Respond to Wildfire

The entry point for wildfire work as a crew member. Program content is mapped to the national unit of competency PUAFIR204 Respond to wildfire from the PUA Public Safety Training Package: the skills and knowledge to respond to a wildfire, work as a safe and situationally aware member of a crew to attack and extinguish a fire, take part in mop up and patrol, and prepare equipment for the next crew. Work at this level is done under direct supervision and with instruction.

What the unit covers

The unit is built on seven elements, and the program follows the same sequence from the call to the clean-up:

1. Prepare to respond — confirm the location and type of fire, identify and navigate the most effective route, and don the right protective clothing and equipment.
2. Proceed to the fire — confirm the location and fuel on approach, protect life and limit damage to property and the environment, note and report evidence of fire cause, and report the indicators of fire behaviour.
3. Obtain and use equipment and extinguishing media — locate and use hand tools, hose and small gear, pump and tanker, and media such as water, class A foam, retardants and wetting agents, to manufacturers’ specifications and organisational procedures.
4. Combat the wildfire — take instructions, confirm and implement strategies and tactics, use dry and wet suppression techniques suited to the conditions, prepare control lines, position and protect equipment, attack the fire with its hazards in mind, protect evidence of cause and the area of origin, and keep communicating.
5. Observe and react to fire and weather — watch and report changing conditions, weather, topography and fuel, and confirm and maintain escape routes and safety zones throughout.
6. Mop up, patrol and support — carry out mopping up, patrol the perimeter or sector, and support the operation as directed.
7. Recover and store equipment — recover consumables and equipment, clean and maintain it, and report anything damaged or lost.

How EMTRAC delivers it

The program combines classroom learning, equipment familiarisation, field training, practical exercises, scenarios, assessment and a facilitated debrief, run from the Hunter Valley training base with its bushland, tankers, pumps and hand tools. The unit calls for assessment in workplace operational situations or an industry-approved simulated environment that reflects them; the training ground is set up for exactly that, including live-fire components where the program design and season allow.

Participants should hold PUAFIR210 Prevent injury, which the unit lists as a prerequisite. Delivery arrangements, accreditation and who issues any statement of attainment are confirmed for each program rather than assumed. Crews who complete this unit progress to Suppress Wildfire.