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Courses

NAFRI partners with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), National Training Priorities and subject matter experts to manage and deliver advanced level curriculum for the Interagency Wildland Fire and Aviation Management Community. 

For Information about NAFRI's Courses, please visit the NAFRI Course Catalog Page on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

NWCG Courses

For General Course Information, please visit the NWCG L580 Leadership is Action Course Information Page. 

 

For information on upcoming sessions, please visit the L580 Leadership is Action Course Page on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

 

For General Course Information, please visit the NWCG RX510 Advanced Fire Effects Course Information Page

 

For information on upcoming sessions, please visit the RX510 Advanced Fire Effects Course Page on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

 

Non NWCG Courses

Course Description:

NAFA II is designed to provide aerial firefighters an advanced training experience to NAFA, utilizing flight simulator hardware and software, sand table exercises and classroom interaction. NAFA II simulations and problem solving exercises will enhance the aerial firefighter’s effectiveness and safety awareness by providing complex problem solving tasks while simulating a multi-aircraft fire airspace environment.

Pilots will fight fires from a simulated cockpit and will experience various aircraft emergencies and responses while over a fire environment. Real time fire scenarios will be utilized from simple initial attack to a complex fire environment.

 

  • NAFA is required first in order to take NAFA II.
  • NAFA II is a contract requirement for Level II Seat Pilots to obtain a Level I Upgrade.
  • NAFA II is a contract requirement for Level I Seat Pilots every three years (NAFA III meets this contract requirement and is the preferred option for existing Level 1 SEAT Pilots needing NAFA II).

Objectives:

To provide aerial firefighters an advanced training experience to NAFA, utilizing flight simulator hardware and software, sandtable exercises and classroom interaction. NAFA II simulations and problem solving exercises will enhance the aerial firefighter’s effectiveness and safety awareness by providing complex problem solving tasks while simulating a multi-aircraft fire airspace environment.


Target Group:

NAFA II is for personnel who have attended NAFA, who are interested in building on that knowledge and want to obtain advanced level of mission simulation training in the wildland fire airspace environment.


Total Hours: 16


Prerequisites:

Successful completion of NAFA

 

 

Course Description:

The Facilitated Learning Analysis(FLA) and Coordinated Response Protocol(CRP) are group learning approaches to review a broad spectrum of unintended outcomes or close calls ranging from fatalities and escaped fires to vehicle accidents. Through lectures, case studies, and interaction between participants and faculty, the course will:

 

• Illustrate concepts, technologies and methods to actively engage the FLA and CRP processes. 

• Examine case studies that describe a paradigm shift from blame to learning in the wake of an accident. 

• Demonstrate the use of storytelling to exploit accidents and other unintended outcomes as learning events. 

• Underline the concept of sense-making to enable FLA and CRP team members to overcome hindsight bias. 

• Move organizations towards a learning culture. The workshop is limited to 56 participants


Objectives:

Prepare participants to serve as FLA and CRP team members.


Target Group:

Personnel interested and available to participate on review teams analyzing all types of accidents and near-misses. The Workshop participation is not limited to Fire and Aviation Management employees.


Total Hours: 40


Prerequisites:

None, However preference will be given to individuals with experience in risk management, safety management and accident investigations.

 

 

Course Description:

This course is designed to provide aerial firefighters an advanced training experience to NNAFA - National Aerial Firefighting Academy and N9048 - National Aerial Firefighting Academy II, utilizing sand table exercises and classroom interaction. These simulations and problem solving exercises will enhance the aerial firefighter’s effectiveness and safety awareness by providing complex problem-solving tasks while simulating a multi-aircraft fire airspace environment.
 

  • NAFA and NAFA II are required first in order to take NAFA III.
  • This course will meet the contract requirements for existing Level 1 SEAT Pilots (preferred option for existing Level 1 SEAT pilots) and for airtanker and scooper AKPs every three years.
  • Please note No flight simulators are used in this course. Those that need to have flight simulation will have to attend NAFA II in McClellan, CA.
  • This class is NOT appropriate, nor will it meet contract requirements for Pilots needing NAFA II for their upgrade to a Level 1 endorsement.

Objectives:

To provide aerial firefighters an advanced training experience to NAFA, utilizing sand table exercises and classroom interaction. These simulations and problem solving exercises will enhance the aerial firefighter’s effectiveness and safety awareness by providing complex problem solving tasks while simulating a multi-aircraft fire airspace environment.


Target Group:

NAFA III is for personnel who have attended NAFA and NAFA II and are interested in building on that knowledge and who do not need flight simulation.


Total Hours: 16


Prerequisites:

NNAFA - National Aerial Firefighting Academy
N9048 - National Aerial Firefighting Academy II


 

Course Description:

The National Aerial Firefighting Academy (NAFA) is a training effort by and for personnel directly involved in aerial retardant and water delivery. The intent is to educate both Agency and Contract personnel using subject matter experts from both sectors.

This course is geared toward those who are new to the firefighting environment.

NAFA will provide participants information needed to safely and effectively work together in a congested airspace over a wildland fire incident. Tactics, operations and experience are integrated into this aerial firefighting training. The course provides a look into the “other pilot’s” job. which provides an important perspective needed to achieve the same goal: support the firefighters on the ground with aerial resources safely, effectively and efficiently.  

 

  • NAFA is a contract requirement for new Airtanker, Scooper and Level 2 SEAT pilots.
  • NAFA, NAFA II or NAFA III will meet the contract requirement for Airtanker Pilot in Command (AKPs) every three years. 

Objectives:

By the end of this course,  students will:
 

  • Understand operations and communications within the Fire Traffic Area in order to safely support the ground firefighters. 
  • Increase aerial firefighting knowledge by integrating tactics, operations and coordination of various resources to enhance their effectiveness and safety.
  • Have a basic understanding of  aerial firefighting to include dispatching, fire terminology, airbase operations, human factors, fire behavior and the Incident Command System.
  • Improve knowledge of Fire policies, drop patterns, coverage levels, strategies, techniques and factors influencing aerial application on Wildland Fire.

 


Target Group:

Contract and agency personnel directly involved in aerial retardant and water delivery:
 

  • Large Airtanker(LAT)Pilots
  • Scooper Pilots
  • Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems (MAFFS) Pilots
  • Single Engine Airtanker (SEAT) Pilots
  • Type I, Type II and Type III Helicopter Pilots
  • Very Large Airtanker (VLAT) Pilots
  • Air Attack Pilots
  • Agency Air Tactical Group Supervisors (ATGS)
  • Agency Leadplane Pilots
  • Agency Dispatchers

Total Hours: 32


Prerequisites:

Is a member of NAFA specified target group listed above.