Agency Administrator Workshop Video
Overview
Agency Administrators and Line Officers are being tasked to aggressively implement fuels management programs. This consists of gaining additional skills to effectively manage evolving fuels management plans that may need to meet a variety of objectives.
Participants of the National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center (NIPFTC) Agency Administrator Workshop will receive hands-on experience in prescribed fire and will interact with skilled prescribed fire practitioners and successful fuels program managers from across the country. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about policy, planning, and implementation of fire to enhance their programs. Experienced and diverse cadre members also offer insight to management challenges, such as how to restore fire to the landscape and meeting objectives for multiple resources using prescribed fire.
Target Audience
- Forest Service: Forest Supervisor/Deputy, District Ranger/Deputy
- Fish & Wildlife Service: Project Leaders/Deputy, Refuge Manager/Deputy
- Bureau of Land Management: District Manager/Deputy, Field Manager/Deputy
- National Park Service: Park Superintendent/Deputy
- Bureau of Indian Affairs: National Conservation Land Manager/Deputy
*For Forest Service participants, this workshop meets one of the requirements in FSM 5140 to approve Prescribed Fire Burn Plans. With the advent of the Agency Administrator Task Book, NIPFTC has worked with the National Line Officer Team to identify tasks that are met by this workshop. Currently there is the opportunity to accomplish up to 12 tasks.
For Fish and Wildlife Service participants, this workshop meets Interagency Fire Management Leadership course requirements necessary to develop and maintain a Fire Management Plan, and to approve burn plans.
Workshop Objectives
- Become familiar with interagency fuels management direction, policy, and planning.
- Develop an understanding of implementing key elements of successful fuels programs in the wildland urban interface and landscapes.
- Interact with successful program managers and practitioners and build a network of contacts for the future.
- Develop a better understanding of risk management, liability, and burn complexity as it pertains to Agency Administrators.
- Increase knowledge of policy, burn plans, smoke management, and the decision making process with a highly qualified cadre.
- Experience fire monitoring elements through hands-on application in order to assess the effectiveness of fire treatments in meeting objectives.
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Enhance prescribed fire skills through practical experience burning with a variety of cooperators.
Dates and Schedule
- November workshop: 11/02/2023 through 11/07/2023
- February workshop: 02/01/2024 through 02/06/2024
- May workshop: 05/02/2024 through 05/07/2024
The workshop begins at 0800 on a Thursday. The attendees will spend the morning in orientation with short briefings on safety, equipment, and southeastern fuels. There will be various presentations, discussions, breakout groups, and activities throughout the workshop. Field trips/burning will be at potential cooperator sites located within the area chosen for the workshop. Federal, state, and private cooperators may be visited during this timeframe. On the last day, participants will conduct a closeout with the NIPFTC Director. Participants should plan to travel home the Wednesday morning following the workshop.
The workshop includes interaction with active federal and state prescribed fire programs. The selected workshop start/end point will be near a major jetport and be determined at a later date. During the workshop, participants and cadre may move within a geographic region to take advantage of burning windows and programs. This may necessitate changing lodging at least once, if not more, during the workshop.
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 workshop.
All participants must have watched the video "The New Generation Fire Shelter" (NFES-2712). Participants must also arrive with appropriate PPE, or let NIPFTC know in advance of any needs.
How to Apply
The application deadline for all the workshops is August 15, 2023. Applications are completed on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. Click on the following: Agency Administrator Workshop Application and you will be redirected to the login page. Login with your Wildland Fire Learning Portal credentials and complete the form.
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 page and follow the above directions.
*Please use Chrome browser when using the portal and make sure to login with your credentials before attempting the application.
Quotes from Participants
"It was very well thought out and covers all the aspects of the role of an AA in Rx fire. I feel more confident to engage with staff on Rx burning."
Abby Lane, District Ranger, USFS, Lolo National Forest, 2023
“This workshop has been extremely valuable to me. There are a number of conversations I have been thinking about for this pre-season period with my fire crew, and I am coming home with developed thoughts and, best of all, concrete tools to help facilitate these as focused and productive meetings. My knowledge base has increased and put me on firmer footing as an AA.”
Sean Brophy, Deputy Project Leader, USFWS, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, 2023
“The Agency Administrator Workshop conducted by the Prescribed Fire Training Center is a must for any Agency Administrator, regardless of level of experience. Although I have a background in prescribed fire, through taking the class I realized how much more I still have to learn. The class does a great job of combining classroom and field visits to give students a comprehensive learning experience. Most impressively, the instructors took the time to really understand the needs of the students and actually changed the agenda to address pressing concerns (I've never been in a class that did that). Bottom line - this is a class that will help you do your job better!”
Michael Lusk, USFWS, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, 2019
“The variety of topics, activities, and different methods to teach this class kept us engaged. The diversity of cadre and their depth of experience added tremendous value.”
Trina Staloch, USFWS, Litchfield Wetland Management District, 2018
“PFTC exceeded my expectations. The experiential aspects of the course provide a learning experience that can otherwise only be attained through months, years, and lessons learned the hard way.”
Rebekah Martin, USFWS, North Carolina Coastal Plain Refuge Complex, 2017
“This is the best training I ever attended. It connected the work to the resources to the people. The size and depth of the cadre is what should be the standard for all training.”
Cody Hutchinson, District Ranger, USFS, National Forest in North Carolina, 2017
“Most beneficial training that I have experienced in my 25 year career. If put into practice on my home unit, this training and experience could possibly have the largest impact to our resource and National Forest existence.”
Jim Junette, District Ranger, USFS, Stanislaus National Forest, 2016
“It is the best organized, prepared, most professionally-staffed training I have ever attended.”
Doug McKay, District Ranger, USFS, Fremont-Winema National Forest - White Rim Zone, 2015
“I think the emphasis on “hands on learning” is exceptional. My expectations were exceeded. The coordination of classroom, exercises, and field were outstanding.”
Andrew Archuletta, BLM, San Luis Valley Field Office - Colorado, 2014