SCU: Wildland fire incident training June 18-20

Friday, June 15, 2012

SCU: Wildland fire incident training June 18-20

A three-day wildfire prevention exercise June 18-20 in the Lexington Basin, south of Los Gatos, signals preparation by the Santa Clara County Fire Department, Cal Fire and other first responders for fire season which officially began Memorial Day.

What: In a CAL FIRE press release, Santa Clara County Battalion Chief Kendall Pearson announced that apparatus from multiple area agencies will participate in the three-day wild land fire training to be ready when the next inferno strikes, more possible this year due to a dry winter.

Why: The annual event, coordinated by the Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs Association, will allow firefighters, police officers, medical volunteers, and other emergency responders to work together during simulated emergency scenarios, During a large fire emergency, different agencies and groups will be involved in addition to fire departments.

Who: Cooperating agencies include the Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit, Town of Los Gatos, Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services Agency, and local government
fire departments.

Large animal evacuation groups and medical volunteers will participate in this year's drill and experience large-scale coordination of resources first hand, he stated in the release.

The Town of Los Gatos will evaluate its hillside emergency evacuation plan, he added.

“Whether the patch on your shoulder says state, county, city, or town, the reality is that we will all be working together to meet the challenges of a major wildfire emergency. No one agency can do it all. Practicing together makes us better performers during the real deal,” said Derek Witmer, division chief for Cal Fire and incident commander for this year's exercise.

Where: in the Lexington Basin, south of Los Gatos, will help public safety agencies better coordinate response in case of large-scale wild land inferno.

The media is invited to an event briefing at Vasona Lake County Park, 333
Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 19.

Access will be provided to the four drill sites including up-close opportunities to see wildfire suppression techniques, structure protection, and tactical size up, according to the release.

California Fire News 2012

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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

Friday, June 15, 2012