Wildfire academy tells council in‑person training boosts regional readiness

The Colorado Wildfire Incident Management Academy briefed the City of Colorado Springs Council on Monday, saying its incident-based training improves readiness for complex wildfires that threaten the Front Range.

Incident Commander Bill Wall told council that the academy manages exercises using the same command and safety systems used on real incidents, giving students hands-on experience that complements local prevention efforts. "We don't have fire seasons. We have fire years," Wall said, emphasizing the expanded pace and scale of wildland response.

Academy administrator Wendy Fisher said this week's Winter Academy represents broad regional participation: 34 states are represented, the program is offering dozens of in-person courses at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and the organizers estimate "well over $1,000,000" in economic impact to the local community. She invited council members to an open house at UCCS and distributed packets with participation maps.

Fisher and academy staff also described the value of interagency training, with students and instructors from municipal, state and federal agencies and tribal and private-sector partners working together to replicate multi-jurisdiction incident environments. Scott Morrill, the academy liaison officer, and public information officers said the goal is to strengthen both local fire-suppression skills and regional incident-management capability.

Council members pressed staff on practical takeaways for the public and firefighter occupational risks. Wall and academy public information staff said the training reinforces mutual aid and coordination while urging residents to prioritize home mitigation because responders cannot be everywhere during large incidents.

The presentation closed with an emphasis on partnerships — including the Colorado Springs Fire Department and UCCS — and an ask that the city continue supporting the locally hosted training that organizers say raises national and regional preparedness.