Southeastern Prescribed Fire is an eXtension course to introduce students to the fundamentals of prescribed burning in southeastern forested ecosystems. At the end of the course, students should have a working knowledge of fire law, fire terminology, fire prescriptions, fire safety, firebreaks, smoke management, and a basic understanding of how to conduct a prescribed burn. To access the training, follow the link and search “prescribed fire”.
• Basic Prescribed Fire Training is an eXtension course for landowners, land managers, and state and federal personnel interested in the use of fire as a management tool in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. To access the training, follow the link and search “prescribed fire”.
• North Carolina State University eFIRE is an interactive online course that uses 360 degree videos to provide information on how to prepare, conduct, and evaluate a prescribed burn. While targeted towards private landowners in the Southeast, the principles are applicable for burners anywhere.
• University of Georgia Preparing for Wildfires with Firescaping is a free course for Master Gardeners and others that provides interactive training on fire-resistant landscaping. The course also provides training and resources to prepare course participants to share the information with their local communities

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Online Smoke Training

• Smoke Management and Air Quality for Land Managers is a tutorial on smoke management and air quality. The refresher includes four lessons, each of which can be completed in about half an hour; however, links and interactions allow further investigation of several topics.
• Wildland Fire Personnel Smoke Exposure Guidebook is a draft document and a work in progress. The authors feel the guidance information within will be useful to wildland fire personnel, however in the future content may be added and edited.

 

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