Position Qualifications

Required Training

Required training provides a direct link between training and job performance to provide for responder health and safe operations on wildland fires. Required training cannot be challenged except for the following conditions:

1. Structural firefighters may use the Skills Crosswalk for qualification in FFT2, FFT1, ENGB and/or STEN. Refer to Skills Crosswalk for Structural Firefighters [below] for further guidance.
2. Agencies may establish processes for approving and documenting course equivalencies to required NWCG training by following the NWCG Course Equivalency Guidelines in the Field Manager’s Course Guide, PMS 901-1.

A Trainee must be qualified in the prerequisite position(s) before a position task books (PTBs) can be initiated.  PTBs can be initiated before attendance and successful completion of required training. However, Trainees cannot become fully qualified for the position until required training has been successfully completed.

Agency-equivalent courses and courses that are interchangeable as identified by the NWCG Operations and Training Committee (OTC) may be substituted for required courses. For information on interchangeable courses and course equivalency guidelines, see the Field Manager's Course Guide, PMS 901-1.

Recurrent Training

In order to maintain currency, some positions have identified recurrent training (RT) at various intervals. For more information, consult the Field Manager’s Course Guide, PMS 901-1.

Required Experience

Required experience includes qualification in any prerequisite position and completion of the PTB. Required experience cannot be challenged except for the following condition:

• Agencies may establish processes for approving and documenting equivalent experience following these principles:
  • Documentation supporting Required Experience must show a direct relationship to the competencies, behaviors, and tasks relative to the specific NWCG qualification.
  • Documentation supporting Required Experience should be verifiable and be current enough to reflect the individual’s capability.
  • Documentation supporting Required Experience may come from within or from outside of the respective agency.

Currency Requirements

For NWCG positions, the maximum time allowed for maintaining currency is 3 years for air operations, faller, and dispatch positions. All other positions have a 5-year currency requirement.

Currency for a position can be maintained by successful performance within the given timeframes in that position or successful performance as a Trainee or Qualified in positions identified in this guide.

Other Training Which Supports Development of Knowledge and Skills

Personnel are not required to complete NWCG courses referenced under Other Training Which Supports Development of Knowledge and Skills in order to qualify for an NWCG position unless specific agency policy dictates otherwise.

Personnel may learn skills from other sources (structural fire, law enforcement, search and rescue, or other agency-specific training programs) rather than through actual performance on a wildland fire or in NWCG curricula.

Although training referenced here is not required, the training provided in the identified courses or job aids, or knowledge and skills acquired through on-the-job training, work experience, or training determined by one’s agency, is a primary means by which personnel can prepare for position performance evaluation by obtaining specific knowledge and skills required to perform tasks identified in the PTB.

For more information on training courses, Job Aids, curriculum history, and course revision schedule refer to the NWCG Training Catalog at . The Field Manager's Course Guide, PMS 901-1, is the authoritative reference for all courses within the NWCG curriculum.

Certification and Recertification

Agency certification and documentation of completion of the PTB are the responsibility of the employing agency. This certification indicates the individual is qualified to perform in a specific position.

Each agency is responsible for annually certifying qualifications of its personnel based upon NWCG requirements and supplemental agency-specific requirements.  This responsibility includes evaluation of personnel for recertification in cases where position qualifications are no longer valid due to a lack of current experience.

Successful completion of position tasks and training courses does not guarantee an individual will be qualified to perform in a position. Certification and recertification is a subjective determination each individual agency must make based on task evaluations, position performance evaluations, and judgment of the quality of an individual’s experience.

The quality of experience should be closely evaluated when making a determination for advancement to the next higher position, to a different position, or for recertification. The quality of experience may relate to the variety of fuel types in which an individual has performed, the size and complexity of the incident or event in terms of personnel, equipment, and operations, and the number of assignments.

Although agency personnel can sign tasks in PTBs as an Evaluator and/or Final Evaluator (which includes recommending a Trainee for certification where appropriate), agency personnel cannot function in the role of the Certifying Official for contractors – except where formal agreements are in place. Clauses in contracts are to include stipulations that specify the service provider must meet the standards found in this guide.

Casual or emergency workers must meet the hiring or certifying agency’s requirements.

Skills Crosswalk for Structural Firefighters

The NWCG/USFA Skills Crosswalk Guidance outlines a method by which structural firefighters, meeting the NFPA 1001 and 1021 standards, can incorporate their existing fire suppression knowledge and skills towards qualification in three NWCG wildland fire positions:  Firefighter Type 1, Single Resource Engine Boss and Strike Team Leader. The Crosswalk reduces the number of required training hours needed to obtain qualification. The use of NWCG Gap courses and position task books (PTBs) are the primary means by which the Crosswalk is implemented.

Crosswalk Guidance is posted on the US Fire Administration website at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/other/. The Gap course outlines can be referenced in the NWCG Field Manager’s Course Guide, PMS 901-1.