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4.6 Chain, Pace, Walking a Chain

A chain is equal to 66 feet and is the basic unit for measuring distances in fire-control work. There are 80 chains in 1 mile.

A pace is the distance on level ground between the heel of one foot and the heel of the same foot where it next touches the ground while walking normally (two normal steps). As everyone's pace differs, it is important to determine one's individual pace length.

Walking a chain or chaining - To walk a chain, measure several chains on level ground with a steel tape, marking each chain with a stake. Walking normally from one stake to the other, count the paces. Divide by the number of chains that were measured off to get the number of paces per chain. A person's pace will change depending on whether pacing is uphill or downhill. In these situations, the number of paces per chain will need to be recalculated as above.

Example 1 - Victor marks off 3 chains or 198 feet (66 feet × 3 = 198 feet). He walks the distance in 36 paces. How many paces per chain is this? What is the length of each pace?

36 paces / 3 chains = 12 paces / chain
Set up the appropriate unit cancellation (see Chapter 2, Section 2.1) using 1 chain = 66 feet and solve for length of each pace.

The length of Victor's pace is 5 & 1/2 feet.

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NWCG Training Catalog now on Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Date: April 25, 2023
Contact: NWCG Training  

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has migrated the training catalog from the NWCG website to the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline processes and improve efficiency. To facilitate this transition, the training catalog remains available on www.nwcg.gov through April 2024.

Starting May 2024, the training catalog will no longer be accessible on www.nwcg.gov. However, you can still access the complete training catalog by logging in as a guest to the WFLP.

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Wildland Fire Learning Portal

 

NWCG Website Migration

Date: April 01, 2024
Contact: NWCG Webmaster

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group is thrilled to announce a significant upgrade to https://www.nwcg.gov, involving a comprehensive redesign of over 7,000 web pages. This enhancement is focused on improving user experience. The migration to the new NWCG website will commence on April 2, 2024, starting at noon EST and is expected to take a few hours. 

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WFSTAR 2023 Year in Review and 2024 Core Component Module Packages Available

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: Joe Schindel 

The 2023 Fire Year in Review module and 2024 Core Component Module Packages for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) are now available on the NWCG website. The 2024 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

 

References:

WFSTAR 2023 Fire Year in Review module

WFSTAR 2024 Core Component Module Packages

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: NWCG

The NWCG Executive Board is privileged to share with you the 2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter. As we look into the future and navigate an incredibly complex and dynamic environment, we must remain focused on our mission while actively engaging in national conversations regarding numerous wildland fire initiatives. In 2024, we prioritize building upon our successes and committing to continuous improvement. Key priorities and considerations for this year include: 

  • Determining Core Workload
  • Ensuring Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) Success
  • Improving Efficiencies
  • Firefighter Health and Wellness
  • Engagement in National Conversations

Together we will continue to make significant strides in the challenging and vital work that lies ahead. 

 

References:

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter