Wildland Fire Academy - A Successful Event

SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

NEWS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release:  April 3, 2018

Media Contact: Jeni Lawver, 605.381.7232

 

Wildland Fire Academy - A Successful Event

 

RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Wildland Fire Division, in conjunction with the Black Hills National Forest, Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands, and the Bureau of Land Management hosted a Wildland Fire Academy March 22-25, 2018 in Ft. Pierre, SD.

 

180 students participated in the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) courses and they represented 16 agencies and 30 volunteer fire departments (VFDs). 

 

The main focus of the academy is to provide VFDs the opportunity to participate in wildland fire classes for upward advancement in incident qualifications.  This event is held in Ft. Pierre to provide a centralized training location to help keep travel and training costs at a minimum.  The costs to attend were kept low due to generous agreements from the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies.

 

South Dakota Wildland Fire training officer Tamara Dierks stated, “We had a very successful academy with wonderful interagency cooperation.  Plans are already in progress for an academy next year.”

 

South Dakota Wildland Fire can be found on Twitter @SDWildlandFire and on Facebook by searching SD Wildland Fire.

 

Agriculture is a major contributor to South Dakota’s economy, generating $25.6 billion in annual economic activity and employing over 115,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture's mission is to promote, protect and preserve South Dakota agriculture for today and tomorrow. Visit us online at http://sdda.sd.gov or find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

              

 

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