Fire and Aviation
In the Southwest and across the country, fire's biological effects
profoundly affect forests and grasslands. These "Fire Management"
links describe prescribed fire and unwanted wildland fires. Prescribed
fire is used as an important natural process in a variety of forest,
brush, and prairie ecosystems. Without periodic, low-intensity fires,
these ecosystems undergo rapid changes in species composition and
structure that, in turn, can lead to catastrophic wildfire, or insect
and disease outbreak. Unwanted, catastrophic wildfires must be fought.
Aggressive fire suppression must remain an essential cornerstone
of the Forest Service mission. We must maintain and strengthen our
firefighting capability because of the increasing value of national
forest resources and growing private development in the wildland-urban
interface. Click on the following Web links to learn more about
fire in the Southwest and the different faces of fire.
INTERAGENCY FIRE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
(IFPM)
In 2004, Federal firefighting agencies developed national requirements for 14
key firefighting positions. Training, education and experience requirements have
been identified for each of these positions. Firefighters in these positions
have until October 1, 2009, to meet these national requirements.
FIRE
ECOLOGY CURRICULUM
Fire is an integral component of the forest in the Southwestern Region. This
curriculum uses fire as its central theme in order to provide information and
education on a vast array of forest health and ecosystem management issues. The
curriculum is correlated to Arizona and New Mexico academic standards, Forest
Service conservation educator learner guidelines, and Southwestern Region key
messages. |