| Interagency school trains new firefighters for fire season 2009 |
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Firefighter trainees get briefed by Crew Boss
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For the 10th consecutive year, forestry officials from the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde are hosting an interagency Fire School to prepare new firefighters for the rigors of fighting fire, both in Oregon's forests and in rural-urban interface areas. Classes begin on Monday, June 22nd.
This intensive training - so essential to the safety and effectiveness of fire crews as they battle blazes during fire season - is an opportunity for members of the media to observe firefighting, initial attack, fire safety protocols, and various tasks involved in fire suppression, and to take photos or film clips.
"The main purpose of fire school is to provide basic wildland fire training skills to new firefighters, and give continuing training to returning firefighters," said Incident Commander Ted Erdmann, Oregon Department of Forestry.
"I'm really excited about this year's school. It's filled to capacity, and I think that's a great reflection of what happens when federal and state agencies really pool their resources together for the common benefit."
More than 200 trainees from a variety of agencies across the state - including the Willamette, Siuslaw, and Umpqua National Forests, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, and Oregon Department of Forestry - are attending. The interagency school takes place June 22 through Friday June 26 at Sweet Home High School, 1920 Long Street, Sweet Home.
Classes, then a field exercise
Trainees spend the first part of the week in a classroom setting. Classes this year include basic fire behavior, map and compass use, teamwork, safety, use of engines, tools and hose lays, fighting fire in the rural-urban interface, and fire investigation. Students sleep in tents at the school and eat their meals communally, giving them a taste of a real fire camp. The five-day course culminates in a live fire exercise designed to test students' suppression and mop-up skills acquired during the week.
Co-Incident Commanders ("IC’s") Paul Hiebert, Willamette National Forest, Sweet Home, and Ted Erdmann, Oregon Department of Forestry, Philomath, have more than 49 firefighting years between them. Both see the annual fire school as an opportunity to train firefighters in both tactical skills and safety.
"During the field exercise it’s a great opportunity for students to apply not only the fire suppression skills they’ve learned in class, but also all of the wildland fire safety principles," said Hiebert. Safety principles include wearing protective gear, being on the lookout for hazards and maintaining proper spacing amongst workers.
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| For more information |
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Tents dot the field behind Sweet Home High School
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For more information, contact:
Cynthia Orlando, Oregon Department of Forestry, 503-945-7421
Judith McHugh, Willamette National Forest - U.S. Forest Service, 541-915-5372
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