Training Committee
Chair: Kristina Weld
For more information on our Training Committee, training opportunities, or to join the committee, please contact Kristina Weld. Participation in the committee is open to any interested member of the WPFC.
Our Mission
Our mission is to maximize our ability to burn more fire-adapted landscapes safely and effectively by increasing our training capacity for both NWCG and non-NWCG-track training for all levels of participation.
WPFC endorses two, parallel sets of prescribed fire crew training requirements: specific prescribed fire standards identified by WPFC, or compliance with National Wildfire Coordinating Group (i.e. federal wildfire suppression) requirements. To that end, the Training Committee works to train more people to staff the growing demand for implementing safe and effective prescribed fires.
The efforts of this committee are organized according to three levels of training: crew member, squad boss, and burn boss. Upcoming training programs for all audiences are listed below on our events page.
Our Programs
We publicly offer the following programs each year, with locations varying throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. Our trainings adhere to WPFC standards, providing a Wisconsin-focused alternative to NWCG certification pathways. Trainings are usually announced a couple months in advance with early and discounted registration for WPFC members.
Introductory Training: Our entry-level training is suitable for anyone interested in prescribed fire, preparing them to act as a crew member on prescribed burns. Landowners will understand the various pathways to achieving their fire management goals, while volunteers will gain the qualifications necessary to participate in most of Wisconsin’s volunteer-friendly burn crews.
- Audience: Any individual physically capable of working on a burn crew. Ideal for landowners, students, and volunteers.
- Typical structure: 1 day of classroom instruction (often completed virtually) followed by 1 day of live-fire exercises.
- Frequency: 1-3 offerings each burn season (Spring and Fall).
Squad Boss Training: This training prepares individuals to assume the role of squad boss (aka line boss), in which they are responsible for leading a portion of a burn crew (a “squad” or “line”) to carry out the instructions of the burn boss safely and effectively. Confidence in this role is an important step towards planning and leading your own prescribed burns. This program is the ONLY publicly-available, Wisconsin-focused squad boss training in the state.
- Audience: Individuals with crew member experience seeking to gain burn leadership skills. Ideal for landowners, students, volunteers, and employees of NGOs and contractors.
- Typical structure: 1 day of classroom instruction followed by 1 day of simulated and live-fire exercises.
- Frequency: ~1 offering each burn season (Spring and Fall).
Burn Boss Academy: This intensive program is designed for both aspiring and experienced burn bosses. Trainees will learn how to plan and lead prescribed burns with the utmost efficiency while enjoying constant weeklong access to a cross-sector community of instructors and peers. The Burn Boss Academy fulfills all training requirements and provides additional guidance for the Wisconsin Certified Burn Boss Program.
- Audience: Professionals with crew member and squad boss experience seeking to build their career in prescribed fire management. Landowners and volunteers may register for this program, but are not the intended audience.
- Typical structure: 5 full days of instruction including classroom presentations, field tours, simulated leadership exercises, optional evening sessions, and social gatherings. Lodging and meals are included in the registration cost.
- Frequency: 1 offering each Fall, with applications due a couple months in advance.
We occasionally offer other trainings and workshops for particular skills, audiences, and/or ecosystems. If you are interested in booking a private training for your organization, or hosting a training on your property in exchange for free registration and fire management assistance, contact training@prescribedfire.org.
Basic Fire Crew Primer
The Primer is an introduction to prescribed fire for a general audience. Its purpose is to assist training of crew at a basic level, for conducting prescribed fire in various habitats such as grassland, oak savanna, woodland, or wetland. The document is a collaboration between three fire educators in southern Wisconsin and was influenced by both WPFC and NWCG standards. The Primer serves as an introduction and refresher and is not a replacement for guided training and field experience.
Glossary of Prescribed Fire Terms
Our Fire Terms Glossary is a comprehensive alphabetical list of definitions related to prescribed fire, intended to serve as a reference and training resource for practitioners of all types and skill levels. It brings together terms from different areas of practice, indicating when a given definition pertains to a specific organization’s standards (NWCG, USDA & USFS, WPFC) or to a specific context (wildfires, Midwestern prescribed fire, prescribed fire overall). The document was developed by the WPFC Training Committee, receiving input from experts in the government, nonprofit, business, and academic sectors. The Glossary serves as a referential resource and is not a replacement for guided training and field experience.
Upcoming Trainings
Upcoming training opportunities are listed below. These programs will meet one or both of our set of standards.
