Nearly 30 forestry technology majors at Penn College earned their Basic Wildland Firefighter Certification after completing a two-part training course provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center. The students, enrolled in Jack E. Fisher's Forest Protection class, spent the first part of the 16-hour training in classroom instruction and followed up with hands-on tasks such as building a fire line. DCNR representatives Jacob A. Richards, forest fire specialist supervisor, and Don Bratts, forester, teach the certification course to students at Penn College and The Pennsylvania State University. Students completing the course are certified to fight fires in Pennsylvania and are qualified to perform prescribed burns for forest protection and maintenance. The skills and subsequent certification are very valuable in the forest industry and add worthwhile experience to the resumes of students interested in seeking employment with a variety of state or federal agencies. (
Photos by Melissa M. Stocum, coordinator of matriculation and retention, School of Natural Resources Management)
Nearly 30 forestry technology majors at Penn College earned their Basic Wildland Firefighter Certification after completing a two-part training course provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center. The students, enrolled in Jack E. Fisher's Forest Protection class, spent the first part of the 16-hour training in classroom instruction and followed up with hands-on tasks such as building a fire line. DCNR representatives Jacob A. Richards, forest fire specialist supervisor, and Don Bratts, forester, teach the certification course to students at Penn College and The Pennsylvania State University. Students completing the course are certified to fight fires in Pennsylvania and are qualified to perform prescribed burns for forest protection and maintenance. The skills and subsequent certification are very valuable in the forest industry and add worthwhile experience to the resumes of students interested in seeking employment with a variety of state or federal agencies. ( Photos by Melissa M. Stocum, coordinator of matriculation and retention, School of Natural Resources Management)