For the 20th consecutive year, forestry officials from the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management 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 began Monday, June 20, and continue through Friday. 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 and take video or photos of firefighting, initial attack, fire safety protocol and various tasks involved in fire suppression. Co-Incident Commanders Shawn Sheldon, Deputy Fire Staff, U.S. Forest Service and BLM, Willamette National Forest; and Craig Pettinger, Unit Forester, Oregon Department of Forestry, Sweet Home; see fire school as an opportunity to train firefighters in both tactical skills and safety. Safety principles of fire training include wearing protective gear, safe use of tools, being on the lookout for hazards and maintaining proper spacing amongst workers. “Fire School provides crucial education and training in wildland fire to new firefighters and gives career firefighters a chance to refresh their skills, explore leadership opportunities and come together as a team working towards a common goal,” said Sheldon. “A nearby forest landowner, Cascade Timber Consulting, Inc., provides a new field site each year and we are very grateful,” he added. “Field exercises greatly enhance the students’ training experience — working in smoke, hiking through uneven terrain and working closely with crew members to dig fireline are all things they’ll experience this season as wildland firefighters.” More than 200 trainees from a variety of agencies across the state – including the Willamette, and Siuslaw National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, and Oregon Department of Forestry – will be in attendance this year. The interagency school takes place June 20 through Friday June 24 at Sweet Home High School, 1920 Long Street in Sweet Home. Classes, then a field exercise – Trainees spend the first part of the week in a classroom setting. Classes 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. “Safety is paramount in every aspect of wildland firefighting, and it begins with our training exercises,” said Pettinger. “Working together in a training setting improves communications and builds effective relationships for the agencies to draw on during fire season.” The five-day course culminates in a live fire exercise. The June 24 exercise provides trainees with the final challenge: applying their newly acquired skills to suppress and mop-up a real fire. For more information, please contact Public Information Officers Stefanie Gatchell, (541)367-3962, Dawn Sleight, (503)829-2216, or Joanie Schmidgall, (503) 569-2200.
