Description
The M-581 Design Criteria offers an alternative approach to training. There is no standing course package available through the NWCG Publication Management System. Agencies have the authority to develop lesson plans based on the course criteria outlined below. The purpose of establishing course criteria is to give agencies the latitude to deliver training that fits their organizational needs and geographic nuances while meeting a nationally accepted set of learning outcomes.
Intent
The M-581 training will provide Agency Administrators and Fire Program Managers with knowledge required to safely and effectively administer low to moderate complexity wildland fire programs. Essential guiding principles for imparting this knowledge include: enhancing the students' understanding of the wildland fire culture; ensuring an understanding of their role in decision making in all areas of the wildland fire program; an understanding of the risks inherent in their decisions; utilizing experiential training techniques that will engage students in ways that challenge them to explore the policy, social, political, environmental and human elements of wildland fire program management and oversight.
Objectives
Essential guiding principles for imparting this knowledge include: enhancing the students' understanding of the wildland fire culture; ensuring an understanding of their role in decision making in all areas of the wildland fire program; an understanding of the risks inherent in their decisions; utilizing experiential training techniques that will engage students in ways that challenge them to explore the policy, social, political, environmental and human elements of wildland fire program management and oversight.
Target Group
Current or Future Agency Administrators and future Fire Program Managers who have direct responsibility to plan, organize, budget, manage and evaluate Fire Management Programs.
Prerequisite Qualifications and Training
-
ICS–100, Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS)
-
IS-700, National Incident Management System (NIMS), an Introduction
Session Offerings
Sessions of this course may be available in the NWCG Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). Enrollment requires an account. Log on as a guest to search for session offerings of this course and to view other public content. To search for a specific course, use the FIND LEARNING menu at the top of the page, then select UPCOMING COURSES. To view Geographic Area training schedules, select the specific GEOGRAPHIC AREA information using the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Contact your local Training Officer for more information about local course sessions.
Delivery
M-581 is available as classroom instructor-led training.
Course Components and Hours to Complete
|
Course Component |
Course Time |
|
Pre-course work |
1-2 |
|
Pre-selection assessment |
N/A |
|
Online training |
N/A |
|
Instructor-led training |
34-38 |
|
Total Hours |
36-40 |
Course Level
National, regional, state, or area
Minimum Instructor Qualifications
The combined cadre must have career or educational backgrounds and an expert level of knowledge in risk management, wildland fire policy, budget, legal liability, wildland fire response, fuels management, aviation management, and agency administrator responsibilities. All instructors must be well prepared to present complex subject matter and lead classroom activities in order to achieve the learning objectives outlined in this course criteria. The NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1, instructor requirements should be waived for Agency Administrators, College Professors and other experienced subject matter experts who may have extensive experience presenting, but may not have attended the formal M-410, Facilitative Instructor.
Course schedules and instructors are determined by geographic area training coordinators.
See NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1, Instructor Standards for more information.
