Mark your calendars — the application deadline for the 2019 Women in Wildland Fire Boot Camp has been extended to Friday, Sept. 13.
Last year, Vale BLM sponsored the first wildland fire training camp specifically designed for women in the Pacific Northwest.
In addition to controlling and suppressing wildfires that threaten communities and natural resources, wildland firefighters play a key role in using fire strategically to manage sustainable, working public lands.
Although the federal government employs about 15,000 firefighters each year, only about 12 percent of those jobs are held by women.
Upon completion of the Women in Wildland Fire Boot Camp, participants will have fulfilled several key entry-level training requirements for seasonal employment by federal agencies or private contractors.
Training is a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on field exercises ranging from firefighting techniques, tools and equipment to communications and safety.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 13 and selections will be made by Sept. 20. The boot camp will be held near Juntura, Ore., over two consecutive weekends, October 11-13 and October 18-20.
Students will be paid for training camp and some travel expenses. Training materials, personal protective equipment and meals will be provided.
The complete outreach notice and application can be requested by calling 541-473-6297 or emailing [email protected]
For more information, contact Cassandra Fleckenstein at 541-473-6295.
Vale BLM has long recognized the need and value of diversity within its fire program. In 1963, the district’s Snake River Valley program began recruiting migrant workers in the surrounding agricultural communities. To this day, it offers the only bilingual wildfire training program in the region.
