Chief Packer was flown home to Washington

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Chief Packer was flown home to Washington

Members of the U. S. Forest Service and CAL FIRE Honor Guard carry the body of Fire Chief Daniel Packer aboard a U.S. Forest Service DC-3.
Chief Packer’s body was flown home to Washington with his wife, and representatives from the Forest Service and East Pierce Fire and Rescue of Bonney Lake, Wash. in attendance.

Yreka, CA (July 30, 2008)...US Forest Service and CAL FIRE Honor Guards transferred the body of Fire Chief Daniel Packer aboard a Forest Service DC-3 following a long procession of fire emergency vehicles from Yreka, Calif. to the Siskiyou County Airport. Over 150 firefighters came to offer a final farewell to the fallen firefighter. People aboard the plane escorting the body to Tacoma Narrows Airport included Chief Packer’s wife, representatives of the East Pierce Fire and Rescue of Bonney Lake, Washington, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Two memorial services were held for Fire Chief Daniel Packer on August 1, 2008. The first service was at the Fire Incident Command Post in Orleans, Calif. The second memorial service was at the River Park in Happy Camp, California.

A memorial service is also planned for August 7, 2008, 2pm at the Christian Faith Center, 33645 20th Ave. South, Federal Way, Washington.

The public is welcome to attend.
A memorial fund has been established. See web site www.eastpiercefire.org for more.

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Related Information: Panther Fire Incident Investigation Team

Yreka, CA (July 29, 2008)...The Panther Fire Incident Investigation Team arrived on the Klamath National Forest on July 28, 2008 to gather information on the events leading up to the death of Fire Chief Daniel Bruce Packer while working on the Panther Fire on July 26, 2008.

The purpose of the accident investigation is to provide fire managers with information for accident prevention. Jim Reaves is the team leader; Ivan Pupulidy is the Chief Investigator. Reaves said, "The accident investigation team is brought together to gather and interpret information to help managers understand how and why the accident occurred."

Team members will gather physical and photographic evidence, interview witnesses, and prepare a safety investigation report. The team’s final report will be submitted to the Accident Review Board at the agency’s Washington, D.C. office within 45 days from the date that the investigation team convened. After their review, the Accident Review Board will submit that report to the Chief of the Forest Service.

A preliminary report was made 24 hours after the date of the accident. Reaves' team will submit a 72-hour report following their initial assessment. Both reports may be viewed on the Klamath National Forest website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath.

Chief Packer, Lake Tapps, Wash and Fire Chief of East Pierce Fire and Rescue, had responded to a request by the U.S. Forest Service to serve as a Division Supervisor for the incident management team managing the Siskiyou Complex. At the time of the accident Packer had been doing reconnaissance of the Panther Fire in preparation for his team to take over responsibility the next day for managing the Panther Fire.

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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

Sunday, August 3, 2008