National Wildfire Coordinating Group

S-212, Wildland Fire Chainsaws, 2012

Decorative banner: Four photos showing wildland firefighters performing duties. Two firefighters assess a tree for felling. A firefighter sits on ground working on his chainsaw in his lap. Four firefighters climb a steep hill carrying chainsaws and equipment. Three firefighters digging a line with hand tools.

Course Overview Page ButtonCourse Delivery ButtonCourse Materials Button

Description

This is an instructor-led course intended to be presented at the local level. The course lessons provide introduction to the function, maintenance and use of internal combustion engine powered chainsaws, and their tactical wildland fire application. Field exercises support entry level training for firefighters with little or no previous experience in operating a chainsaw, providing hands-on cutting experience in surroundings similar to fireline situations.

Objectives

  • Define and apply chainsaw safety standards as required by OSHA and agency handbooks, manuals, directives, and owner’s manuals.
  • Identify and demonstrate basic chainsaw operation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and safety features.
  • Demonstrate the tactical application of chainsaws in fireline construction and mop up operations.

Target Group

Individuals desiring to be qualified as Basic Faller (FAL3), Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1), Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5), or Felling Boss, Single Resource (FELB).

Prerequisite Qualifications and Training

  • Satisfactory completion of pre-course work.

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

S-212 is available as classroom instructor-led training.

Course Components and Hours to Complete

Course Component Course Time
Pre-course work 1
Pre-selection assessment N/A
Online training N/A
Instructor-led training 24-36
Total Hours 25-37

Course Level

Local

Minimum Instructor Qualifications

Instructor qualifications are agency determined.

See NWCG Standards for Course Delivery, PMS 901-1, Instructor Standards for more information.

Certification Date:

2012-12

Previous Certification Dates:

  • 2004-02
  • 1991-12
  • 1978-01

 

Print Training Overview Page

 

 

Functional Area: 
Operations
Primary Committee: 
Risk Management Committee
Steward: 
Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee
Required For: 
FAL3
Page Last Modified / Reviewed: 
2023-05-05

Please Provide Feedback

NWCG values your constructive input and we thank you for taking the time to provide feedback.

Although contact information is optional, we hope that you provide a way for us to contact you in case we need clarification on your comment. If you would like to be contacted regarding your feedback, you must provide contact information. 

If you would like a response, you must provide contact information (name and email) below.

Due to recent hacking behavior, we are temporarily suspending our ability to upload documents.  If you need to attach additional information, please email the file to BLM_FA_NWCG_Webmaster@blm.gov.

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.