Tony Mancos
CEO: Kishugu Training

The Qualification break away session at the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference (IWFC) in Porto, Portugal, featured several training research projects on training and education on Indigenous Fire Management (IFM). These projects were funded by various agencies and/or governments and focused on a variety of topics, including:

• Training rural communities on fire management and awareness, reducing fires, starting nurseries for ecological restoration and recovery of springs through land management.
• Developing an indigenous wildland firefighter professional qualification and collecting data on traditional wildfire management techniques.
• Gauging and determining the importance of women’s contribution to all aspects of IFM activities within indigenous brigades.
• Conducting a study comparing the training of WFF Instructors from Brazil, Chile and the USA. The analysis contributed to changes in training courses and improvements in training processes in the respective countries.
• Examining the evolution of a training centre over a twenty-year existence. The training centre moved to a more e-learning focused approach, which reduced time in the class and increased more practical training.
• Analysing the socioeconomic and environmental impact of indigenous Federal WFF brigades. This facilitated access to income through employment opportunities and benefitted the environment through IFM.
• Empowering women in IFM. Data indicated an increase in women participating in the indigenous brigades.
• Analysing the physiological demands on women and men on the fire line. The analysis showed that the women and men’s physiological effort was no different.

The feedback from the Qualification break away session was overwhelmingly positive. Participants praised the projects for their innovative approaches to training and education on IFM. They also highlighted the importance of involving indigenous communities in the development and implementation of IFM programs.

The projects presented at the Qualification break away session provide a valuable resource for those working in the field of IFM. They offer insights into the challenges and opportunities facing indigenous communities in managing fire, and they suggest new approaches to training and education on IFM.

IFM is a complex and challenging issue, but the projects presented at the Qualification break away session offer hope for the future. By working together, we can develop effective IFM programs that will benefit indigenous communities and the environment.