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RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)

RT-130 Decorative banner. Group of photos depicting wildland firefighters performing various duties.

WFSTAR 2024 Core Component Module Packages

Local Topics

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Give clear instructions and be sure they are understood. About 20 firefighters stand in a semi-circle in front of two crew buggies where a map has been put up.  A supervisory firefighter points at the map and speaks to the group.
  • Fire Year In Review 2023

    • Revisit significant events and statistics from the 2023 fire season. Identify lessons learned to prepare for the future. Explore intelligence sources to independently enhance big picture situational awareness.

Vehicle Safety Operations

Incident Reviews and Lessons Learned

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Identify escape routes and safety zones, and make them known. A fire crew is walking through a meadow on a path lined with pink flagging.  Behind them, a fire is growing in heavy timber.
  • Salt Fire
    • Understanding infancy stages and safety zone burnover on a wildland fire.
  • Cramer Fire:
    • Review of the Salmon River Breaks Cramer fire and identifying hazardous situation in difficult terrain and fuels.

Fire and Aviation Operational Safety

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Watch Out Situations #5. Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.
  • Mission Planning
    • All wildland firefighting modules participate in mission planning. Depending on the type of module you are on dictates specialized considerations you must account for. This module provides mission planning insights from a Rappel Module that are relevant to all firefighters.
  • Counter Rotating Vortex Pairs
    • This module creates both awareness and conversation among fire personnel around a relatively unknown fire behavior phenomenon called the Counter Rotating Vortex Pair (CRVP). Concisely describe conditions that may lead to CRVP formation for tactical resources like crew lookouts and Division Supervisors (DIVS).

Human Factors, Communication, and Decision Making

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Weather conditions can significantly impact fire behavior, and weather forecasts help firefighters anticipate changes. This Standard Firefighting Order shows a remote automated weather station (RAWS) which sends real-time weather information to incident fire personnel.
  • Digital Maps
    • Explore digital, geo-referenced topographic maps on mobile devices for use in initial and extended attack. Practice downloading and sharing digital maps on your smartphone or tablet using public domain sites and free applications.
  • How to Properly Refuse Risk
  • Medical Incident Report
    • The Medical Incident Report is a tool that supports efficient, timely, and appropriate response to accidents and medical emergencies. Like any other tool, proficiency with the Medical Incident Report comes through practice. It is up to you to ensure that you and your crew understand the intent and contents of the Medical Incident Report and how to use it before an incident occurs.
  • Wildland Fire Mental Health
    • Highlights the importance of mental health in wildland fire. The video also emphasizes the importance of work-life balance and highlights the resources available to help those in need.
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Photo of deployed fire shelters.

Fire Shelters and Entrapment Avoidance

Resources

 

USWDS Paragraph Bundles

 

NWCG Latest Announcements

NWCG Training Catalog now on Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Date: April 25, 2023
Contact: NWCG Training  

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has migrated the training catalog from the NWCG website to the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline processes and improve efficiency. To facilitate this transition, the training catalog remains available on www.nwcg.gov through April 2024.

Starting May 2024, the training catalog will no longer be accessible on www.nwcg.gov. However, you can still access the complete training catalog by logging in as a guest to the WFLP.

References:

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

 

NWCG Website Migration

Date: April 01, 2024
Contact: NWCG Webmaster

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group is thrilled to announce a significant upgrade to https://www.nwcg.gov, involving a comprehensive redesign of over 7,000 web pages. This enhancement is focused on improving user experience. The migration to the new NWCG website will commence on April 2, 2024, starting at noon EST and is expected to take a few hours. 

During the migration period, as the www.nwcg.gov domain-name-location updates across the Internet, you might encounter either the current or the new site depending on your location. We request your patience during this transition. If you are not redirected to the new site by April 3, 2024, we recommend clearing your browser’s cache and refreshing the page.

Please note that while navigating the revamped website, there may be instances of broken links or errors. Our dedicated web migration team has made significant efforts to minimize such issues prior to launch and will promptly address any that arise via use of analytic reports. We value your patience and understanding as we work towards enhancing your overall website experience.

WFSTAR 2023 Year in Review and 2024 Core Component Module Packages Available

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: Joe Schindel 

The 2023 Fire Year in Review module and 2024 Core Component Module Packages for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) are now available on the NWCG website. The 2024 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

 

References:

WFSTAR 2023 Fire Year in Review module

WFSTAR 2024 Core Component Module Packages

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: NWCG

The NWCG Executive Board is privileged to share with you the 2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter. As we look into the future and navigate an incredibly complex and dynamic environment, we must remain focused on our mission while actively engaging in national conversations regarding numerous wildland fire initiatives. In 2024, we prioritize building upon our successes and committing to continuous improvement. Key priorities and considerations for this year include: 

  • Determining Core Workload
  • Ensuring Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) Success
  • Improving Efficiencies
  • Firefighter Health and Wellness
  • Engagement in National Conversations

Together we will continue to make significant strides in the challenging and vital work that lies ahead. 

 

References:

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter