SAR News: Butte County receives Sno-Cat

Friday, February 22, 2008

SAR News: Butte County receives Sno-Cat

A huge vehicle PG&E has used the last 12 winters to reach power emergencies in the Feather River Canyon got another purpose Thursday when it was given to the Butte County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit.

The tracked, six-passenger, 1995 Tucker Sno-Cat will be used to help locate victims lost in heavy snow, then transport them to safety.

"We're among the first search and rescue operations to get a Sno-Cat," said spokeswoman Sandy Lawrence. "We're certain it will make a difference in many of the life-and-death situations we encounter."

PG&E donated the machine as part of an ongoing community grants program.

In addition to the gift of the machine, which Lawrence said is in excellent condition despite having 790 hours of use, PG&E will offer training on the Sno-Cat to search and rescue volunteers, and assist with maintenance.

Volunteer Ron Gray is among those qualified to drive the vehicle right now. Because of its weight, he said it will have to be transported on a trailer to search and rescue sites, but once there can cover ground at a clip of between 11 and 20 mph, depending on snow depth.

With a fully-enclosed cab and a heater, the Sno-Cat can transport victims and rescuers in relative comfort, Gray said.

Because tracks on the Sno-Cat turn as the cab of the machine turns, Gray said they are also often used for the delicate task of grooming ski slopes.

Butte County Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer organization that responded to 132 calls.

Capt. Mike Larish said the Sno-Cat is an especially welcome addition, since winter rescues are among the most challenging and potentially dangerous.

Source: chicoer.com

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Friday, February 22, 2008