How Wildland Firefighters Can Prepare for Wildfire Season

The Supply Cache Blogger |

How Wildland Firefighters Can Prepare for Wildfire Season

Wildland firefighters aren’t always fighting fires. The job never really ends, but the likelihood of big blazes diminishes between fall and spring. During this relative downtime, wildland firefighters can prepare for the next season through professional and personal improvement, further education, ongoing testing, and other proactive tasks.

Understanding the Landscape

Even though a wildland firefighter spends so much time protecting the wilderness and other natural areas, they’re not as focused on getting to know the land more intimately. Between seasons, however, firefighters have time to become better acquainted with the land they protect. They may explore and familiarize themselves with the topography, vegetation, level of hydration, and weather conditions that can influence future blazes. Understanding the land without having to deal with immediate emergencies provides a calmer and more controlled way to devise future methods of fighting fires in these areas.

Physical Fitness

It’s never a bad time to stay in (fire)fighting shape. Physical fitness is a major requirement for the firefighting profession. Wildland firefighters should continue to work out by strength training, doing cardiovascular exercises to improve heart and lung health, and improving endurance, flexibility, and agility. Keeping fit reduces the likelihood of injuries, strains, and the possibility of exhaustion and physical breakdown.

Wildland firefighters need to be in peak condition to stop fires and save lives. Regular fitness assessments track progress and identify areas for improvement, while regular crew workouts build support, camaraderie, and trust between firefighters.

Gear and Equipment Checks

Firefighters are only as good as their tools. Regular inspections are necessary, whether during wildfire season or the relative off-season. The months between autumn and spring provide a time for more thorough and precise gear checks. Firefighters should perform comprehensive inspections of the following gear:

  • Handheld tools
  • Mechanical and electronic equipment
  • Vehicles
  • Personal protective equipment

During inspections, they should look for wear and tear, malfunctions, and other indications that gear needs to be repaired or replaced before the next season starts, if not sooner.

Mental Preparedness

Preparedness includes more than using the right gear, remembering your training, and being in shape. Mental preparedness is key. Firefighting is a stressful job, so it pays for firefighters to be mentally prepared for the next round of blazes. Firefighters can build mental strength and resistance through meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga.

These practices are both calming and good for granting greater physical fitness and flexibility. Conduct training in a way that stresses clear-headedness and calmness under fire, so to speak. Firefighters often must make split-second decisions under tremendous pressure, so learning how to do so is a plus. You should also take advantage of mental health resources and support systems, and don’t believe the stigma surrounding the act of seeking help. Mentally and emotionally stable firefighters are highly effective firefighters!

Communication and Team Coordination

How are the crew’s communication skills? Poor communication and coordination can be killers in a wildland blaze. During the off-season, your crew should revisit and refine communication protocols. Also, your team should do training and drills for correct radio use, emergency codes, and what to do in the case of communication breakdown.

Regular interactions inside and outside the station can foster unity, camaraderie, and the ability to share information confidently. Collaborative and coordinated training improves trust and cooperation, as well, ensuring mutual concern for each other.

Community Engagement and Education

Firefighters aren’t the only people who need to learn how to prevent wildfires. The off-season is a great time for community outreach. Wildland firefighters can engage with the community, at home and elsewhere, to raise awareness about wildfires, their causes, and preparedness in case a wildfire affects the region. Firefighters may conduct workshops and seminars on more detailed methods of wildfire prevention and defense, including ways for homeowners and business owners to protect their property by building up defenses.

Wildland firefighters can also show up at community fairs, festivals, and similar events to discuss fire prevention, educate children, hold demonstrations, and highlight the importance of evacuation routes. Overall, building stronger relationships with the community is easier in the off-season, and it aids in ensuring—with the public’s help—wildfires don’t start.

Monitoring Weather and Fire Conditions

Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it, as the old joke goes. Wildland firefighters can’t change the weather, either, but they do need to follow and understand it throughout the year. Firefighters regularly review weather forecasts and keep tabs on temperature fluctuations, humidity levels, wind speed, and other qualities that can signal fire hazards. Staying on top of the weather enables firefighters to anticipate potential blazes and adjust their responses accordingly.

You don’t need a weather forecaster to know which way the wind blows, but a firefighter needs to know how fast it’s moving, in which direction it’s going, and if it can carry sparks and embers!

Continuous Training and Skill Development

Firefighting is intellectual as well as physical. Firefighters participate in the following:

  • Regular refresher classes
  • Workshops and training sessions in safety protocols
  • Equipment training for its use
  • Firefighting techniques
  • Technological developments in firefighting,

Some firefighters even pursue degrees in fire science and suppression, especially if they’re involved in off-site efforts to put out fires. Cross-training with other types of firefighters, as well as training in flying, parachuting, survival, and similar practices, are valuable for crews who are dropped directly into remote blazes. The off-season is the perfect time to enhance the firefighting skillset.

Reviewing Incident Reports and Learning Lessons

Firefighters gain insights from past missions and incidents, whether it happened to them or another crew. Every fire event has a postmortem wherein investigators explore what happened, how it happened, and consider how to prevent it from happening again. Analyzing incident reports provides lessons on what worked and what didn’t and how strategies, equipment, training, and education can improve responses.

Now you know how wildland firefighters can prepare for wildfire season. Meanwhile, if you and your crew require equipment, safety gear, and other tools to help you fight the good fight against wildfires, contact us today. We also offer collapsible water storage tanks. Have questions? Call us! We look forward to speaking with you!

How Wildland Firefighters Can Prepare for Wildfire Season