As part of the State’s coordinated and comprehensive wildfire suppression efforts, and thanks to funds allocated by the federal government, 200 citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen from the Oregon National Guard arrived this afternoon at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem for a week-long wildland firefighter training program. This 200 arriving at the Academy are in addition to the 200 trained earlier this month at Camp Rilea near Warrenton, Oregon. Federal funds were allocated, at the request of state officials, to help prepare members of the National Guard in case their assistance will be needed to support wildland firefighting efforts around the state. The week-long training is being provided by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) and is the same training required of all public and private wildland firefighters. This training the members of the Oregon National Guard will be receiving is often known as “red card” training and consists of both classroom and hands-on sessions. Classes include a wide-variety of topics including safety considerations, communications, protecting tribal artifacts, fire behavior, etc. Hands-on sessions include fire shelter deployment, hand lines, gridding, hand tool work, pumps, water sources, and related skills. DPSST’s Director Eriks Gabliks said “all of these classes combined will allow the citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen to be safe and effective in their work in case they are required this year to help support the efforts of wildland firefighters around the state.” The Oregon National Guard has a proven track record of supporting wildfire suppression efforts, from the air and on the ground, around the state in recent years. In 2015, members of the Oregon National Guard assisted with wildfire suppression efforts in John Day and Enterprise. In 2017, more than 400 citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen supported Oregon’s firefighting efforts (air and ground) at High Cascades Complex (near Crater Lake), Chetco Bar, Blanket Creek, Horse Prairie, and Milli fires. The Oregon National Guard has a long-standing agreement with the Oregon Department of Forestry known as Operation Plan Smokey, which stipulates the details of how Oregon National Guard members will be utilized to assist in annual firefighting efforts if needed. This agreement is reviewed on an annual basis by both agencies and the Governor’s Office. What is different this year is that funds were requested by state officials, and approved by the federal government, to provide training to members of the National Guard ahead of the need. Gabliks said “this will allow these wildland firefighter trained citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen to be activated and deployed much faster should the need arise for their assistance.” On July 18, 2018, Governor Kate Brown declared a statewide wildfire emergency, which activated Operation Plan Smokey to make Oregon National Guard (ONG) troops and resources available to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=2828 For more information on the Oregon National Guard’s preparation and participation in this year’s wildfire fighting efforts, or to visit the training being offered at DPSST, please contact SFC April Davis, Public Affairs Specialist, Oregon Military Department, phone 503-584-3807, email april.l.davis@state.or.us
