Current Events
New Fire Department Wildland Training for Cooperative Areas
The WI DNR now
has instructors available
to teach wildland
fire training to
fire departments
in cooperative fire
protection areas
of the state. Recent
surveys of cooperative
area FDs found that
56% had not received
wildland fire training
in the last three
years and that 33%
had never received
any wildland fire
training. Those same
surveys indicated
that fire departments
in cooperative areas
of the state respond
to an average of
3,430 wildland fires
burning 24,550 acres
every year in Wisconsin
. This training effort
is focused on assisting
fire departments
to safely and efficiently
suppress those 3,500
wildland fires that
occur every year
in the cooperative
areas of Wisconsin.
The Division of Forestry
is funding this initiative.
These instructors will be teaching the 8-hour WI DNR course, “Introduction to Wildland Fire Suppression for Wisconsin Fire Departments”. This course is designed to offer firefighters all the information they need to safely suppress wildland fires in Wisconsin. A broader range of wildland fire topics is also available as requested by fire departments to meet their needs and time constraints.
If your fire department is interested in this free wildland fire training, please contact Chris Klahn, Cooperative Fire Specialist at (608) 297-
2214 to be scheduled for this valuable training.
Introduction to Wildland Fire Suppression for Wisconsin Fire Departments
This eight hour training class is designed to give a WI fire department a background in wildland fire suppression and improve the efficiency and safety of fire department personnel operating on wildland fires.
Unit 1 – Introduction - describes the background and rationale for this training for fire departments.
Unit 2 – Wisconsin Forest Fire Laws – describes and explains the WI State Statutes that apply to wildland fires.
Unit 3 – Fire Behavior – describes how and why wildland fires burn given weather and fuel conditions.
Unit 4 – Wildland Fire Size Up – describes the initial size up procedure and radio communications.
Unit 5 – Wildland Fire Suppression Tactics – describe suppression tactics and techniques used in Wisconsin.
Unit 6 – Mop Up – describes tactics and techniques to secure a wildland fire from escaping after control.
Unit 7 – Incident Command System – describes an overview of the Incident Command System used by WI fire departments.
Unit 8 – Wildland Fire Safety – describes safe operating guidelines on wildland fires and includes a case study of a WI firefighter fatality.
NVFC
Special News
Alert - SAFER
Grant Application
Period Begins
May 31
The
applications
are automated
and will be accessible
from the website
for the Assistance
to Firefighters
Grant (AFG) program
at http://www.firegrantsupport.com. The
Website also
provides useful
information on
the program priorities
and process that
are discussed
in the SAFER
Program Guidance. A
list of Frequently
Asked Questions
is being added,
and will be updated
as the program
staff learns
the areas of
inquiry that
are most often
presented. An
applicant tutorial
on the SAFER
grant, designed
to instruct users
on the preparation
and submittal
of competitive
applications,
is also available.
Congress
provided $65
million for SAFER
in fiscal year
2005, 10% of
which is set
aside for volunteer
recruitment and
retention. In
addition, the
program includes
NVFC-backed provisions
that ensure at
least 10%
of the funds
for hiring firefighters
go to volunteer
and majority
volunteer departments
and that any
firefighter hired
under this program
is not discriminated
against for or
prohibited from
engaging in volunteer
activities in
another jurisdiction
during off-duty
hours.
“The
NVFC strongly
urges our state
association members
to apply for
the recruitment
and retention
grant available
under SAFER,” said
Chairman Philip
C. Stittleburg. “We
also encourage
every volunteer
and combination
fire department
to apply for
grants to hire
personnel. In
many cases the
departments with
the biggest staffing
needs are rural
and suburban
volunteer departments”
Applicants
who have questions
regarding the
SAFER grant opportunities
should contact
the help desk
at 1-866-274-0960
or at firegrants@dhs.gov. During
the SAFER application
period, the help
desk will operate
Monday to Friday,
from 9:00 am
to 7:00 pm (EDT),
but is prepared
to revise hours
of operation
based on volume
and demand.
The
AFG is administered
by the Department
of Homeland Security's
Office of State
and Local Government
Coordination
and Preparedness
(SLGCP) in cooperation
with the U.S.
Fire Administration.
Page designed by WollyNet