DOVER, Del. — The Delaware Forest Service is looking for motivated recruits to enroll in wildfire training classes starting in February at the Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320 S. DuPont Highway, Camden, DE. There is no cost for training and no previous experience needed. Classes will be held over two weekends: February 1 and 2, and February 15 and 16, 2020. Candidates must be over 18, physically fit, and able to travel for at least two weeks, usually in the summer. Attendance at all classes is required to achieve “red card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG).

Students can register by filling out the online registration form by January 31, 2020. Complete details are at de.gov/wildfire.

Students who complete the core set of courses (listed below) are eligible to attend “Fire Camp,” an intensive, hands-on, one-day seminar held in the spring of 2020. Students must also complete a “work capacity” or “pack test” – carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in 45 minutes or less – to receive their NWCG “red card” and participate on out-of-state fire assignments.

While all firefighters volunteer for out-of-state assignments, all positions are fully paid: A typical 16-day tour of duty will usually average between 220 and 250 working hours or about $4500 for an entry-level FFT2 position (firefighter Type 2).

Core Courses

• S-190: Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior  (Saturday, February 1)
• S-130: Firefighter Training (Sunday, February 2) plus (Saturday, February 15, and Sunday, February 16)

Prerequisites *

* Students must pass two prerequisite courses before classes and bring course completion certification certificates with them on the first day. These are online (below) at the FEMA website.

• ICS-100 – Introduction to the Incident Command System
• IS-700 – An Introduction to the National Incident Management System

For more information, call 302-698-4548      Email: Kyle Hoyd

Every year, millions of acres of forests across the United States are ravaged by wildfire. But thanks to a training program by the Delaware Forest Service, citizens from across the First State can qualify to serve on national fire crews. Since 1996, the Delaware Forest Service has trained more than 600 volunteer firefighters, and now every fire season deploys 20-person crews for out-of-state wildfire assignments.

Delaware’s program is growing and in need of additional firefighters who are interested in assisting the national effort to control and contain devastating wildfires. Delaware used to send only one crew a year, but now can send multiple crews. In 2018, Delaware sent crews to Colorado and Idaho, as well as engine crews to California.

Do you have what it takes to join the Wildfire Crew?

Download the Wildland Fire Program Brochure

Frequently Asked Questions:

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is seeking qualified and motivated candidates for its wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. Applicants should be at least 18 years of age, physically and mentally fit, motivated to learn, and willing and able to travel for up to two weeks or more (usually during the summer months) for out-of-state fire assignments. Previous firefighting experience is not required.

While volunteer firefighters can register through their own fire company, those without prior firefighting experience must contact Kyle Hoyd, DFS Wildland Fire Program, by phone: (302) 698-4548  or email: kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov to get authorization before enrolling in the classes. The deadline for course registration is January 3, 2015.

The first set of wildfire training classes: “S-190, I-100, and PMS-416,” will be held on Saturday and Sunday, January 24 and 25,  from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Delaware State Fire School, 1461 Chestnut Grove Rd, Dover, DE 19904, 302-739-4773. The second set of classes, “S-130: Basic Wildland Firefighting,” will be taught at the Fire School over the course of two weekends: February 28 and March 1, and also March 7 and 8, 2015, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. each day.  The cost of S-190, I-100, and PMS-416 (January) is $50 (includes lunch both days) and the cost of S-130 (March) is $100 (includes lunch every day), with remittance payable to the “Delaware State Fire School.”

Registration Form*(PDF)
2015 Training Schedule* (PDF)

Both S-190 and S-130 are required for prospective firefighters to attain “red-card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), the lead agency for wildfire training in the United States.   In addition to basic coursework, candidates must also complete a rigorous “work capacity” or “pack test,” which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes. The capstone of the wildfire training series is the Delaware Forest Service’s annual “Fire Camp,” which will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Redden State Forest in Georgetown, Sussex County. The one-day seminar features intensive, hand-on training in a range of wildland firefighting tools and strategies, culminated by a “live-burn” exercise designed to simulate conditions on an actual fire assignment.

To fully complete the entire training series, potential candidates must register for S-190 by the January 3, 2015 deadline.

Delaware’s wildland fire program is coming off another successful year: in 2014, the Delaware dispatched two 20-person teams to out-of-state assignments through the National Interagency Fire Center: one crew traveled to Oregon to battle wildfires in July while another crew was sent to the West in August to battle fires in Washington and Oregon .  Trained and dispatched by the Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service, wildfire crews are comprised of men and women of varying ages and backgrounds who represent a mix of public agencies, nonprofit groups, volunteer fire companies, and private citizens—all with an interest in firefighting and a desire to help their communities.

