Wildland Fire Operations for County Equipment

Wildland Fire Operations for County Equipment

Course Description:
This one-day course provides equipment operators with practical knowledge for supporting wildland fire suppression efforts using state and county resources. Designed as an application-focused program rather than an operator training course, it emphasizes safe and effective equipment use in fire mitigation scenarios. County equipment operators should have a working knowledge of their machinery and be willing to examine their own skills in relation to the equipment’s weight, horsepower, hydraulic abilities, types of transmissions and drives, and other specifics.

Learning Objectives:
Participants will:
• Understand key safety practices and operational considerations.
• Review equipment capabilities, including weight, horsepower, hydraulics, and transmission types.
• Gain familiarity with wildland fire terminology, incident command structure, communications, and roles.
• Learn pre- and post-arrival procedures and firebreak construction techniques.

Format:
The course combines a half day of classroom instruction with a half day of outdoor hands-on exercises, including building firebreaks and safety zones under simulated incident command conditions.

Prerequisites:
Participants should have a working knowledge of their equipment and be prepared to assess its operational limits.