CAL FIRE and the California National Guard annual joint aircraft training

Saturday, April 13, 2013

CAL FIRE and the California National Guard annual joint aircraft training

CAL FIRE and National Guard Train for Fire Season
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CAL FIRE and the California National Guard have a long standing cooperative relationship that has spanned over three decades.

Before the start of the fire season, the California Army National Guard and Cal Fire conduct a range of training from bucket drops to radio communications, for new and current team members. A requirement for pilots is 500 hours of aircraft commander time.

California National Guard. Huey Working Robbers Fire 2012

The annual joint helicopter training that began Friday, April 12 and will go through Sunday, April 14, 2012 at the CAL FIRE Academy in Ione in addition to Lake Pardee in Amador County.
"This training allows us to call upon the National Guard helicopters to assist us when California experiences extreme fire conditions," "Last Summer, the Guard helped us battle several large wildfires." - said Chief Ken Pimlott, director of CAL FIRE.

"This cooperative training is crucial to our fight against the imminent California wildfires," "Our long-standing partnership with CAL FIRE and other state agencies has proved a winning combination; our interagency training translates into maximized preparedness and seamless cooperation when the fires inevitably hit." - said Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, adjutant general for the California National Guard.
Each year, the two departments join forces to train military pilots on how to effectively make water drops on wildfires and how to safely integrate into a wildfire situations. CAL FIRE will be instructing National Guard helicopter pilots and crewmembers in basic incident management and firefighting operations so they can safely assist CAL FIRE in battling massive wildfires.

"By training military pilots to fly fire missions, CAL FIRE ensures that California has every available air resource when major firestorms occur," - said Chief Ken Pimlott.

CAL FIRE has the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world with over 50 aircraft including 11 UH-1H Super Huey helicopters.

CFN - California Fire News 2013

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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

Saturday, April 13, 2013