The Delaware Forest Service is always looking for motivated recruits to enroll in wildfire training classes. There is no cost for training and no previous experience is necessary. Candidates must be over 18 years of age, willing to learn, physically fit, and able to travel for at least two weeks at a time, usually in the summer months.
Completion of all classes is required for prospective wildland firefighters to achieve “red card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)
This year, all required training classes for rookie firefighters will be offered in-person, including Field Day for S-130 (2025 date TBD). New firefighters must complete all five required classes.
Required courses are listed below, with links to NWCG and FEMA websites, as well as the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP).*
* Users may need to set up both a FEMA ID and WFLP account if they have not previously registered.
* Students must first complete all three prerequisite courses, and they must bring the certificates to class.
All completed course certificates must be submitted or brought to class (2025 date TBD) to:
Sam Topper
Delaware Forest Service
2320 S. DuPont Highway
Dover, DE 19901
sam.topper@delaware.gov
As part of completing the Core Classes, students must also attend “Fire Camp” for a one-day hands-on seminar. Fire camp registration is included in S-130/S-190 registration.
Returning firefighters attending Fire Camp must complete an online registration form before attending. Register here: RT-130 registration.
Students must also complete an arduous “work capacity test” or “pack test” – carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in 45 minutes or less – to receive their NWCG “red card” and participate on out-of-state fire assignments. This work capacity test will be offered at the Fire Camp.
Are you interested in participating in an adventure of a lifetime? Would you like to help protect human lives, property, and precious natural resources during a national crisis? Do you have the mental fortitude, physical stamina, and work flexibility to spend at least two weeks or more on a fire line far from home?
Every year, millions of acres of forests, marshes, and grasslands across the United States are ravaged by wildfire. However, thanks to a training program sponsored by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Delaware State Fire School, citizens across the First State can qualify to serve on national fire crews. Since 1996, the Delaware Forest Service has trained more than 600 volunteer firefighters, and every fire season deploys 20-person crews for out-of-state wildfire assignments.
The program is growing and needs additional firefighters who are interested in assisting the national effort to control and contain devastating wildfires. Delaware used to send only one crew a year but now can send multiple crews.
Download the Wildland Fire Program Brochure
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible crew members must be 18 years or older, complete all four training courses (see below), pass a work-capacity pack test, be willing to travel for at least two weeks, have a commitment to serving the public and work well with others.
Each year, the Delaware Forest Service offers courses required for certification under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group guidelines:
Delaware wildland fire crews have worked on assignments in many states, including California, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
Contact the Delaware Forest Service at (302) 698-4500, or write to 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
For more information, contact Delaware’s Wildland Fire Supervisor Sam Topper at (302) 856-2893 or email Sam Topper.
Related Topics: Delaware Wildland Fire Crew, Fire Crew, wild fire, Wildland, Wildland Fire Crew