As wildland firefighters, you will face dangers, both hidden and in plain sight. The heat of the flames, the ash flying in the air, fallen trees, and uneven terrain are all part of the environment and hazards of this line of work, making them hard to avoid in most cases. However, resources and equipment are available to combat and protect firefighters responding to these incidents.
Course Type: Full-length Course
Course Duration: 60 min
Over the years, much research has been done and efforts have been made for a safer wildland firefighting environment by assisting in risk management. Through these efforts, two lists have been created to act as guides for responding units, one to utilize as a way of ensuring they are taking necessary steps and the other as a reference for the most common dangerous scenarios found on the wildland fireground. Within this course, we will review these lists, how they came to be, and how they are still used on the fireground to continue to help firefighters increase their risk management on the dangerous wildfire grounds.
Course Type: Full-length Course
Course Duration: 90 min
Firefighting is not a one-person job; you have your crewmembers who will be working alongside you, supervisors guiding you on where to go and providing essential updates on the fire itself and factors affecting it, and you also have tools and equipment there to help make your efforts in suppressing the flames that much easier. As we’ll discuss in this course, it is important to utilize these pieces to your advantage in creating safety zones, escape routes, and control lines, as these are means to keep you and your crew safe.
Course Type: Full-length Course
Course Duration: 60 min
Many environmental factors can impact wildland fires; some will encourage the flames to grow higher and stronger, while others may suppress the fire, aiding in the efforts to extinguish it. Clouds can act as indicators of weather changes, signaling to responding firefighters that the fire’s behavior may change gradually or very quickly. Winds can affect clouds moving in and out of a region and affect fire spreading, while atmospheric stability can affect both winds and clouds. When responding to wildfires and working in the elements of the environment, it is important to pay close attention to all signs of weather changes to come, as the battle to put out the flames could change in an instant.
Course Type: Full-length Course
Course Duration: 60 min
