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National Fire Plan Success Story

10th Virginia Interagency Wildland Fire Academy
Virginia Department of Forestry & National Park Service Northeast Region, Virginia
National Fire Plan - Firefighting
2010

Sand table exercise.
Sand table exercises help participants visualize some complexities of wildland fire management. Photo by VDOF.

Tractor operating at night along an active fireline.
Night operations for the tractor plow class. Photo by VDOF.

Morning briefing.
“Ops, Safety & Plans” at morning briefing. Photo by VDOF.

“This is the largest and most comprehensive training program we do,” said State Forester of Virginia Carl Garrison. “With financial support provided by the National Park Service, we are able to bring together hundreds of paid and volunteer firefighters, who are already outstanding structural firefighters, and teach them everything from the basics of wildland firefighting to the use of chainsaws and fire plows to advance tactics and leadership.”

By the numbers, this was Virginia’s 10th interagency wildland fire academy, serving 258 students including 144 members of fire departments, 92 state employees, and 22 federal employees. There were 65 instructors representing 12 different local, state and federal agencies and a non-profit organization leading 17 courses. Funding was from the National Fire Plan Ready Reserve Program through the National Park Service Northeast Region.

The Virginia Department of Forestry organizes the Academy and runs it as an incident. This introduces students to or reinforces their knowledge of the Incident Command System which is used in wildland fire management. Active participation was required, in the classroom and out in the woods. All of this, of course, is dedicated to ensuring the safety of firefighters and the public.

Contacts: Barb Stewart, Fire Communication Specialist, NPS Northeast & National Capital Regions; and John W. Campbell and Rich Reuse, VDOF. (434) 220-9065.