The UWSP Fire Crew, with the help of the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
will be conducting the outdoor training portion of the Wildland Firefighter
course offered by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Fire Crew.
The training will be conducted Saturday, March 1, on Wisconsin state land
east of the town of Plover.
The outdoor training session is only a portion of the total training required
of the UWSP students, whose organization is an activity of the College of
Natural Resources. This is part of a five-day course that trains students in all
aspects of firefighting in a wildland environment. The students learn about
meteorology, fire behavior, firefighter safety, firefighting tactics and
equipment such as air tankers, bulldozers and fire engines. The training meets
federal standards for wildland fire training and will allow students who
graduate from this course to work as an entry level wildland firefighter
anywhere in the nation.
The outdoor training session will consist of the students extinguishing
burning piles of wood, constructing a fire line to contain a fire, measuring
weather conditions and using portable radios to transmit that information, using
air photos and maps to navigate to find spot fires, and orienting students to
the operations of bulldozers, fire engines and pumps.
The UWSP Fire Crew will use live fire as a training aid to increase the
students’ understanding of course material. Do not call 9-1-1 if you see smoke
in the area on this date.
