Annual Wildland Fire Safety Refresher Training

Refresher Training Required for Some NWCG Positions

A final version of the revised National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide (PMS 310-1) was posted to the web in April 2006. The 2006 version of the Guide states:

In order to maintain currency, some positions have identified recurrent training (RT) at various intervals.
Attendance at an Annual Fireline Safety Refresher (RT-130) is required for designated positions in this guide in order to maintain currency, and for all personnel assigned to positions with fireline duties and for any position assigned to the fireline for nonsuppression tasks.
Annual Fireline Safety Refresher (RT-130) training will focus on mandatory core content subjects and not on a minimum timeframe standard. The required number of hours is determined by the agency. Core content is listed under Wildland Fire Safety Refresher Training at http://www.nifc.gov/wfstar/index.htm.

Please refer to the April 2006 Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide (PMS 310-1) at http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/docs/pms310-1.pdf for positions that require Annual Fireline Safety Refresher Training.

NWCG Standards for Instructors of Annual Fireline Safety Refresher Training

In 2006, the NWCG also established minimum qualifications for instructors of refresher training.

Lead instructors must be a qualified single resource boss.
Unit instructors must be qualified firefighter type one (FFT1).
Adjunct instructors may be utilized to provide limited instruction in specialized knowledge and skills at the discretion of the lead instructor. They must be experienced, proficient and knowledgeable of current issues in their field of expertise.

For additional information please refer to the December 2006 NWCG Field Manager’s Course Guide (PMS 901-1) at http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/training/fmcg.pdf.