National Wildfire Coordinating Group

S-200, Initial Attack Incident Commander, 2006

S-200 Decorative banner. Group of photos depicting wildland firefighters performing various duties.

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Course Delivery Information

S-200 is available as instructor-led (classroom) training.

Expectations of Instructors

  • Prepare thoroughly. Study the course content you are going to teach.
  • Establish a collaborative and constructive classroom environment.
  • Communicate expectations.
  • Encourage student engagement.
  • Respect student diversity in backgrounds, talent, experience, and learning style.
  • Professionally represent your instructor cadre, your home unit, and your agency.

Course Guidance

Course coordinators and instructors should be thoroughly familiar with the NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1.  The NWCG Standards for Course Delivery establishes standards for all aspects of NWCG training course management and delivery. These standards should be used in conjunction with the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, and the course-specific guidance stated in the NWCG Training Catalog.

See S-200 minimum instructor qualifications

Recommended Class Size

Recommended class size is 24 students.  Instructors should maintain a 6:1 ratio of students to instructors/coaches to facilitate exercises and discussion and to enable strong mentorship to the students. 

Student Materials

Each student must be provided the following:

Technical Considerations

All presentations should be downloaded and tested before the start of class to ensure compatibility with software.

PowerPoint presentations are built in an older version of Microsoft Office.  Some features may not work correctly with newer software or systems.  

For help, visit the Microsoft Office website or contact your local IT support personnel.

Course Evaluations

Use the NWCG Course Evaluation Feedback form to collect information critical to future training improvements.

Students and cadre members are asked to contribute course evaluations. Input is welcome on all aspects of the training course, including course content, pre-course work, reference materials, quality of instruction, delivery methods, and testing procedures.

Instructor Cadre Meetings

Conduct initial, pre-course, daily, and close-out instructor cadre meetings. These provide opportunities to plan, organize, preview materials, review training and exercises, and identify and address concerns and issues. Consider using an informal After Action Review process. Instructor cadre meetings are critical for instructors who do not have previous experience with the course.  Additional information is located in the NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1.

2006 Version

All radio equipment and radio frequency use for the course (classroom simulations, field exercises, course logistics, etc.) requires specific authorization and must be coordinated and assigned through the local agency frequency coordinator or the Communications Duty Officer at the NIFC National Interagency Incident Communications Division, as appropriate. Radio equipment and frequencies for training should be requested well in advance of course start date (at least two months) and shall be released/returned to the issuing entity upon course conclusion.

 

The NWCG Risk and Complexity Assessment (RCA) will replace the NWCG Complexity Analysis and NWCG Organizational Needs Assessment beginning in January, 2014. The following table illustrates the changes to this course. 
Table reflecting the changes to S-200 course.

Optional materials have been developed to enhance the students understanding of the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) relative to the S-200, Initial Attack Incident Commander course. Instructors who choose to use the optional materials to enhance the course should be familiar with the lesson and its contents and determine how it will be used in the course. The materials are available here: https://wfdss.usgs.gov/wfdss/WFDSS_NWCG_WFDSS.shtml.

 

 

Page Last Modified / Reviewed: 
2023-06-29

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