RFPAs Strengthen Wildland Firefighting Capacity

Safety is the top priority. The RFPAs agree to receive National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) fire training prior to being authorized to fight wildland fires. Each spring, new and existing members attend high quality training sessions provided by their local IDL, BLM and USFS offices at no cost to the association or its members. Once training is complete, new members are issued Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to be worn while on wildfire incidents.

The RFPA program operates under the concept of “neighbors helping neighbors.” With support from the Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management, the Governor’s Office of Species Conservation and others for things including start-up funding, wildland fire training and firefighting equipment, the RFPAs can meet the safety requirements necessary to suppress wildland fires. The RFPAs can then train to work in conjunction with these agencies on wildfires to ensure safety and accountability is achieved.

Each RFPA uses their own equipment on fires. This equipment is either the property of a member, equipment that has been issued by IDL, BLM, or OSC as funding allows, or acquired through the US Forest Service’s FEPP program or Department of Defense’s FFP program.

The RFPAs dictate their own response guidelines and where their equipment is best staged for quick responses.

During fire season, the RFPAs coordinate with their local dispatch centers and fire agencies to maintain safety and accountability on wildland fires.

Every year the RFPAs are required to report the number of fire responses their members took part in. These responses then go into the annual RFPA report for Idaho’s Board of Land Commissioners.