Issue 27 • 2010 A Lessons Learned Newsletter Published Quarterly Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center A lesson is truly learned when we modify our behavior to reflect what we now know. Wildfire Academy Lessons Learned The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center staff recently interviewed seven fire training academy coordinators around the United States regarding their notable successes, difficult challenges, effective safety practices, training recommendations and unresolved issues in the implementation of fire training academies. Special thanks are extended to these Academy Coordinators for sharing their significant lessons and practices with the wildland fire community. In This Issue Academy Information Academy Information ...................1 New York Wildfire Academy Incorporating Lessons Learned ..4 The New York Wildfire Academy began in 1998, with the aid of instructors Notable Successes .......................4 from the Colorado Wildfire and Incident Management Academy, and is held each year over a ten day time frame in the month of October. In its first year, Difficult Challenges ......................6 102 students participated in eight different courses. Since then, the academy Future of Academies ....................8 has grown substantially. In 2009, 400 students could select from 29 courses. In 12 years, over 5,100 students representing 150 agencies — from 38 states and How to Contact Us: two Canadian provinces — have trained at the academy. The tuition rate
[email protected] has remained the same since 1998, approximately 50 dollars per day. The
[email protected] academy is supported by many agencies, including local, county, state and (520) 799-8760 or 8761 federal. Dormitories and restaurants exist on campus and most field classes fax: (520) 799-8785 are also held on campus, including a burn boss course and other major courses in prescribed fire.