National Fire Plan Success Story

Basic Firefighting Academy
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
National Fire Plan - Firefighting
2010

Fire personnel at Grand Canyon National Park hosted a 2010 Basic Wildland Firefighting Academy for nine Grand Canyon High School students and local residents with an interest in wildland fire management. Funding for this training was provided by Grand Canyon National Park’s Smalls Grants Program.

Courses taught included S-130, S-190, I-100, and L-180. The academy also included a field day where the students demonstrated all knowledge and skills taught during the courses, demonstrated proficiency in use of the New Generation Fire Shelter, and displayed understanding of how human factors can positively and negatively affect performances on and off the fireline.

All the students that attended passed written and practical tests both in the classroom as well as in the field. The cadre held After Action Reviews (AARs) every day. The consensus from the students was the Academy was an educational, valuable, and useful use of their time and they appreciated the opportunity to take the classes. The opinion of the cadre was the students are all capable of becoming safe efficient firefighters who understand the dangers inherent in this field and how to mitigate them.

Six students of the Academy have already approached the cadre and requested information on how to apply and gain employment with the National Park Service Wildland Firefighting Program. Four of these students have already been sponsored by NPS Fire & Aviation as Administrative Determined (AD) hires, received their “Red Cards” and are available to assist wildland fire personnel on both in-park incidents as well as interagency assistance incidents.

Contact: Daniel Pearson, South District AFMO, (928) 638-7934.