Western Colorado is all too familiar with the words “wildland fires” and knows how detrimental they can be to our communities. This summer has been filled with too much smoke and restless nights for those serving on the front lines. The Turner Gulch Fire burned over 31,000 acres just 50 miles from CMU’s main campus and under two hours north of Grand Junction, the Lee Fire has consumed nearly 140,000 acres.
Luckily for Western Slope residents and outdoor enthusiasts, CMU Tech is developing the next generation of wildland firefighters through the Wildland Fire Management program. The students enrolled in the program know exactly the impact that fires can have on our region because of classroom instruction and first-hand experiences.
The program is instructed by Loren Paulson and Allison Robb, who have a cumulative 70 years of experience in wildland firefighting. The program is further supplemented by four adjunct instructors who bring an additional wealth of knowledge and expertise. Currently the program is the only one of its kind related to wildfires on the Western Slope. Their goal ultimately is to help train future firefighters and to promote the placement of graduating students within wildland fire agencies.
Paulson recently ended his tenure with the U.S. Forest Service and joined the CMU Faculty in October 2023. After a long tenure, he was able to see the changes in technology and increased personnel opportunities.
“This role excites me because I get to see first-hand, the increase in opportunities and incentives for students going into Wildfire Management,” said Paulson. “We also get to help agencies fill positional gaps through the students we are educating.”
What sets this program apart is that students step into real-world experience soon after beginning their classes. After arriving at CMU Tech, Wildfire Management students generally start classes in Guard School. These courses comply with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and are commonly accepted within wildfire agencies, meaning once students complete classes and earn their certification from Guard School, they can begin working on crews involved with Wildland Firefighting.
The experience that students are gaining at CMU Tech from the Wildfire Management program is invaluable and proves that this program trains students to be productive members of a crew.