Among the various calamities that can occur, wildfires represent a serious threat to human life and become even more dangerous when they threaten populated areas or industrial premises. The complexity of the phenomena that develop in such situations can genuinely overwhelm even the most prepared response structures.
The intensity and ferocity of a wildfire depend on numerous factors: the available fuel load, the rate of spread, the presence or absence of moisture, orographic conditions, and wind.
Controlling a wildfire therefore means being able to assess a set of variables that often intertwine in a complex equation, which must also account for the experience and professional preparedness of the firefighting teams deployed. There is no straightforward solution.
Tecnica Formazione Sicurezza offers preparatory training courses for all personnel (firefighters, forestry staff, civil protection, specialist teams), structured both to deepen theoretical knowledge of the phenomena that may occur — including their rapid evolution — and to ensure ongoing, targeted practical training aimed at developing proficiency in the use of the most appropriate equipment.
Throughout the training programme, particular attention is paid to developing in each operator a full awareness of the need to maintain the best individual and collective safety conditions — both by using the most suitable equipment during operations and by adopting best-practice behaviours and all necessary active and passive protections.
Timely intervention is critical: a small fire is far easier to extinguish than an entire woodland. Prevention is even better.
Training
ICE & FIRE s.r.l. offers a comprehensive training portfolio in the field of Wildfire Firefighting (AIB), aimed at volunteers, professional operators, team leaders, fire suppression operation directors, and AIB group coordinators. The programmes cover all phases of response: from foundation training to advanced specialisation, from the safe use of forestry machinery to specialist techniques in prescribed burning and backfiring.
AIB Operators — Foundation and Advanced Courses
| Course | Duration | Target Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Wildfire Firefighting — Foundation | 16 hours | New personnel in AIB structures |
| Wildfire Firefighting — Foundation | 24 hours | New personnel in AIB structures (extended programme) |
| Wildfire Firefighting — Advanced | 40 hours | Operators with AIB experience |
| AIB Field Exercise | variable | Operational AIB teams |
The foundation courses provide the theoretical and practical grounding for safe operations: the chemistry and physics of fire on forest fuels, direct and indirect attack techniques, firefighting hydraulics, and the use and maintenance of PPE. The advanced course deepens operational strategies for complex scenarios and the coordination of available resources.
AIB Team Leader
| Course | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AIB Team Leader — Foundation | 20 hours | Initial qualification |
| AIB Team Leader — Refresher | 8 hours | Periodic refresher |
| AIB Team Leader — Advanced | 40 hours | Operational and tactical deepening |
| Team Leader — Civil Protection AIB | 40 hours | AIB and civil protection scenarios |
| AIB Team Leader — Veneto Region | 34 hours | Specific programme for AIB volunteers in Veneto |
| Team Leader — Advanced AIB Safety | 16 hours | Dynamic safety, self-rescue, LACES method |
Team Leader courses prepare command and coordination personnel for operational teams on the fire line. Topics covered include: management of human and technical resources, AIB pump attack techniques, the LACES protocol, radio communications, applied hydraulics, and the use and maintenance of PPE. The Veneto Region programme is reserved for AIB volunteers with at least three years of experience in organisations under agreement with the Region.
Fire Suppression Operation Director (DOS)
| Course | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Suppression Operations Direction — AIB | 56 hours | DOS qualification |
| DOS — Refresher | 8 hours | Essential periodic refresher |
| DOS — Refresher | 16 hours | Extended refresher |
| DOS — Refresher | 24 hours | In-depth refresher |
The DOS programme qualifies the central figure in the management of medium and large wildfires. The curriculum covers: scenario assessment (fire type, weather conditions, FFMC/FWI/DC indices, AIB cartography), direction of ground and aerial resources, procedures for national aerial asset deployment, TBT radio communications, mop-up and area safety management, and liaison with law enforcement for investigative activities.
AIB Volunteer Group Coordinators
The Wildfire Firefighting Group Coordinators course (40 hours) is aimed at Coordinators and Deputy Coordinators of AIB volunteer groups. It covers: administrative and operational group management, planning of training and periodic exercises, direction of operations at the incident site, management of the vehicle fleet and specialist equipment, the chain of responsibility during operations, and operator safety pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008 (Consolidated Safety Act).
Specialist Techniques
| Course | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Air Cooperation in AIB Operations | 16 hours | Integration of aerial assets into suppression tactics |
| Prescribed Burning | 40 hours | Design, planning, and field implementation |
| Backfire Technique | 40 hours | Backfire technique from design to fieldwork |
| Use of AIB Chemical Products | 16 hours | Retardants, wetting agents, foaming agents, gelling agents |
| Use of AIB Chemical Products | 24 hours | Extended programme with high-pressure pumps |
Specialist technique courses develop advanced operational competencies: air cooperation for team transport and coordination with aircraft; prescribed burning as a tool for preventive land management; backfire techniques for preventive fuel depletion ahead of the fire front; and the safe use of extinguishing and retardant chemical products with the relevant application equipment.
Chainsaw and Brushcutter
Chainsaw and brushcutter programmes are delivered in accordance with Articles 36, 37, 71, 73, and 77 of Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008 (Consolidated Safety Act) and cover training on the safe use of equipment in forestry and vegetation management activities.
| Course | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chainsaw — Foundation Use | 8 hours | Delimbing, crosscutting, routine maintenance |
| Chainsaw and Brushcutter — Foundation | 8 hours | Combined safe use |
| Brushcutter — Foundation Use | 4 hours | Cutting herbaceous and shrub vegetation |
| Chainsaw and Brushcutter — Refresher | 4 hours | Periodic operator refresher |
Agricultural and Forestry Tractors — State-Region Agreement 2025
Tractor operation programmes are delivered in accordance with the new State-Region Agreement of 17 April 2025 (in force from 24 May 2025), which replaces the Agreement of 22 February 2012 for work equipment requiring specific operator certification, pursuant to Article 73, paragraph 5 of Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008.
| Course | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wheeled Agricultural/Forestry Tractors — New Operators | 9 hours | Safe operation on agricultural and forestry terrain |
| Wheeled Agricultural/Forestry Tractors — Refresher | 4 hours | Periodic refresher |
Regulatory References
- Law no. 353 of 21 November 2000 — Framework legislation on wildfires
- Italian Legislative Decree no. 81 of 9 April 2008 (Consolidated Safety Act) and subsequent amendments — Consolidated Act on Health and Safety in the Workplace
- State-Region Agreement of 17 April 2025 — Certification of agricultural and forestry tractor operators; in force from 24 May 2025, replacing the Agreement of 22 February 2012
For information on courses, availability, and quotations, please contact ICE & FIRE s.r.l.