BLM and local fire departments train and build partnerships ahead of fire season
Organization
Media Contact:
BOISE, Idaho – The Bureau of Land Management is partnering with local municipal fire departments to teach courses in wildland firefighting to prepare for the upcoming fire season. Firefighters throughout the Treasure Valley will learn a variety of skills from wildland firefighting tactics to promoting awareness of Firewise landscaping.
“These classes provide great opportunities to build relationships through training,” said Jamie Vincent, Chief, Eagle Fire Department. “We’ve been preparing for the season together for several years and it really increases our firefighters' comfort levels when working together on wildland incidents.”
Classroom sessions are supported by field exercises which give hands on experience in critical aspects of wildland fire operations. These include assessing structure hazards in the wildland urban interface and the proper use of firing devices in burnout operations.
The BLM is holding classes at local fire stations during weekends to accommodate the schedules of volunteer fire employees. Participation in the effort continues to grow with approximately 1,100 personnel trained in 2016 and an estimated 1,300 to be trained by summer of this year.
As the Treasure Valley’s population grows and housing developments spread into the foothills and range lands, urban interface fires are becoming more complex, making coordination among cooperating agencies essential.
“The wildland urban interface is a challenge we face more and more," said Todd Floyd, BLM Boise District Associate Fire Management Officer. "Working with municipal fire departments as partners is critical, as shown in the Table Rock and Mile Marker 14 Fires.”
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.