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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 2025 Core Components Module Package

Local Topics

  • Fire Year In Review 2024

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    • Revisit significant events and statistics from the 2024 fire season. Identify lessons learned to prepare for the future. Explore intelligence sources to independently enhance big picture situational awareness.

Vehicle Safety Operations

  • Module (Driving the Miles)
    • This module explores the risk exposure associated with operating vehicles during wildland fire assignments. In it, we review rapid lesson sharing of vehicle incidents and common factors that caused them. In the end we hear from a Superintendent of an Interagency Hotshot Crew who addresses human factors, driving watch outs, and standard operating procedures to provide for driving safety within the wildland firefighting community.
       

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.

     Module (Bench Lake Fire Immersive Case Study)

    • A case study about a successful firefighting operation near Stanely, Idaho. Fire managers and support personnel protected a community from a threatening wildfire. This case study examines what factors and decisions led to their success and how we might emulate that success in future operations.
  • Module (Duvall Creek IWI Case Study)
    • A case study involving a medical extrication on a wildfire in western Oregon. The person in charge of the extrication had to decide the best method to get the patient to definitive medical care. This case study examines their decision and the factors they had to consider.

Fire and Aviation Operational Safety

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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.

     Module (Line Is Clear)

    • Build a knowledge base by listening to three aerial firefighting experts explain best practices when utilizing aerial resources and clarify what it means for a line to be clear.
  • Module (Short-haul Capabilities and Limitations)
    • Understanding the capabilities and limitations of Short-haul operations will help you utilize a Short-haul resource effectively. Whether you’re a Duty Officer responsible for deciding what type of resource to send to a new incident in a remote area, or you are a first-year crewmember awaiting your first fire assignment, this module will help you make informed decisions in the field by providing insight into Short-haul operations relevant to all wildland firefighters.

Human Factors, Communication, and Decision Making

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    Watch Out Situations #5. Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.

     Module (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Capabilities and Limitations)

    • Agency operated Unmanned Aircraft Systems are becoming more prevalent and more capable every year. This video is designed to provide all firefighters with a baseline understanding of UAS capabilities and limitations. Through that lens the video covers typing, communications, integration in the Fire Traffic Area, decision making when ordering, and updates in the Incident Response pocket guide.
  • Module (Country Fire Deployment Case Study)
    • A case study involving a shelter deployment on a fire near Sacramento, California. An engine responding to an initial attack call was burned over after conditions rapidly and dramatically changed fire behavior. The two crewmembers were forced to use their fire shelters to survive. This case study examines the situation and their decisions.

Fire Shelters and Entrapment Avoidance

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Photo of deployed fire shelters.

Resources

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2024 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service Awards

Date: May 22, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Emergency Medical Committee

The NWCG Emergency Medical Committee (EMC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Wildland Fire Emergency Medical Service Awards. Each year, EMC recognizes individuals and groups who have demonstrated exceptional actions or accomplishments that go above and beyond their normal mission or job duties.

Congratulations to all the awardees and nominees. Through leadership and initiative, they have made significant contributions to the safety and well-being of the wildland fire community. These honors are well deserved.

References:

2024 Wildland Fire EMS Awards

NWCG Emergency Medical Committee

NWCG Welcomes the Incident Management Teams Association as an Associate Member

Date: May 21, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
https://www.nwcg.gov/contact-us

The NWCG Executive Board is honored to announce that the Incident Management Teams Association (IMTA) has joined the National Wildfire Coordinating Group as an associate member.

IMTA is a dedicated group of incident management professionals committed to enhancing the profession by promoting standards and fostering collaboration across federal, state, local, Tribal, and private sector partners throughout all phases of incident management.

“Joining NWCG aligns with our mission to elevate incident management professionals nationwide,” said Dr. Randal Collins, President of IMTA. “This is a proud moment for all of us committed to advancing public safety.”

References:

Incident Management Teams Association

National Wildfire Coordinating Group

Updated NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431

Date: May 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Fire Use Subcommittee

The updated NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431 serves as a supplemental resource for wildland fire module operations, providing information frequently used in the field.

PMS 431 defines the organizational structure, staffing, and qualifications for Type 1 and Type 2 Wildland Fire Modules, outlining their roles in wildland fire suppression, prescribed fire, and resource management. The NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431, should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430.

References:

NWCG Guide for Wildland Fire Modules, PMS 431

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

Updated NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing, PMS 200 Now Includes Off-Highway Vehicle Typing Standards

Date: May 13, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Mobile Fire Equipment Subcommittee 

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing, PMS 200 has been updated to include newly developed Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) typing standards. These standards organize OHV information into logical categories and outline key safety requirements for occupants.

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing, PMS 200 establishes minimum typing standards for aircraft, crews, and equipment used in national mobilization to wildland fire incidents. Typing designations are assigned based on measurable capability and performance criteria.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Resource Typing, PMS 200