S244 - Field Observer

Reviewed: 2007     Hours: 20

Course Description:

This course provides the student with the skills necessary to perform as a field observer (FOBS) and/or a fire effects monitor (FEMO).  Topics include: roles and responsibilities of the FOBS and FEMO; how to make observations and document those observations; how to produce hand drawn and GPS field maps; and how to navigate using a compass and GPS.  The navigation unit has 4½ hours of field exercises and the final field exercise is 8 hours.  For pre-course work students need to read and complete exercises in Basic Land Navigation (NFES #2865).

Objectives:

• Demonstrate skills and knowledge to gather and report information for incident planning.

Target Group:

Personnel desiring to be qualified as a field observer (FOBS) and/or fire effects monitor (FEMO).

Minimum Instructor Qualifications:

Lead instructor must be a qualified situation unit leader (SITL).
Unit instructors must be qualified field observers (FOBS) or Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO).

Also see Instructor Certification at the beginning of the Field Manager's Course Guide.

Prerequisites:

Successful completion of pre-course work.
Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (S-290).
Basic understanding of how to use a GPS receiver.

FOBS: Qualified as any single resource boss

OR

FEMO: Qualified as firefighter type 2 (FFT2)

Offer Level:
Local

This Course Description is verbatim from the NWCG Field Manager's Course Guide (156 page PDF: Adobe Acrobat Reader required) and accurate as of 10-7-2010.

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