Wildland/forest fire home study course being prepared by NFA
While firefighters were battling forest and wildland fires this year, the National Fire Academy was preparing a home study course to help fire departments better prepare their communities for such fires in the future.
The course, “Wildland/Residential Interface Fire Protection: A National Problem With Local Solutions,” deals not with fire suppression, but fire prevention and community protection. It’s in its final production stage, but 24 officers participated in a pilot testing program of the course this September.
Jeff Meston, a training officer with the Novato (Calif.) Fire Department, says he found the course practical and easy to follow.
“Our community has a tremendous potential for wildland interface fires, and it’s not unlikely that if we lost 30 homes, it would mean a loss of about $25 million,” he says. “This course not only identifed problem areas, it offered several model solutions.”
The course content addresses typical wildland problems, such as vegetation management; public education efforts; and description of codes and ordinances that have been used to protect communities from wildland and forest fires.
The course itself is comprised of three parts: a textbook, a videotape, and a workbook.
“Although the course doesn’t deal with firefighting techniques, it will aid departments in preparing their communities.” says Gerry Bassett, a fire service management specialist with the NFA. “And after the bad time we’ve had with forest and wildland fires this year, communities will want that preparation.”
A release date for the course had not been set at press time.
