WASHINGTON, D.C.—As the nation experiences longer fire seasons and extreme weather patterns, training to strengthen and protect the mental and physical well-being of firefighters and those who respond to emergencies is critical.

To address the ever-present need, emergency management professionals from across the U.S. met in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, for the 21st annual Tennessee & Kentucky Wildland Fire Academy in January.

The 2024 academy offered a full suite of wildland firefighting-related courses with an added emphasis on training firefighters to care for their fellow firefighters.

“We no longer just have a fire season, we are experiencing a fire year as we see wildfires occurring all year across the nation,” said Brock Campbell, academy steering committee chairman. “Responding to fires all year impacts our firefighting capabilities and, most of all, our firefighter well-being, so our training must evolve to address this.”

Among the many courses offered were three Casualty Assistance Program courses, including Basic and Advanced Critical Incident Stress Management.

At its core, Critical Incident Stress Management courses are designed to be a peer-support program that enables individuals to recognize and support colleagues who have suffered traumatic experiences.

Professionals trained in casualty assistance are the front line for the wildland fire community when responding to any fatalities or serious incidents that may occur while in or off the line of duty.

Specialized critical incident stress management teams featuring clinicians may also be available for major incidents. Together, these trained professionals are responsible for ensuring a consistent response to traumatic incidents throughout the Forest Service and across the fire management landscape.

“It’s important training so we are better prepared to talk an affected individual through a situation,” said Dale Wine, forest training officer on the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. “All of us are going to go through some trauma or crisis, whether that’s on the fire line, during routine work duties or even at home.”

According to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, the wildland fire community experiences an average of 17 fatalities each year; approximately 62 firefighters per year are involved in non-fatal serious incidents.

“Hosting these casualty assistance courses is just one example of how we support our firefighters through all situations,” said Bruce Miller, incident commander of the Tennessee Division of Forestry Incident Management Team, which is supporting the academy.

The 2024 academy was attended by 556 students and supported by 113 instructors and staff from 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as a wide variety of national and state agencies.

Editor’s Note: Each geographic region has a designated Critical Incident Stress Management Coordinator who can help organize a response or further training.