West Virginia University will host the ninth annual Mid-Atlantic Wildfire Training Academy June 6 through June 12. The academy is presented by the Mid-Atlantic Forest Fire Compact, WVU’s Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, and the U.S. Forest Service.
The academy will host 10 classes this year that are essential to wildland firefighting, including fire behavior, equipment use and leadership development. These classes and instructors meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards.
“The academy provides important training to give Federal, state, and local firefighters the skills they need to battle wildland fires,” said Cooperative Fire Specialist Maureen Brooks with the U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. Beyond what is normally offered, this year’s academy will have engine and crew boss classes as well as tactical decision-making and leadership classes.
More than 190 people have registered for the academy, according to coordinator Sera Zegre. “I anticipate year’s academy will be as large as last year’s, which hosted more students and classes than in previous years,” said Zegre. Most participants are from state and Federal agencies that are members of the Mid-Atlantic Forest Fire Compact. “Over half of those attending the training academy come from our member states. The rest represent local fire departments like the City of Morgantown, state organizations outside the Compact like Kentucky and the Carolinas, or are unaffiliated,” said Zegre.
Seven states make up the Mid-Atlantic Forest Fire Compact: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Compact members promote effective fire prevention and the control of wildfires in the Mid-Atlantic region. Collectively, these states are responsible for protecting more than 35 million acres of woodland.
The compact reduces wildfire suppression costs for local, state and federal jurisdictions by allowing states to share personnel and equipment. The compact also minimizes the firefighting burden on any one state when many fires occur at once.
The Work Capacity Test (Pack Test) will be held on the rail trail near Star City on June 7 at 6 p.m. to test firefighters’ endurance and strength.
The Basic Firefighter course will include field exercises on June 8 at the WVU Research Forest near the Westvaco Natural Resource Center. Participants will learn to construct a fire line using various methods and to extinguish a fire with or without water.
The Wildland Fire Chain Saw course will include field exercises at the Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area on June 8 and June 9 to give firefighters hands-on cutting experience in surroundings similar to fire-line situations.
The Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination course will include field exercises at the WVU Research Forest near the Westvaco Center the afternoons of June 9-10, as well as all day on June 11. Participants will practice investigating wildland fires, collecting evidence and documenting information in a realistic environment.
The Fire Operations in the Wildland-Urban Interface course will include field exercises in the Hickory Ridge neighborhood off Canyon Road on June 11. Participants will gain the skills and knowledge to size up a wildland-urban interface fire incident, evaluate the potential situation, order and deploy the necessary resources, and apply safe and effective strategy and tactics to minimize the threat to life and property.
The Portable Pumps and Water Use course will hold a field exercise at the WVU Research Forest pond just beyond the Westvaco Center on June 11 to demonstrate operation of pump equipment.
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CONTACT: Sera Zegre, Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, 304-293-0039, sera.zegre@mail.wvu.edu
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