Training

Wildfire destroys everything in its path. With a mere shift of the wind, it can become a monster endangering those who don’t understand its nature. Federal, state and local government firefighter skills are honed by arduous and constant training required to fight wildland fires and survive. Anyone who doesn’t have that level of training jeopardizes everyone on the fireline.

Good Cause for Confidence

  • Nationally recognized database for tracking training

  • Excellent training/tracking system ensures firefighter skill/safety

  • Most NWSA certified instructors/trainers former state/federal wildland fire employees - combined 800 years fire experience.

  • NWSA Code of Ethics and monitoring program govern instructors

  • Annual Mandatory Training Sessions update NWSA instructors on changes/requirements

  • NWSA standards set by the training committee based on the 310-1NWCG Training Guide.

Training Program

The National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA) is recognizedby federal/state and local agencies for the quality of our instructorcertification programs. They are designed to provide resources thatmeet or exceed all training, safety, experience, and physical fitness standards identified in the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Wildland and Prescribed Fire Qualifications System Guide (PMS 310-1).More than 7,400 private wildland firefighters received training by NWSAcertified instructors in 2007. Our focus on performance and safety hasresulted in loss ratios (accidents) that are significantly lower.

NWSA was the first to hold the Pacific Northwest Coordination Group(PNWCG) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to certify instructors totrain private sector, agencies, and interested parties.

NWSA’s nationally recognized database for tracking all training byNWSA certified instructors meets all the requirements of the PNWCG MOUand is open to other users by affiliation for checking trainingrecords, Incident Qualification (IQ) Cards, and photo ID. It securelyprints IQ Cards and Training Certificates.

In 2009, a new course, Business Ethics 101, will help certify ourmember companies in the basics of Worker’s Compensation, USDOL andUSDOT , OSHA regulations, Drug & Alcohol Training and businessethics. Many other seminars at our national conference offer continuingprofessional growth and important information.

All these efforts by NWSA have resulted in a highly trained, safetycentered, trustworthy resource agencies can trust on the fireline orany emergency incident.

Questions regarding the training program can be directed to Stan Kunzman at 541-389-3526 or by Email.

For more information about our training programs, please visit our training web site.