Cove Fire Science Program training the next generation of wildland firefighters

By on Tuesday, March 18th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

COVE – The role of a professional wildland firefighter is many things; a lucrative career, an essential public service, a life-threatening endeavor, and, frequently, one hell of a workout. Before any prospective firefighter can decide what it specifically means to them, however, they must learn the ropes and earn their certification. Thankfully, the Cove School District is providing a unique opportunity for its students to do just that.

The Cove Fire Science Program is a wildland firefighting certification course adhering to the standards set by the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG). Taught by veteran firefighter and Cove Athletics Director Brett Dunten, the semester-long course offers hands-on firefighting training and provides NWCG certification upon completion. Those that graduate from the course are thus certified to work for any firefighting agency across the United States. Students also earn one high school credit and three college credits upon completion in good standing.

Though the course follows NWCG certification, its origins at Cove stretch back over a decade. Brett Dunten, himself a firefighter for over twenty years, initially taught the course at Riverbend Youth Correctional Facility in 2011, before launching it in Cove when he took a Job with the school roughly three years ago. To Dunten, the course not only serves to train new firefighters, but provides youth with a viable career path and a chance to instill a good work ethic, as he explained:

“I think it’s just one of the best jobs that a young person can have. Whether or not they make it a career, it teaches them work ethic and responsibility. It’s an opportunity to pay for college, because wildfires are never going to go away. It kind of fits in the same timeline as when you’re off from college. so it’s a great way to learn the ropes of hard work and work ethic.”

Currently, the Fire Science course has eight students, with seven having also completed it during the fall, totaling 15 students set to be certified by the end of the school year. The course is a zero-period class from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., which according to Dunten serves as a bit of a marker as to who is willing to get up early enough for a firefighting gig. Cove students sign up when registering for classes. Students from the Union School District may also participate similarly to how the joint sports programs between the districts are handled.

In practice, the course focuses heavily on hands-on training, such as digging fire lines, but also focuses on what it means to work as a firefighter and the risks involved. Freshman student Matt Blake mentioned the class discusses several notable wildfires, including the deadly Yarnell Fire. Senior Nathaniel O’ Reilly mentioned how surprising it was to learn just how much money and effort went into wildland firefighting, even on smaller fires. Freshman Brody Dickinson, whose parents used to be firefighters, even commented, “I didn’t realize how dangerous it was.”

Of course, the students get to learn first-hand just how much effort it takes. This past Wednesday, March 12, the class dug lines while actively burning slash piles on a ranch about a mile from Cove. As described by Dunten:

“It went well, getting them out there and teaching them how to dig a fire line around a live fire, feel the heat, just getting exposed to the elements. They got to see some actual spot fires start outside of it through either radiant heat or actual ash. They really got to see like, holy smokes, if it gets to high temperatures and 90 plus and low RHs and single digits, the fire’s going to roll with this wind. It really was an eye opener for them, and they realized it’s hard work.”

Long term, however, the goal is to help the students get certified and find proper work as firefighters. Oregon Department of Forestry representatives spoke with a previous class about career opportunities and the scale of the recent fire season, while Dunten hopes to eventually have some of the students join the local Cove Rural Fire Protection District.

As Dunten mentioned previously though, the class offers students the opportunity to develop a strong work ethic and learn something new and hands-on outside of a traditional classroom environment, regardless of their long-term career ambitions. As reflected by Dunten again:

“My favorite part is just seeing them realize they can do something that maybe a lot of them don’t have any knowledge of. Not everybody operates inside four walls as successfully as they put a tool in their hand.”

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Photos provided by Brett Dunten.