Training

The Training Working Team (TWT) is composed of the wildland fire training specialists from the member agencies. It is responsible for developing, coordinating and managing the Annual Winter Meeting conducted in January/February. The TWT also develops, schedules, and manages several training academies throughout the year, typically in the winter, spring and fall.

Learn More Contacts

Each agency, whether a state or province as full members, or another federal or city agency as associate members, has one seat on the Training Working Team. The TWT reports to the Operations Committee and is responsible for formulating training plans and ensuring that the work plans are carried out.

They work very closely with the Executive Director to oversee and manage their grant allocations and carry out their business. They are assigned a liaison from the Operations Committee in order to form good communications and guidance from the Operations Committee.

The TWT meets or has a conference call once every quarter in order to coordinate, manage, monitor, and conduct their business. They are responsible for developing, coordinating, and managing the Annual Winter Meeting conducted in January/February. They also develop, schedule, and manage several training academies throughout the year, typically in the winter, spring, and fall.

Academies are usually centrally located within the Compact area, but they are sometimes moved to various locations in order to meet sub-regional needs and to capture provincial needs in Canada. When other Working Teams have a need to conduct training, they coordinate with the Training Working Team to ensure good coordination amongst the agencies.

The Training Working Team maintains a training calendar linked on the NFFPC website and posts courses on the Eastern Area and National websites for NWCG courses. More recently, some courses are transferring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for oversight and the Training Working Team coordinates and schedules this type of training through FEMA.

The TWT continues to provide professional training opportunities for Compact members. Nearing the end of a training cycle, the courses offered have been at the highest level of Incident Command System (ICS) and have given the opportunity to work with several National Incident Management Organizations (NIMO) teams.

There is typically a 4-5 year cycle in the training program with the focus on developing Incident Management Teams at the Type 2 level. Middle to high level courses are offered while member agencies conduct their own entry and middle level training. Training is deemed to be a very high priority for the Compact.

Contacts

Rick Schenk (CT)

Chair

Work Email: richard.schenk@ct.gov
Work Phone: +1 860-295-9523
Work Fax: +1 860-344-2941

Address:
Division of Forestry
Eastern District Headquarters
209 Hebron Ave.
Marlborough, CT 06447
United States

Alex Striga (FDNY)

Work Email: alex.striga@fdny.nyc.gov
Work Phone: +1 917-587-7352

Address:
21 Eldorado Dr.
East Northport, NY 11731
United States

Joe Mints (ME)

Work Email: joe.mints@maine.gov
Work Phone: +1 207-712-9074

Address:
Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry
Maine Forest Service
87 Airport Road
Old Town, ME 04468
United States

Patricia A. Correia (MA)

Work Email: patricia.correia@mass.gov
Work Phone: +1 978-874-5700
Mobile Phone: +1 508-889-2551
Work Fax: +1 978-874-1096

Address:
District 8 Fire Warden
Leominster State Forest
90 Fitchburg Road
Westminster, MA 01473-1644
United States

Dan Michaud (NB)

Work Email: dan.michaud@gnb.ca
Work Phone: +1 506-364-7554
Work Fax: +1 506-856-2492

Address:
Dept. of Energy and Resource Development
Forest Fire Management Section
1350 Reqent St.
P.O. Box 6000
Fredericton, NB E3C 2G6
Canada

William Giraud (NY)

Work Email: william.giraud@dec.ny.gov
Work Phone: +1 315-298-8271
Mobile Phone: +1 607-283-1159

Address:
DEC Training Academy
24 County Route 2A
Pulaski, NY 13142
United States

Vacant (NL)

Paul Schnurr (NS)

Past Chair

Work Email: paul.schnurr@novascotia.ca
Work Phone: +1 902-921-1542
Office Phone: +1 902-758-7230

Address:
Dept. of Natural Resources
Forest Protection
P.O. Box 130
Shubenacadie Hants CO, NS B0N 2H0
Canada

Matt Lank (PE)

Work Email: mslank@gov.pe.ca
Work Phone: +1 902-218-1195

Address:
170 Beach Grove Rd.
Charlottetown, PE C1E 1Y5
Canada

Étienne Boilie (QC)

Vice Chair

Work Email: eboily@sopfeu.qc.ca

Address:
SOPFEU
Aéroport International Jean-Lesage
715, 7e rue de l'Aéroport
Québec, QC G2G 2S7
Canada

Ysabelle Fiset (QC)

Work Email: yfiset@sopfeu.qc.ca
Work Phone: +1 418-871-3304 ext. 5481
Mobile Phone: +1 418-573-7973

Address:
SOPFEU
Aéroport International Jean-Lesage
715, 7e rue de l'Aéroport
Québec, QC G2G 2S7
Canada

Ben Arnold (RI)

Work Email: ben.arnold@dem.ri.gov
Work Phone: +1 401-568-2013
Mobile Phone: +1 401-626-5343

Address:
34 River Road
Dayville, CT 06241
United States

Vacant (USFWS)

Vacant (NPS)

Devin Healy (VT)

Work Email: devin.healy@vermont.gov
Work Phone: +1 802-917-2555

Address:
Wildland Fire Specialist
Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks, and Recreation
111 West St.
Essex Junction, VT 05452
United States