Benefits of Belonging to NWSA
The National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA) represents more than 307 private wildland fire services contractors who operate on an as-needed basis to provide federal/state and local agencies with a variety of resources for wildland fire and other emergency incidents. Resources include twenty-person firefighting crews, timber faller modules, engines, tenders, dozers and other specialized fire equipment as well as a full complement of fire/emergency incident camp services.
NWSA provides training certification, advocacy and support to help its member companies field experienced, highly trained, safety-focused resources that meet or exceed all federal standards, including all requirements of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG).
When lives are on the line, the agencies must have confidence in any resources that are a part of the fire community. Since 1991, the mission of NWSA is to insure that its members earn that confidence. Because safety and skill is paramount, certifying instructors is a vital part of NWSA services to its member companies. In 2021, NWSA certified instructors held 956 classes and trained 9300 private wildland, agency and rural structure fire department firefighters.
Member Benefits Include:
- NWSA’s annual national conference, newsletters and website promote professionalism and excellent performance through the exchange of information about issues related to the industry.
- NWSA offers a Professional Contractor Certification Program which will equip members with the basics in Worker’s Compensation, USDOL, Critical Management and USDOT regulations, and Business Ethics. Our program changes topics each year!
- NWSA advocacy includes working as a cooperator in the wildland fire services to build positive relationships with agencies and to advocate for programs like Best Value Contracting that provide agencies with the most professional private resources.
- NWSA works with vendors in our field to provide member discounts on things like radios, packs, and more!