Forestry Commission to offer Junior Wildland Firefighter program

LITTLE ROCK – For many years, AFC personnel have been contacted by teachers, instructors and civic groups to provide wildfire prevention programs for audiences from pre-school aged students to adults.

The Arkansas Jr. Wildland Firefighter Guide is now available as an improved tool for educating second through fifth grade students about Arkansas wildfire prevention and suppression, prescribed fire, and general forest facts and fire safety tips.

The program can be presented in as little as 30

minutes, or can be extended by discussion and activities to fill an hour-long class period, or even a series of presentations. The guide includes an interactive book, which students complete and keep as well as a Jr. Wildland Firefighter badge. The Jr. Wildland Firefighter Program is presented by AFC Rangers and Foresters, who were directly involved with writing and designing the guide.

“As Arkansas teachers host Safety Day events and other end-of-school activities, we want them to be aware of the new Jr. Wildland Firefighter Guide program. This is a unique tool that is specific to Arkansas wildfires and Arkansas people. We hope that students find it engaging, informative, and especially fun,” State Forester Joe Fox said.

The Jr. Wildland Firefighter Guide is a free resource for all Arkansas students, funded with federal grant dollars from the U.S. Forest Service:

• Teachers can view the Jr. Wildland Firefighter Guide, here: http://www.aad.arkansas.gov/Websites/aad/files/Content/5950774/Guide_for_Website,_2017.pdf

• Requests for the program should be sent through AFC County Offices. Contact information by county is available, here: http:// www.aad.arkansas.gov/ arkansas-forestry-commission-contacts

The mission of the AFC is to protect Arkansas’s forests, and those who enjoy them, from wildland fire and natural hazards while promoting rural and urban forest health, stewardship, development, and conservation for all generations of Arkansans.

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