Wildland Fire Skills "Gap" Courses Now Available

Emmitsburg, MD � The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today the availability of wildland fire skills Gap courses for structural firefighters. The USFA's National Preparedness Network (PREPnet) has produced a Webcast that explains the requirements, availability, and distribution of these newly packaged Gap course materials. The Webcast, Crosswalk: Bridging the Skills Gap, is available for viewing anytime on the USFA Website.

The Gap courses are based on the Wildland Training for Structural Firefighters Skills Crosswalk. The Crosswalk effort, lead by USFA in partnership with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, identified parallel technical competencies between structural firefighters and officers (NFPA Standard 1001 and 1021) or equivalent with those of four NWCG positions: Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2), Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1), Engine Boss Single Resource (ENGB), and Strike Team Leader Engine (STEN). The Crosswalk also identified wildland skills and knowledge that qualified and experienced firefighters would not already have acquired through their structural firefighting training, such as specific wildland fire tactical concepts and wildland fire behavior. Learning modules were identified with the NWCG training courses to address these gaps.

The Gap courses take advantage of the existing skill sets of structural firefighters and minimize redundancy and classroom time for those seeking to develop their wildland fire skills. Each Gap course is composed entirely of NWCG training material pulled into specific courses.

The new Gap courses are:

• G-130, Wildland Training (FFT2) for Structural Firefighters
• G-131, Wildland Training (FFT1) for Structural Firefighters
• G-231, Wildland Training (ENGB) for Structural Firefighters
• G-330, Wildland Training (STEN) for Structural Firefighters

These new courses accomplish one of the goals stated in the National Association of State Foresters' 2003 report to Congress titled The Changing Role and Needs of Local, Rural, and Volunteer Fire Departments in the Wildland Urban Interface. Visit the Wildfire section of the USFA Website for additional information on this wildland training endeavor and to view the Crosswalk and Frequently Asked Questions section.

The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

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