Information on Wildfire Training
Last updated on April 3, 2024The intention of this page is to answer some of the questions that have arisen regarding the delivery of wildland firefighting training in British Columbia.
After the previous catastrophic fire seasons, there is understandably a heightened interest in ensuring that B.C. is ready for fire suppression in the upcoming fire season. However, there is some confusion around what is considered official training and how it can be delivered or taken.
The following are courses are considered official training and are commonly offered to non-governmental personnel:
- S-100 Basic Fire Suppression and Safety (2021)
- S-100A Basic Fire Suppression and Safety Annual Recurrency (also known as S-10A)
- S-185 Fire Entrapment Avoidance & Safety (2006)
All of this training material is copyright the Province of British Columbia and cannot be changed, sold, or used without the express written permission of the BC Wildfire Service.
Official Training Courses
S-100 and S-100A
The most common fire training course in B.C. is the S-100, which is considered as basic fire suppression training for contract crews. The S-100 and S-100A are required to meet the training requirements under Section 26.3.1 Forestry Operation Fire Fighting of B.C.’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The intended audience for this course is forest industry workers and contract fire fighters.
The S-100 is a two-day, 16-hour course with both a classroom and a field component. The annual refresher is a one-day, four-hour course and does not include a field component. Both the S-100 and S-100A are good for one year from date of delivery. If a person has taken either course within the last five years, they would only need to take the S-100A to be considered trained for the following year. If more than five years have passed since a person has taken either course, they would need to re-take the two-day, S-100 course again.
There is currently no “theory only” S-100 course recognized by the BC Wildfire Service.
S-100 and S-100A instructors must be officially recognized/endorsed by the BC Wildfire Service. Anyone not endorsed cannot teach the material in BC. S-100 endorsement is only provided to those who meet minimum requirements of wildfire and training experience. A list of S-100 instructors recognized by the BC Wildfire Service is available here.
S-100 training material (student and instructor guides) must be purchased from the BC Wildfire Service. Course completion (“certification”) cards are also available for purchase. Any student that does not have a course completion card signed by an endorsed instructor will not be considered as having taken the S-100.
S-185
The S-185 is intended as a general knowledge course on wildfire safety and entrapment avoidance for local governments, contract crews, and First Nations. Endorsement to instruct this course is provided by the BCWS with the S-100 endorsement. Endorsement letters should reference this endorsement. Evidence of completion (e.g. a card or certificate) of this course can be provided in a manner of the instructor’s choice. This is usually done with a certification card with the trainer’s name or company information, date completed, and student name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is required to be endorsed by the BC Wildfire Service for teaching S-100, S-100A and S-185?
Training providers interested in teaching S-100, S-100A, and S-185 must send a request and resume to their local fire centre. The resume should outline the training provider’s background and experience in instruction and fire suppression specific training, as well as any experience in operational fire control. For 2020, please note that due to the large number of S-100 instructors currently active, fire centres may not accept applications for new endorsements. Requests may still be considered for companies looking to provide internal training to meet the requirements of Section 26.3.1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
How do I know if my instructor is endorsed by the BC Wildfire Service?
Training providers have to show their endorsement letter from the BC Wildfire Service (previously Wildfire Management Branch or Protection Branch) when asked. If the training provider fails to produce a letter, or doesn’t have one, do not engage this instructor and report the incident to the BC Wildfire Service. A list of currently recognized instructors is available here. Instructors who teach solely for the purpose of internal staff meeting the training requirements of Section 26.3.1 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation may not have their name or contact information on this list.
What do I do if I have lost my endorsement letter?
If you have lost your endorsement letter, contact the Fire Centre where you were endorsed and request a new letter. The centre may request evidence of qualification or a re-application if sufficient evidence cannot be presented.
Can I put on a one day S-100 course if a client requests it?
No. One day S-100 courses do not meet the minimum requirements of Section 26.3.1 Occupational Health and Safety Regulation or Master Standing Offer contracts.
I want to put on a training program to prepare people for firefighting. Who should I contact for permission to use the material?
All requests for training material, aside from S-100/S-185, should go through the BC Wildfire Service Kamloops Headquarters at 250-312-3000. Training providers should consult with the BC Wildfire Service prior to offering training programs of this magnitude.
What is the cost of S-100 training?
The BC Wildfire Service does not dictate the price of this training. Training providers can set the price to whatever they feel meet the needs of the industry.
Where can I purchase S-100 training material and certification cards?
All S-100 material can be purchased through the BC Wildfire Service by contacting the 1-800 Centre via email: HPR.1800@gov.bc.ca. Do not use the fire reporting telephone line to request training material.
As a training provider, am I allowed to provide S-series (not including S-100/S-185) course training?
Depending on your approval to teach these other S-Series courses. It is recognized that correctly instructed wildfire training is important and may be provided to groups that request the training (local governments, First Nations, contract crews, etc.). However, the trainer must have the approval of the BC Wildfire Service to use the training material and no claim can be made that the training offered meets the training requirements of the BC Wildfire Service or contract companies unless you have a specific agreement with that company.
Requests for access/use of training material will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Will taking S-XXX training get me a job on a BC Wildfire Service crew?
None of the basic firefighting training courses listed above were considered as requirements or recommended training for the 2018 recruitment process. Applications for BC Wildfire Service crews are accepted from November – January annually and the requirements for application are listed here.
Will taking S-XXX training get me a job on a contract fire crew?
None of the basic firefighting training courses listed above are considered as requirements or recommended training for the current BC Wildfire Service recruitment process. Applications for BC Wildfire Service crews are accepted from November – January annually and the requirements for application are listed here.
When is the next scheduled update of these training materials?
The BC Wildfire Service is in the middle of a comprehensive review of all external training courses and any updated training material will be released after this review is completed. There will likely be no changes to the material for the 2020 fire season, so training providers should proceed with training using the current materials. However, due to the expected update, it is not recommended that providers purchase any more S-100 materials than necessary to complete their scheduled training deliveries for the spring of 2020, as this material will become obsolete following an update.
Who do I contact if I have general questions regarding wildland firefighting training?
General questions on wildland firefighting training should be directed to the BC Wildfire Service general inquiries email at ProvTraining@gov.bc.ca.