The Florida Forest Service is responsible for ensuring that those deployed under the State Emergency Response Plan (SERP) for wildfire suppression have been trained to a minimum level. This training will cover firefighter safety, wild land firefighting, fire behavior, and firefighting tactics for the city/season interface.
To accomplish this task, the Florida Association of Fire Chiefs, with the assistance of the Florida Forest Service, has created three positions for eligible fire department personnel: Firefighter, Motorization Chief, and Response Team Leader, and has defined minimum qualifications for each position.
Qualifications of fire department personnel
Firefighters (the second, third, and/or fourth person in the unit)
Minimum Qualifications: These firefighters must have completed all of the following courses:
I-100, Introduction to ICS
S-130, Basic Forest Firefighting
S-190, Introduction to Wild land Fire Behavior, or Florida Fire Behavior Training (FFB).
Fire Engine Operator (the person who operates the aircraft)
Minimum Qualifications: Some experience in forest fire fighting and completion of all of the following courses:
I-200 - Basic CSI
S-130- Basic forest fire fighting
S-190- Introduction to forest fire behavior
S-215 - Training for Fire Operations in the Interface between Forest and City, or SFFCA Fire Operations in the Interface (FOI)
SSEF Strike Team Leaders
Minimum Qualifications: Must be qualified in the local jurisdiction as a business executive or higher and have experience in leading forest fire suppression.
The strike team leader must have completed all of the following courses:
I-200 - Basic CIS
S-130- Basic forest fire fighting
S-190- Introduction to forest fire behavior
S-215 - Firing operations in the forest-urban interface
330- Strike team leader
Training options for S-130 and S-190 or equivalent courses
Option 1
Classroom courses* provided by the Florida Forest Service - contact the local county
Supervisor of the forest zone
Option 2
serp class courses* taught by a certified castor rescue instructor (with the agreement of the FFS-approved instructor) and FFS supervision/assistance - NOCG Instructor Training
Option 3
Distance Field Fire Training (FIF-100DL) Web-ROM delivery method ($75.00 per student) - contact FFS Fire Training Officer
Option 4
National Fire Academy Online Courses: Q-900 and Q-901
Read the Florida Forest Service position statement [ pdf 198 KB ] regarding course requirements for Florida.
serp class and Certification
The Florida Forest Service will certify firefighters, engine chiefs, and shock team leaders on an annual basis. Documents required for certification can be submitted at any time of the year.
To be recognized as a qualified resource for one of these positions, individuals will be required to provide the following documents to the local Florida Forest Service Forest Area Supervisor or the local Florida Forest Service office: