Becoming a WildLand Firefighter. Wildland firefighting is very different from what I did in my career as a structural firefighter. However, during my time as a division chief I supervised our wildland Firefighter team that was established within our department. Today we’re going to discuss the process in becoming a wild land firefighter.
There are several directions toward a career as a wildland firefighter. The path I’m most familiar with is being apart of a deployable wildland firefighter team with in a career department. These teams consist of career structural firefighters that have additional training to be a part of the team.
For a quick overview of the process of becoming a wildland firefighter check out my video on YouTube. https://youtu.be/eRXrXDi0F40
Who Oversees and Manages the Wildland Firefighting Teams?
There are other career paths a person can take to become a full-time wildland firefighter. Other types of wildland firefighting agencies are the US Forest Service, Forest Service Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. These are Federal level teams. State level team are managed by the Fish and Game, Land Management, Emergency Services, and fire departments. While some wildland firefighters work year-round most only work during the fire season.
A great source for Wildland Firefighter careers is Nevada Fire Information.
My department had a wildland team within the department. The team consisted of 20 to 25 members and had additional training, equipment and a rank structure within the team. Their first priority was to assist in protecting our community from large grass fires by first, fire extinguishment, but also in controlling the large amount of wildland fuels that were a part of our response district. The second priority of the team was to deploy to State and Federal level fires to support these large incidents. They would typically deploy for 2 weeks then rotate back to the department.
Our team had Team leaders, referred as “Bosses” we also had sawyers, deployment coordinators and “Red Card” members.
First Steps Toward Becoming a WildLand Firefighter.
If you decide that a career as a wildland firefighter is the path you want to pursue then the first step is to focus your pre-application efforts in two areas: physical and educational. Wildland firefighters are held to rigorous fitness standards. The testing process will require you to pass extensive strength and endurance tests. Preparation for the hiring process should consist of cardio training like hiking and running while carrying weight, to simulate the equipment typically used in wildland firefighting. I would suggest starting with a weighted pack.
Educational requirements are set by the governing agency. If you want to set themselves apart you can enroll in fire science and emergency medical technician courses at local vocational schools and community colleges. Most of these programs will be entirely classroom based, but some may allow students to gain hands-on training in the field.
In addition to physical and educational requirements, all applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent degree. Aspiring wildland firefighters may find that fire departments or other potential employers prefer to hire people with previous firefighting experience. Therefore, part of the early training may be working as a volunteer firefighter to get a foot in the door.
The Testing Process for A Wildland Firefighter.
Wildland Fire departments will often hold recruitment fairs when they have positions to fill. Similar to a structural firefighter career position, candidates will complete written and physical tests.
WOLF TACTICAL Adjustable Weighted Vest – WODs, Strength and Endurance Training, Fitness Workouts, Running
I have found that this is a great tool for preparing for the Red Card Pack Test.
Wildland firefighters usually take two exams. The first, a written test, generally contains around 100 questions covering essential skills for the job such as spatial awareness, mechanical reasoning and logic. The second part, the physical ability test, is designed to test the applicant’s endurance and physical health. Candidates are often required to complete a three-mile hike through rough terrain while carrying nearly fifty pounds of gear. The hike must be completed in 45 minutes or less and running is not allowed.
Once you are chosen for the position, you will be required to complete fire training academy. Candidates who wish to specialize in wildland firefighting may need to earn a certain credential to qualify. For example, in Colorado, candidates must earn a “Red Card” (or Interagency Incident Qualification Card) by finishing the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Basic Firefighter course and the Introduction to Fire Behavior course.
WildLand Firefighter Career Opportunities
Career wildland firefighter will usually pursue additional training and education. There are many degree programs available in subjects such as advanced techniques in fire management, public affairs, rangeland ecology and more. College degree are not required for entry level careers, however, firefighters pursuing leadership positions may need a bachelor’s or even a graduate degree in fire science.
Firefighting specialty programs are available as well. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) offers courses in aviation fire training for those who want to become parachuting firefighters, or smoke jumpers as they’re often known. Other fire training schools offer courses in prescribed fire modeling and management, smoke management techniques, dispatch, incident command, fire investigation and tactical decision making.
Check out the Wildland Firefighter Testing Information and Gear page by clicking here.
Becoming a wildland firefighter can be challenging but if you love the outdoors and working in teams this may be the career for you. Good luck to you and please fee free to contact me with any questions about becoming a firefighter or about our wildland team at [email protected]