Despite its small size, Delaware has an outstanding reputation on the national firefighting scene and was honored by Governor Markell during the celebration of National Fire Prevention Month in October. Since the program’s inception in the 1990s, the First State has also sent personnel to aid in other national or regional emergencies, such as hurricane relief crews in Florida and New York.

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Do you have what it takes to fight a wildfire? http://de.gov/wildfire
The Delaware Forest Service is seeking motivated, qualified trainees for its wildfire crew.

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is seeking qualified and interested individuals to participate in its upcoming series of wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. Ideal candidates should be: at least 18 years of age, physically and mentally fit, motivated to learn, and willing and able to travel for up to two weeks or more (usually during the summer months) for out-of-state fire assignments. Previous firefighting experience is not required.  While current members of a volunteer fire company can register through their organization, those without prior firefighting experience must contact Henry Poole, DFS Wildland Fire Program, by phone: (302) 698-4548  or email: henry.poole@delaware.gov to get authorization before enrolling in the classes. The deadline for course registration is January 3, 2014.

The first course, “S-190: Introduction to Fire Behavior/Incident Command System,” will be held on January 18 and 19, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Delaware State Fire School, 1461 Chestnut Grove Rd, Dover, DE 19904, 302-739-4773. The second set of classes, “S-130: Basic Wildland Firefighting,” will be taught at the Fire School over the course of two weekends: March 1 and 2, 2014 and also March 8 and 9, 2014, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. each day.  The cost of S-190 (January) is $50 (including lunch both days) and the cost of S-130 (March) is $100 (including lunch every day), with remittance payable to the “Delaware State Fire School.”

Link to Registration Form*(PDF)
Link to 2014 Training Schedule* (PDF)

Both S-190 and S-130 are required for prospective firefighters to attain “red-card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), the lead agency that oversees wildland firefighter training in the United States.   In addition to basic coursework, candidates must also complete a rigorous “work capacity” or “pack test,” which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in under 45 minutes. The capstone of the wildfire training series is the Delaware Forest Service’s annual “Fire Camp,” which will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at Redden State Forest in Georgetown, Sussex County. The one-day seminar features intensive, hand-on training in a range of wildland firefighting tools and strategies, culminated by a “live-burn” exercise designed to simulate conditions on an actual fire assignment.

To fully complete the entire training series, it is imperative for potential candidates to register for S-190 by the January 3, 2014 deadline.

Delaware’s wildland fire program is coming off another successful year: in 2013, the Delaware dispatched two 20-person teams to out-of-state assignments through the National Interagency Fire Center: one crew battled an 85,000-acre blaze near the town of North Pole, Alaska in July while another crew traveled to Utah before completing an assignment in the steep, mountainous terrain of Idaho’s Payette National Forest.  Crews are trained and dispatched by the Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service and are comprised of both men and women of varying ages and backgrounds who represent a mix of public agencies, nonprofit groups, volunteer fire companies, and private citizens—each with a keen interest in firefighting and a sincere desire to help others.

Despite its small size, Delaware has achieved a well-earned reputation among national agencies for the quality, performance, and training of its firefighting personnel. Over the past 15 years, the First State has also dispatched personnel to aid in other national or regional emergencies, such as hurricane relief crews in Florida and New York.

(click here for link to Forest Service web page and more information)

Over the past ten years (2003 to 2012), an average of 70,639 wildfires have burned an estimated 7,414,500 acres of valuable land per year in the United States. Despite being a small state with a somewhat low risk of wildfire, Delaware has managed to achieve a sizable reputation on the national firefighting scene because it regularly dispatches teams of trained and experienced personnel to battle wildfires in the West. The First State has also fielded crews to aid in other national or regional emergencies, such as serving on hurricane relief crews in Florida and New York.

In June of 2012, Delaware dispatched a 20-person crew to fight a wildfire in southwestern Colorado and was eventually transferred to a large blaze burning in Wyoming. Later in the summer, the Forest Service dispatched a second 20-person crew to fight a wildfire near Twin Falls, Idaho. In addition, several Delaware volunteers also joined with crews from other states to serve on other wildfire assignments or served in field offices or dispatch centers to help guide manpower and resources to the firefighting effort.