Wildland fires are roaring across the globe, causing more widespread, catastrophic destruction than ever before. Satellite data show that the frequency of extreme wildland fires known as “megafires” (defined as fires that destroy more than 100,000 acres, or 156 square miles) more than doubled during the past 20 years—with the past 6 years being the worst yet. Wildland fires are striking the same areas over and over again, with coniferous forests at particular risk, threatening the safety of communities near woodlands. The western half of the U.S. continues to suffer the devastating consequences of fires, and that risk is rapidly expanding throughout the United States to the upper Midwest, the southeastern seaboard, and the mid-Atlantic region. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, wildfires are expected to seriously impair our “aging and deteriorating infrastructure,” as well as wreak economic havoc on livestock, agriculture, and recreation.

Trained Firefighters are in High Demand, But Supply is Short

The newest challenge for firefighter training is the most daunting yet: attacking these widespread catastrophic wildland fires. It’s a harrowing and complicated task, involving national interagency cooperation between the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and aviation industries, among others.

This hugely demanding job carries enormous risk and is rewarded with low pay. As a result, the federal government is hemorrhaging trained seasonal firefighters. The takeaway is that all firefighters should consider training necessary for wildland fire management—even if those events seem rare or unlikely in their community. As Linda Willing recently wrote in FireRescue1, “just because something is unlikely does not make it impossible. And if a wildland fire starts in your district, on your watch, you will need to respond to mitigate that emergency.”

Wildland Firefighting Simulator Training for Successful, Cooperative, Interagency Fire Suppression

So how do firefighting agencies prepare for events that could be rare in their region, but would require rapid response if they were to arise? Becoming a wildland firefighter requires more than just basic fire training and fire experience. Training firefighters to attack wildland fires can be expensive, time-consuming, and require a significant outlay of precious agency resources.

The answer lies in simulation firefighter training programs. Sim training lets you train for complex, large-scale, low-likelihood/high-impact events safely and whenever you choose. FAAC’s Wildland Firefighter Training Simulator delivers effective, realistic, and accurate firefighting simulations that cover a host of potential situations, risks, and vital wildland firefighting skills. Training simulators don’t risk equipment or take firefighters out of service. With simulation, you can run training sessions on demand, onsite, and at your convenience.

FAAC has an established track record for creating and implementing programs that realistically model fire behavior, vehicle and equipment dynamics, and even weather and environmental conditions. That currently includes a full-range of networkable fire training simulators, including Driving, PumpOps, and more. Every sim comes fully-loaded with a library of scenarios, covering the full range of skills, from the fundamentals up through complex scene management. Working with FAAC simulators, firefighters can hone core “muscle memory” skills, and can also experience intense situations that call for split-second decision-making, effective and efficient interagency communication, and the ability to stay safely connected and focused on the scene.

FAAC is Ready to Meet your Firefighter Training Needs

Every solution is custom, but our goal is always the same: to balance your training objectives with your budget to craft the most emotionally realistic, educationally effective solution possible. That’s why we invest time in understanding your needs upfront, then work closely with your team in developing and delivering the appropriate firefighter training solution. We don’t just sell equipment; we partner with companies, agencies, and their staff and instructors to develop and create the ideal training solution for their organization. Have questions? Please reach out and contact us today—our team of experts looks forward to speaking with you and building your custom training simulator.