Registration Open: Wildland Firefighter Training (6/9/25-6/13/25)

When: June 9th -13th, 2025 0800 -1700 daily.

This training is an entry level firefighter training course. No prior experience in firefighting is needed or expected. The intent of this training course is to build capacity among Rhode Island DEM employees and RI fire departments to support wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire operations. This class is also a requirement for those interested in national wildfire incident mobilizations as a Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2). Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG): S-130/L-180
 

Background:

In 2024, the northeastern area of the country saw a historic fall fire season. RI had a total of 75 wildfires in 2024, with 41 of them occurring between the dates of October 18th and November 19th. DEM hopes to train more firefighters amidst a changing climate, increased fire behavior, and longer fire seasons.

DEM, Division of Forest Environment has been working to return the use of fire as a land management tool across the state. Prescribed fire helps to remove hazardous fuels to help prevent uncontrolled wildland fires. Additionally, fire is a valuable tool used to meet land management objectives such as eradicating invasive species and stimulating resprouting of vegetation for wildlife habitats. In 2024 DEM’s Forest Fire program was able to conduct 11 prescribed fire operations for a total of 140 treated acres. The burn crews for these operations were largely comprised of firefighters who have taken this training.