Cadets from across Alaska assembled just outside of Fairbanks for the inaugural Division of Forestry & Fire Protection Initial Attack (IA) Academy. This groundbreaking program, which concluded on May 20, 2024, brought together experienced firefighters from Tok, Mat-Su, Copper River, McGrath, Kenai/Kodiak, Delta, and Fairbanks areas to equip them with essential skills for tackling wildfires swiftly and effectively.
The ten-day IA Academy aimed to provide a comprehensive training which covered various aspects crucial to wildland firefighting. Cadets studied subjects like helicopter safety and operations, sling-loading, aerial attack strategies, initial strategy planning, tactical operations, and emergency response. The training combined classroom instruction with active scenarios, allowing cadets to learn from texts, personal experiences shared by instructors, and hands-on participation.
Each day began with physical training, which is critical for firefighters to perform their duties in the field, followed by outdoor and classroom sessions where instructors shared their professional experiences and insights. Rigorous testing and scenario analysis were integral parts of the curriculum, ensuring cadets were well prepared for real-life situations.
Given the need for experienced wildland firefighters nationwide, the academy’s instructors aimed to fast-track cadets, compressing what would typically take years of field experience into ten days of intensive training.
“We are trying to give them slides that will set them up for success in the highest-stress situations,” said instructor Zane Brown. “More or less, we are trying to pass along our experience to them in a compressed format that would normally take 10-15 years to accumulate.”
Instructor Zane Brown teaches the cadets about Initial Attack operations.
Unlike the Basic and Intermediate Academies, which focused on standard operating equipment like pumps and saws, the IA Academy specifically addresses the challenges that arise in high-risk incidents, such as Type 3 and Type 4 fires. These situations require quick thinking and advanced skills that cadets might not normally be qualified to handle. “Initial attack may not go to a lot of 10,000-acre fires, but every 1-acre fire or tenth of an acre fire could burn houses down. If you lose that fire, you could lose three houses in the Mat-Su Valley or in Fairbanks,” explained IA Academy instructor, Tommy Frazier.
The IA Academy cadre was composed of firefighters from the Mat-Su, Tok, and Fairbanks areas. This diverse group brought a wealth of backgrounds and experiences, underscoring the importance of inclusive training initiatives for Alaskan communities. Instructors Isaac Solomon, Tommy Frazier, Zane Brown, Ernest Prax, Matt Nunnelly, David Ervin, and Nathan Zalewski brought together a century of collective fire experience to mentor the cadets and prepare them as leaders and educators for their respective units.
“There is a lot of opportunity for leadership,” noted Zalewski. “This academy is setting you up to be the next generation of leaders.”
The Alaska Initial Attack Academy has set a new standard for wildfire training, preparing a new generation of firefighters to meet the challenges of Alaska’s wildfire season with confidence and skill.
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 