JOHNSON CITY- When fires rage through publicly owned forests, federal land management agencies need all available personnel - and more. Temporary employees, trained and ready, are on call to assist.
East Tennessee State University is offering a "Wildland Firefighter Training" course Jan. 2-6, sponsored by the ETSU Department of Physical Education, Exercise and Sport Sciences and the United States Forest Service-Cherokee National Forest.
A "red card," the certification for wildland firefighters, is issued to those who successfully complete the 40 hours of class work and a physical fitness "pack test," which involves demonstrating the ability to carry a 45-pound pack for three miles in less than 45 minutes.
Field exercises are included in the curriculum, with students trying the equipment and techniques learned on campus. The hands-on experiences include deploying fire shelters and constructing fire breaks.
Graduates of the class will be on call, willing to assist when asked. They are paid for their service from the time of deployment and may be invited to fight fires in national forests in the area, or during natural disasters, or they may get the opportunity to travel to federal lands in the West when needed.
Dr. Tom Coates of ETSU's Physical Education, Exercise and Sport Sciences is organizing the program and points out, "ETSU is surrounded by areas of national forests. It seems right that the university and our students should contribute to their safety and well-being."
For more information, contact Coates at (423) 439-5261. | 
