Overview
Field Coordinators for the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center (NIPFTC) play important roles during the 20-day session training deliveries. The Field Coordinator functions as a link between the host units, NIPFTC Staff and the session participants, ensuring quality training opportunities during the session. Additional duties such as daily reporting, IQCS experience records, vehicle maintenance, issued gear accountability and time management fall under the duty of the Field Coordinator. Rapid team building is essential. Ensuring module cohesion, safety, health, and well-being are a primary responsibility.
The Field Coordinator works closely with the participants within the module to ensure teachable moments that occur before, during, and after prescribed fire implementation are identified and discussed. This requires the Field Coordinators to have a breadth of experience and qualifications. Field Coordinators are teachers and mentors for the participants and facilitate learning. On non-burn days, the Field Coordinator will be prepared to lead discussions and instruct on relevant, related, and meaningful topics with the module.
Many Field Coordinators with NIPFTC have found the experience challenging and rewarding resulting in many returning for multiple years. NIPFTC relies on the Field Coordinators to maintain and enhance the positive relationships with our interagency partner host units as well as facilitating high quality experiential learning opportunities to develop the next generation of prescribed fire practitioners.
NIPFTC has begun utilizing Assistant Field Coordinators. These can be applicants that are new to being a Field Coordinator and are qualified as at least an RXB2 or those who are pursuing an RXB2 but are currently FIRB-qualified.
Dates and Schedule
- January session: 01/07/2024 through 01/26/2024
- February session: 02/11/2024 through 03/01/2024
- March session: 03/10/2024 through 03/29/2024
- April session: 04/07/2024 through 04/26/2024
- May session: 05/05/2024 through 05/24/2024
The schedule consists of an orientation with presentations covering safety in the southeast, ignition techniques, fire research, and lessons learned, followed by field trips covering fire planning and implementation, fuels, research and ecology, and wildlife and fire. Burning will occur at cooperator sites located within the southeast. Federal, state, and private cooperators may be visited during this timeframe. On the last day, participants will closeout with NIPFTC Staff.
The session includes interaction with active federal and state prescribed fire programs. The selected session start/end point will be determined. During the session, participants will move within a geographic region to take advantage of burning windows and programs. This will necessitate changing lodging multiple times during the session.
Cost and Requirements
There is no tuition. All costs for travel, per diem, salary, and overtime will be the responsibility of the sending unit. NIPFTC will provide transportation during the session.
All participants must have watched the video "The New Generation Fire Shelter" (NFES-2712). Participants must also arrive with appropriate PPE.
*Field Coordinators will be with a group of six to seven individuals, day and night, during their detail. Field Coordinators will be required to complete both administrative and fieldwork, and must demonstrate strong leadership skills, enthusiasm for teaching, and must be able to answer questions on technical aspects of prescribed burning. Applicants must also validate RXB2 experience on their Master Record with burns completed outside of NIPFTC sessions. Applications from disciplines other than fire management are strongly encouraged.
How to Apply
The application deadline for the 2024 sessions is October 5, 2023. Applications are completed on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. Click on the following: Field Coordinator Detail Application and you will be redirected to the login page. Login with your Wildland Fire Learning Portal credentials and click on "Enroll Me." From there you should be able to complete the application.
If you don't have a Wildland Fire Learning Portal account follow the directions for creating one on the login page. Once you receive notification that you have an account, come back to this announcement and follow the above directions.