Hundreds Gather at The Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy
Incident: Arizona Wildfire Academy Prescribed Fire
Released: 3/11/2013
Prescott, Ariz. (March 11, 2013) - This week the 2013 Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy is underway at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University located in Prescott, Arizona. Interested media and local agency representatives are encouraged to contact the Academy's Information Office for open house activities scheduled for Thursday March 14. This year, over 550 students are participating in 40 training courses related to wildland firefighting and all-hazard incident management, with topics ranging from basic firefighting to fire operations in the urban interface to social media use during emergency incidents. The majority of the Academy's students are from Arizona and New Mexico, and others have come from places as far away as Montana, Minnesota, New York, and even Australia. "Our mission at the Academy is to prepare wildland firefighters and other emergency services professionals to safely and effectively accomplish their missions. Not only are our students participating in formal training, but they are also afforded opportunities to network with other incident reponse professionals. This promotes information exchange as well as fosters good working relationships needed on scene of future incidents," explains Pete Gordon, Incident Commander for the Academy. The Academy's staff and course instructors include several dozen individuals from the firefighting and incident management community; many are volunteers and retired professionals. For them, the annual Academy is an opportunity to share the critical knowledge, skills, and lessons learned they have gained over the years. Tony Sciacca, Academy Coordinator, captures the dedication of these folks,"The Academy is all about people giving back to the fire community that gave to them. It is truly a labor of love." If you wish to visit the Academy, please call the Information Office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 928-777-3473. For more information about AWIMA visit: www.arizonawildfireacademy.org Find "Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy" on Facebook and follow us on Inciweb: www.inciweb.org/incident/2780.
