Bismark State College is offering Wildland Firefighter Type 2 Training through TrainND Southwest, to combat the growing need for wildland firefighters as a result of recent fires around the country.
The certification requires a 45-hour commitment to provide students with on-the-job training for an entry-level position as a wildland firefighter.
Hunter Noor, Wildland Fire Operations Assistant Fire Management Officer said: “I always say you take S-130, 190 and then you get a job somewhere ad then you learn a bunch on the job training, but it’s this class that helps you kind of get into that.”
Students in this course are taught how to handle these situations in any kind of weather.
“Part of the class through S-190 is learning how weather affects fire, so it’s your basic weather, your RH, your winds, your fuels and what that does to fire,” said Noor.
The firefighters are trained to deal with fires outside of structures— like the Bear Den, Elkhorn, and Williams County fires which blazed through 140,000 acres of North Dakota wildland in October of 2024.
TrainMD Manager, Brian Ellersick shared: “There’s an abundant need for wildland firefighters.
“North Dakota Forest Service reached out to us because we have the classrooms, we have the reach, we have the infrastructure to put on the training and with their expertise, I think we’re able to put together a great product.”
This certificate can be the beginning of a career in agencies such as the North Dakota Forest Service, North Dakota Emergency Management and more.
The growing need for wildland firefighters as a result of recent fires around the country mean Bismark State College has announced they are offering Wildland Firefighter Type 2 Training through TrainND Southwest.
