Wildland Fire
I am pleased to offer Wildland Fire (FORS 5600/7600), in cooperation with the US Forest Service-Southern Research Station and US Forest Service-Savannah River. This three credit hour course offers an introduction to fire as a natural component of forest ecosystems and as a tool for forest management. This course provides the formal training and certification (i.e., “red card”) required to apply for state and federal jobs related to wildland fire.
This course has a nontraditional format that will consist of two weekend training sessions and an intensive 5-day field experience. Students will complete the National Wildfire Coordinating Groups S-130 Basic Wildland Firefighter Training and S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior training curriculum over two weekends (usually in January and/or early February) at Warnell and Whitehall Forest. Class begin at 8:30 AM each morning and end around 5:00 PM each evening. It is imperative that students attend these training sessions in their entirety to progress through the class. The S-130 and S-190 courses are comprised of instructor led classroom training modules and a practical field component. Upon completion of the basic training and a few other online training modules, the students will have the opportunity to take a Work Capacity Test (WCT) pending completion of a satisfactory Health Screening Questionnaire (which must be submitted with other application materials). The WCT will consist of a moderate, 2-mile hike with 25 pounds that must be completed within 30 minutes. Completion of the WCT is required to participate in the intensive field component and to receive course credit. The intensive field component will begin with travel to the Savannah River Site in Aiken, SC from the UGA Campus on the Monday morning of UGA's Spring Break week and will continue through that Friday afternoon, when students return to Athens.
The primary objectives of this course is for the student to: (1) develop an understanding of how fire is applied for the management of forest ecosystems; and (2) complete the training necessary to participate in the application of prescribed fire and fighting of forest fires. Students will be signed up as Forest Service volunteers and receive an Official Incident Qualification Card (Red Card). An active Red Card is good for one year before refresher training and another WCT is required. During this time, students will have the opportunity to volunteer on wildland fires as needed and qualified. At the completion of this course, students should be able to: discuss current fire management issues and controversies, including how fire is implemented to achieve resource management objectives; describe the primary factors affecting the start and spread of wildfire and recognition of potentially hazardous situations; describe how prescribed and wildland fire impact forest structure and function; and describe how various organisms have adapted to and respond to fire.
The course is limited to 16 students and requires permission of the instructor. To be considered, prepare a short (1-2 page) statement indicating why you wish to enroll in this course and how you think this course will benefit your professional career goals. Please include your full name, your UGA ID, your current student status (undergraduate/MS/MFR/PhD), your anticipated graduation date, your phone number, your preferred email address, and a completed Health Screening Questionnaire. Send this statement to [email protected]. Decisions will be made in early November. Forestry undergraduates can apply this 3-credit course towards their Major Electives requirements. Wildlife undergraduates can apply this 3-credit course towards their Habitat #2 requirement.
Safety is a priority for this course and appropriate personal protective equipment will be required at all times when in the field. Hardhats, Nomex coveralls, web belts, and fire shelters will be provided for you; however, students will need to supply their own goggles/eye protection, leather gloves, and fireline boots. A boot vendor will visit the class in January with appropriate options.
Based on previous feedback, this course has been a huge success! All of the students indicated that they would recommend this course to their peers. Not surprisingly, many students perceived the firsthand experience working with prescribed fire as a major benefit of this course. Overall, students felt that they “learned a ton of information in a short period of time” that “cannot be learned in a regular classroom setting”. One forestry major reflected, “I learned a lot about forest ecology and land management that I did not learn or grasp from my other mandatory classes”, whereas another realized “This knowledge will be very useful throughout my career”. Students also appreciated “The ability to get hands-on, professional experience working alongside active USFS personnel to achieve management objectives through burning”. Indeed, “Working with the US Forest Service was incredible” and the course and interactions made students “feel more confident searching for jobs with this experience”. One student said this was an “Excellent course” and they were “very impressed with the expertise”. Others suggested that “This course has the potential to be one of the most effective and valuable classes taught at Warnell” and that it may be one of the best courses I’ve ever taken”. Students clearly recognized that “accessibility to world-class experts in the fields of fire ecology and plant physiology provided an unparalleled experience”. This was clearly an impactful experience and a number of participants have gained employment working with prescribed fire and/or fighting wildfires. So what are you waiting for? Submit your statement for consideration right away! If you have any questions, please contact me by email ([email protected]).
The primary objectives of this course is for the student to: (1) develop an understanding of how fire is applied for the management of forest ecosystems; and (2) complete the training necessary to participate in the application of prescribed fire and fighting of forest fires. Students will be signed up as Forest Service volunteers and receive an Official Incident Qualification Card (Red Card). An active Red Card is good for one year before refresher training and another WCT is required. During this time, students will have the opportunity to volunteer on wildland fires as needed and qualified. At the completion of this course, students should be able to: discuss current fire management issues and controversies, including how fire is implemented to achieve resource management objectives; describe the primary factors affecting the start and spread of wildfire and recognition of potentially hazardous situations; describe how prescribed and wildland fire impact forest structure and function; and describe how various organisms have adapted to and respond to fire.
The course is limited to 16 students and requires permission of the instructor. To be considered, prepare a short (1-2 page) statement indicating why you wish to enroll in this course and how you think this course will benefit your professional career goals. Please include your full name, your UGA ID, your current student status (undergraduate/MS/MFR/PhD), your anticipated graduation date, your phone number, your preferred email address, and a completed Health Screening Questionnaire. Send this statement to [email protected]. Decisions will be made in early November. Forestry undergraduates can apply this 3-credit course towards their Major Electives requirements. Wildlife undergraduates can apply this 3-credit course towards their Habitat #2 requirement.
Safety is a priority for this course and appropriate personal protective equipment will be required at all times when in the field. Hardhats, Nomex coveralls, web belts, and fire shelters will be provided for you; however, students will need to supply their own goggles/eye protection, leather gloves, and fireline boots. A boot vendor will visit the class in January with appropriate options.
Based on previous feedback, this course has been a huge success! All of the students indicated that they would recommend this course to their peers. Not surprisingly, many students perceived the firsthand experience working with prescribed fire as a major benefit of this course. Overall, students felt that they “learned a ton of information in a short period of time” that “cannot be learned in a regular classroom setting”. One forestry major reflected, “I learned a lot about forest ecology and land management that I did not learn or grasp from my other mandatory classes”, whereas another realized “This knowledge will be very useful throughout my career”. Students also appreciated “The ability to get hands-on, professional experience working alongside active USFS personnel to achieve management objectives through burning”. Indeed, “Working with the US Forest Service was incredible” and the course and interactions made students “feel more confident searching for jobs with this experience”. One student said this was an “Excellent course” and they were “very impressed with the expertise”. Others suggested that “This course has the potential to be one of the most effective and valuable classes taught at Warnell” and that it may be one of the best courses I’ve ever taken”. Students clearly recognized that “accessibility to world-class experts in the fields of fire ecology and plant physiology provided an unparalleled experience”. This was clearly an impactful experience and a number of participants have gained employment working with prescribed fire and/or fighting wildfires. So what are you waiting for? Submit your statement for consideration right away! If you have any questions, please contact me by email ([email protected]).
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