Basic Wildland Firefighter

The Basic Wildland Firefighter Certificate is designed to prepare students for Entry Level employment for Federal and State Firefighting agencies. The Certificate of Achievement in Basic Wildland Firefighter provides students and employers with certifiable standards of technical career proficiency.  The curriculum provides for training skills and techniques as follows:

1.   Working knowledge and understanding of fire position to include Firefighter, Fire Inspector Fire Investigator, Supervisors and Managers.

      2.         Work place safety and orientation 

     3.         “Work ethic” attitudes, principles, responsibility, discipline and initiative.

     4.       Technical language, vocabulary,equipment, materials and modes of operation. 

      5.       Broad background in the mental and physical skills necessary to operate in      the world of fighting fires.

Students completing this certificate will exceed the basic firefighting training as required by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for seasonal or permanent employment in firefighting. This Certificate provides the students with all the required knowledge, skills and abilities as required and dictated by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the BLM for a certificate required by those two wildland fire agencies for seasonal wildland firefighter employment. The focus of this certificate is wildland fire control and safety in the wildland fire environment and all risk emergency incidents.  Students who successfully complete this certificate obtain more than the basic skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform at the entry level as a wild land firefighter. Both Federal wildland Fire Agencies provide their own more advance training once employment is obtained.Note; Successful completion of the certificate does not assure employment with the USFS or the BLM.

Current and prospective Fire Technology students are encouraged to meet with Fire Technology staff and a counselor to review their options and to develop an educational plan that best meets their goals and needs.

We are estimating 10 students annually will complete the certificate

Program Highlights:

·    Lassen Community College offers the Wildland Firefighters an opportunity to “learn by doing” while being instructed by experienced professional firefighters.

·    The Basic Wildland Firefighter certificate can be completed in just two semesters

·    The Basic Wildland Firefighter certificate is well suited to provide individuals with the education necessary to enter the workforce as an entry-level Firefighter and add to an existing or future Associates or bachelor’s degree to help strengthen and solidify the technical nature of said degree.  For example, a combination of a bachelor’s degree in Forestry and a certificate in Wildland Firefighting can be a very valuable and powerful combination to potential employers

Total Units for the Certificate ofAchievement for Basic Wildland Firefighter: 18-19 Units

Course                  Title                                                                                        Units

FS-8                      Wildlandfire suppression                                                       2.0

FS-5                      Fire Organization and Management                                     3.0      

FS-20                    Public Safety First Aid andCPR                                              1.5

FS-51                    Intro to Fire TechnologyCareers                                            1.0 

FS-61                    Basic FirefighterTraining(Basic 32)                                        2.0

FS-72                    Haz Mat First ResponderOperations                                    1.0

FS-89                    Wildland Chain saws(S-212)                                                   1.5

FS-78                    Followership to Leadership (L-280)                                         .5

FS-85                    Understanding Maps,Compasses and GPS                          1.0

FS-81                    Wildland Safety and Survival                                                     .5

FS-74                    Fire in the Interface(S-215)                                                     1.5

FS-98.21               Volunteer Firefighter Academy                                              2.5

EMT-21***          Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)                                   2.5

***= optional in place of FS-20

Student Learning Outcomes for the Certificate of Achievement for Basic Wildland Firefighter

Upon completion of the Certificate of Achievement for Basic Wildland Firefighter, the student will be able to:

1.     Demonstrate basic knowledge of fire physics and behavior

2.     Understand and demonstrate the physical requirements to become a wildland firefighter

3.     Understand the basic skills needed to respond to all risks emergency incidents

4.     Perform basic duties of an entry level firefighter such as:  fire line construction, safe and proper use of fire line hand tools, first aid and CPR, recognizing and dealing with hazardous materials, complete an employment application, and demonstrate fire line safety and radio operations.