National Wildfire Suppression Association

What National Wildfire Suppression Association does

The National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA) is a U.S. national non-profit trade association founded in 1991 and headquartered in Mill City, Oregon. It represents approximately 300 private wildland fire services contractor member organizations that collectively employ about 10,000 people and supply 20-person crews, timber faller modules, engines, tenders, and other specialized equipment to federal, state, and local agencies on an as-needed basis when agency resources are exceeded. The association is governed by an elected Board of Directors and operates with 1-10 administrative employees.

NWSA's core product is its Training Database Storage System, a web-based national database that tracks firefighters, instructors, and company trainings and certifications, and that issues Incident Qualification Cards annually to member company employees. The database houses records for over 30,000 firefighters and is accessed by member companies, NWSA-certified instructors, and agency personnel through guest login. NWSA-certified instructor programs deliver training aligned with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide (PMS 310-1), training more than 12,000 wildland firefighters annually. Region 6 record inspections (engine personnel, fallers, EMTs) and the semi-annual Fireline Magazine (launched May 2014) round out the service portfolio.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership dues from private wildland firefighting companies, supplemented by per-person Training Database access fees ($12 members / $30 non-members), per-record inspection fees ($10-$30 across tiers), event revenue from the Annual National Meeting, and publication revenue. Member companies gain access to federal contracting opportunities through the VIPR (Virtual Incident Procurement) system and through MOUs NWSA holds with coordination groups including the Pacific Northwest Coordination Group (PNWCG) and newly with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS). Primary customer cohorts are federal land management agencies (USFS, BLM), state forestry and fire agencies (Oregon Department of Forestry, Washington DNR, California State Fire Marshal, Oregon State Fire Marshal), and the 300 private contractor members that constitute the association's dues-paying base.

Name

National Wildfire Suppression Association

Legal name

National Wildfire Suppression Association

Website

https://nwsa.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NWSA is a U.S. national non-profit trade association representing approximately 300 private wildland fire services contractors, providing NWCG-aligned training, a national qualification database, record inspections, and federal procurement access for member companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildfire Suppression Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG), Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning (AFAMAEAK)

Keywords

• Wildland firefighting services
• Wildfire suppression contractors
• Firefighter training certification
• Wildfire industry association
• Emergency fire response resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Mill City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NWSA generates revenue through membership fees from private wildland fire services contractors and companies. Annual membership provides access to training programs, inspection services, and representation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The National Wildfire Suppression Association (NWSA) is a national non-profit association that represents approximately 300 private wildland fire services contractors employing about 10,000 people across the United States. It delivers NWCG-compliant instructor certification and firefighter training programs, operates a national web-based Training Database Storage System that tracks qualifications for over 30,000 firefighters and issues Incident Qualification Cards, and conducts record inspections under federal/regional MOUs. NWSA advocates on behalf of member companies and connects them with federal, state, and local agency contracting opportunities for wildfire suppression resources including 20-person crews, engines, tenders, and timber faller modules.

Product overview

NWSA offers a unified portfolio centered on its Training Database Storage System—a national web-based database for tracking firefighter certifications and issuing Incident Qualification Cards—supplemented by instructor certification programs compliant with NWCG standards. The organization provides training courses (NWCG courses, Business Ethics 101), record inspection services for Region 6, and publishes Fireline Magazine. Annual National Meetings serve as industry events connecting members with vendors and agency personnel. Over 12,000 private wildland firefighters receive training annually through NWSA certified instructors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training Database Storage System

Quantifiable outcome

• Loss ratios (accidents) significantly lower than industry average due to focus on performance and safety
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Region 6 2025-2030 Training MOUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Five-year Memorandum of Understanding for training coordination between NWSA and Region 6 agencies, effective 2025-2030.
• Region 6 2025-2030 Record Inspection MOUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Five-year Memorandum of Understanding for record inspections between NWSA and Region 6 agencies, effective 2025-2030.
• U.S. Forest Service (USFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWSA provides private wildland firefighting resources to USFS through government contracting mechanisms. The association maintains industry relationships supporting federal wildfire response operations nationwide.
• Pacific Northwest Coordination Group (PNWCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWSA was the first to hold the PNWCG Memorandum of Understanding to certify instructors to train private sector, agencies, and interested parties. This MOU establishes NWSA's authority to certify instructors meeting NWCG standards.
• National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWSA standards are established by the NWCG Wildland Fire Qualification System Guide and the Field Managers Course Guide. NWSA training programs are designed to meet or exceed all training, safety, experience, and physical fitness standards identified in the NWCG Wildland Fire Qualifications System Guide (PMS 310-1).
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWSA provides private firefighting resources to BLM for wildland fire suppression operations on BLM-managed lands through government contracting.
• Region 6 (Pacific Northwest) AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegion 6 Record Inspections are conducted under MOU agreements with regional agencies, with specific checklists and verification processes for Engine Personnel, Fallers, and EMTs.
• U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWSA collaborates with the newly established U.S. Wildland Fire Service within the Department of the Interior for unified wildland fire management.
• Williams Wildland Fire Leadership & TrainingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent training provider offering NWCG-certified courses including S-231 Engine Boss, S-200 Initial Attack Incident Commander, S-290 Intermediate Fire Behavior, and others through NWSA's training network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Wildland Fire: IAWF is a non-profit membership organization focused on wildland fire science, management, and practitioner exchange. It is directly comparable to NWSA as both serve the wildland fire community through member services, training, and conferences, though IAWF skews toward research and policy rather than private contractor representation.
• Wildland Firefighter Foundation: The Wildland Firefighter Foundation supports wildland firefighters and their families through financial assistance, recognition, and advocacy. It is directly comparable to NWSA as a non-profit serving the wildland fire community with member/donor funding and government relationships.

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Fire Chiefs: IAFC represents fire and emergency service chiefs worldwide, providing training, advocacy, and member services. It is a broad incumbent to NWSA in the fire-service membership-association category, though it focuses on chief officers and policy rather than private contractor resources.
• National Interagency Fire Center: NIFC is the federal interagency coordination center for wildland fire response in the U.S. It is comparable to NWSA as the apex coordinating body for wildland fire resources, though it is a federal agency rather than a private-contractor trade association.
• National Volunteer Fire Council: NVFC represents volunteer firefighters and works on training, advocacy, and member services. It is a broad incumbent to NWSA as a fire-service membership association, though it focuses on volunteer departments rather than private contractors.
• National Fire Protection Association: NFPA is the long-established U.S. standards and codes body for fire and life safety. It is a broad incumbent comparable to NWSA in that it produces training, certifications, and standards used across the fire service, though its scope spans all fire and electrical safety rather than the private wildland contractor niche.

Others

• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: NFFF is a non-profit that honors fallen firefighters and supports their families. It is thematically comparable to NWSA as a non-profit serving the fire service community through member/donor funding and government recognition, though its focus is on memorial support rather than contractor representation.
• Congressional Fire Services Institute: CFSI is a non-profit that educates Congress on fire service issues and supports federal fire grants. It is thematically comparable to NWSA as a fire-service advocacy organization working with federal policymakers, though its scope is broader across the fire service rather than private wildland contractors specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-wildfire-suppression-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Wildfire Suppression Association