The Southwest Fire Use Training Academy steering committee was established in December 1998 and held their first meeting on December 3. The focus of the steering committee is to provide interagency guidance for the training curriculum. This interaction between the Academy and the committee will provide more effective training and utilization for the trainees attending the bi-annual, 8 week training sessions being conducted at the training academy.

At the committee's first meeting, the emphasis was to orient the members to the Academy operation and to report results of the fall session (September 15 - November 20 1998). The committee also discussed the evolution of the current curriculum, the use of NWCG core courses, the short course subjects offered in the fall session, and the rationale behind the establishment of the current curriculum.

Other topics discussed were plans for the spring session (February 22 - April 16 1999), division of responsibilities and costs among the participating agencies, and the committee function and composition. The committee charter was reviewed and updated and appears on the FUTA page of the SWA website under Fire Management (http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/fire).

The committee worked on developing a questionnaire to gather feedback and information from fuels management program managers in the southwest. The questionaire will be circulated throughout the agencies participating in the Academy with a letter explaining the purpose of the questionaire and feedback needed. Click for questionaire information. Please take some time to provide any ideas or call if you need additional information Cibola NF SO (505 346-2650).

The Steering Committee will meet next at the Fire Use Training Academy in Albuquerque. The meeting is scheduled for March 9 + 10 starting at 1300 This will allow the steering committee to observe the FUTA trainees during the spring session.

Current members of the Steering Committee include:

USFS - CIF - Jerome Macdonald, Edna Harlan, Lead Coordinator

USFS - GNF - Gary Benavidez

BIA - AAO - John Waconda, Eva Wilson

SWATC - Chair - Jim Paxon

BLM - AZ/NM - Pam McAlpine

USFS - RO - Martin Martinez

USFS - COF - Russell Copp

NPS - Vacant

MISSION

The Southwest Fire Use Training Academy Steering Committee is supported by the Southwest Area Training Council to provide an interagency forum for guidance and direction in Academy curriculum, and to provide for effective management and utilization of candidates. The mission of the steering committee is to provide an advisory board with interagency representation to facilitate coordination between the needs of Southwest Agency prescribed fire programs and the curriculum provided by the Southwest Fire Use Training Academy (FUTA). The Committee will be a conduit to the Training Council and SW-FUTA from all units and agencies in the Southwest Area.

GOALS

Provide a forum where agency managers, academy coordinators, project providers and trainee concerns can be represented. Committee members will collect ideas and concerns from within their respective agencies related to SW-FUTA and present them to the committee for a collective recommendation by the committee as to the changes that may be required. Acting in an advisory capacity the recommendations will be forwarded to the Southwest Area Training Council and Academy coordinators for consideration.

Members will facilitate, communicate and promote a better understanding of the mission of the academy, and specific policies and procedures relating to academy utilization and academy management to their respective agencies both locally and nationally.

Develop and forward recommendations for the FUTA standards and operating guidelines to the Southwest Area Training Council and Academy coordinators that are consistent with Federal and State Agency guidance and regulations. Develop a better understanding of qualifications of fire use training and curriculum in the Southwest Area. Provide an Academy capable of meeting changing Agency policies.

The Southwest Fire Use Training Academy is intended to provide a large number of employees within Federal and State Agencies an opportunity to gain valuable experience and exposure to prescribed fire operations, management, and training. Southwest Area cooperators for FUTA include the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service.

FUTA will provide land management agencies the opportunity to develop and enhance employee skills in the implementation of fuels treatment projects on a landscape scale. During all sessions, trainees will be available to land management agencies throughout the Southwest to assist with planning and implementation of prescribed fire. Involvement on prescribed fire projects will include working as a single unit, being divided into smaller modules for work at separate locations and serving in individual positions in the prescribed fire organization to support the needs of a trainee or particular project.

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

All Southwest State and Federal agencies will be represented on the committee. The committee will be made up of prescribed fire managers that have a link to active prescribed fire programs in the Southwest. In addition there will be a representative from the Academy and Southwest Area Training Council. Present committee composition includes:

Southwest Area Training Council (Chair) Jim Paxon

FUTA Lead Coordinator Jerome Macdonald

FUTA Field Coordinators vacant

USDA, US Forest Service, New Mexico Forests Gary Benavidez

USDA, US Forest Service, Southwestern Region Martin Martinez

USDA, US Forest Service, Coconino + Kaibab NF Russell Copp

SWA, Interagency Hotshot Steering Committee 9;

DOI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southwest Area John Waconda

Eva Wilson

DOI, National Park Service, Intermountain Region Al King

DOI, Fish and Wildlife Service, Southwestern Region vacant

DOI, Bureau of Land Management, Southwest Area Pam McAlpin

OFFICERS

The FUTA Steering Committee will appoint a chair and a vice chair. These will serve for two years after which time the vice chair will succeed the chair and a new vice chair will be appointed.

ASSISTANCE

The committee may set up task groups and or request specialists to assist on specific assignments. Task groups and their memberships will require prior approval by the FUTA Steering Committee.

MEETINGS

The committee will meet as often as is deemed necessary to accomplish tasks but will meet a minimum of twice annually. One meeting will be held following each session of the academy to review accomplishments. The Chairperson shall schedule these meetings a minimum of 30 days in advance.