From the US Forest Service:
The US Forest Service will be hosting the annual Women in Wildfire Training this fall in Arizona. This is a fast paced, six-day training where women from around the nation have an opportunity to participate in hands-on wildland fire training in a simulated fire assignment. Anyone is welcome to apply, no experience necessary. After the completion of the training, students become certified as FFT2 (Firefighter Type 2) and will be provided with information on how to apply in USAjobs if interested in working on a fire crew.
The camp will be held at the Pinedale Work Center on the Lakeside District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in Arizona. The dates for the training are Sept 23rd-25th and Sept 30th-Oct 2nd. Participants must attend both timeframes. Time and travel are paid, and equipment is provided. Apply by August 21, 2022.
If you have any questions, contact:
Naomi Corkish (naomi.corkish@usda.gov, 928-333-6247) or
Matt Sigg (matthew.sigg@usda.gov, 316-617-9898).
This is neat, are there age limits? I’m 37 and a Navy veteran.
I think if I were a bit younger, (I’m 78) I would apply. This is a great move forward. Thanks for posting this info.
I love it! When women make a comment on this blog, it gets removed. Nice!!!
God forbid anyone tell the truth!!!
Yes, I removed one or your comments, and without knowing for sure if you are male or female. You feel persecuted, even though we have published more than 300 of your comments? Occasionally you cross the line, with outlandish accusations, with no corroborating information. Often you are very close to that line. We strive for the truth on Wildfire Today. There are many other websites that will publish anything. We’re not one of those.
I suggest you review our rules for commenting.
In addition, you are getting a one-week time out. All comments you post for the next seven days will be removed.
Thank you Bill. You do a great job of moderating this board.
If anyone can apply, shouldn’t it be “People in Fire”? And, wouldn’t they be FFT2 Trainees?
This has been standard for a while(training). I did 40 hours and a field day to get FFT2 qualification. They will not form a crew together as standards are set for crew boss, fallers, squad boss and only a certain amount of FFT2 can be green other have to have experience. They will join into other crews and help build the program. I would agree the timing is not the best for hiring and getting them on an assignment to build experience and build interest in fire and therefore retain them.
The timing of this isn’t great..It’s in AZ and R3 temp hiring has closed I believe..?
There is always the AD route. Which I believe is how it has been done in the past.
There are more rounds of hiring still to come.
More phases will be opening up, you really think we’re done hiring middle of the summer? Haha!
‘Women in Wildfire Training’. With time and travel paid for and equipment provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, an equal opportunity employer. In other words, no men need apply.
I’m having a tough time squaring that with ‘equal opportunity’.
I’m sure you can apply, if that’s what you need to do. I know it’s difficult being a man in fire so whatever you need to do to get a leg up.
Dusty, Mr. Collins, who incidentally listed his full name with his post, was simply making a comment about the irony of offering a nationwide opportunity for employment with a Federal agency directed at women only, excluding the other gender when they advertise that they are an “equal opportunity employer”. I did not detect any angst in his post about things being difficult for him in the fire world or any desire to “get a leg up” on anybody. I also did not see any negativity towards women in his post, just pointing out the expense associated with training targeted exclusively for women only.
6 days of training then they hit the line?
At one time we required two weeks of training before going on a fire. So, what’s changed?
Is it because the Agency is short of firefighters so they lower the training standards? Does that really make sense to ANYONE?
What about some rigorous physical fitness training “to qualify” for the next level of training.
As a former Planning Section Chief, I assigned Type II Crews and with the level of preparedness described above, the only assignment this crew would get is misc. fire camp jobs until more training and preparedness occurred.
If this doesn’t happen, they’re going ot get some of these folks killed.
You don’t think they’ll get some more training??? That’s about as much as I got when I “hit the line” in 1992 and here I am, haven’t had anyone killed.
I myself and many others hit the fireline after the 40 hour “guard school” and a pack test.
I rolled as a squad boss on put together Type II – IA crew with a trainee and 3 folks less than a week out of guard school.
I think we should get more training but it is not how things are.
This is purely to get certifications, inform, and provide a small taste of the job. All other training falls to wherever they may be hired by.
Has this program been shown to increase staffing in any meaningful way?