Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Fire Training and Videos

Videos

Introductory Wildfire and Refresher Training (or view embedded video below) - February 23, 2023 – This 3-hour training covers wildland fire suppression, including an overview of the programs and services DEEP Forest Protection Program offers, an introduction to fire behavior basics and fuels, suppression methods, fireline safety, and hazards. If a fire department member needs to maintain qualification as a “registered” firefighter for their department for billing purposes, after watching this video they can have the Chief or training officer submit their name and completion date to deep.forestry@ct.gov to be qualified. A certificate will then be sent to the participating fire department, and DEEP records will be updated. A “registered” qualification is good for three years.

 

Archived 2022 Introductory Wildfire and Refresher Training

Dry Hydrants and Fire Protection (Length - 5 minutes) Dry hydrants provide easy access to water for fire departments year round, thus protecting property and saving lives. They are also a way for towns to improve their ISO ratings, which can save on insurance premiums. In 2011, Connecticut's wetlands laws were changed to make it easier for municipalities to install dry hydrants. Funding opportunities to install dry hydrants are readily available.   

Handline Construction for Forest Fire Control (Length - 10 1/2 minutes) This training video shows the proper steps for constructing a handline for controlling forest fires.

 

Training

Regional Fire Training

Every year, the Forest Protection Program trains municipal fire departments in the basics of wildland firefighting. Successful completion of this training classifies a firefighter as “registered” within the state. Volunteer fire departments may bill utilizing compensation rates for reimbursement from the State of Connecticut with accordance in CGS 23-26, provided a town ordinance exists to receive such payments. These reimbursements can include “registered” firefighter compensation during wildfire suppression. (See District Fire Warden section for more information). Firefighters must be trained every 3 years to maintain registered status. Training is held during the late winter/early spring months within four regions of the state.

Specific Fire Department Training

If your fire department is interested in specific training, such as hand line construction, water supply, hand tools, or more department specific, please contact the Forest Protection Program at deep.forestry@ct.gov to see if staff is available. The Forest Protection Program is unable to review basic wildfire training due to lack of staffing. 

Content last updated in May 2023.