Firefighters gearing up for busy season

Cibola County hotshot firefighter Lathan Beaver packs a portable fire shelter he was issued while supervisor Joe Julian inspects Beaver's helmet liner at the Mt. Taylor Ranger Station Tuesday. Firefighter refresher training is being held at the ranger station over the next few weeks to prepare for this year's fire season. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

GRANTS — About 40 wildland firefighters are going to school here. They do it every year to stay alive and keep safe in their chosen professions.

"This is the annual Mount Taylor Ranger District Fire Training," said Richard Garcia, the Mount Taylor Ranger District of Cibola National Forest public information officer.

Any individual who has a red card, which enables people to be out on a wildland fire, any member of a hot shot crew, any member of an engine company and virtually anyone who may be involved with a fire in the coming fire season must go through the school.

"It's not the same material every year," Garcia said. "For instance, we look at all fatalities that happened and we look at the reasons why the fatalities happened so the same thing won't happen in this district."

In addition to fatalities, firefighters learn about any new technology developed since last year which will help each of them to be better at their jobs, they review fires in other areas to learn new firefighting tips which might come in handy in a future fire. The instruction is 80 hours long. "We go to fire training for eight hours a day for two weeks," Garcia said.

No one is exempt from taking the training. Even the Mount Taylor Ranger District Ranger Chuck Hagerdon is taking the training. "It's just that we have new material every year," Garcia said.

30 firefighters are taking the training in the class currently underway. They include the Mount Taylor Hotshots and members of the Southwest Firefighters. Garcia said firefighters from Acoma will go through the same class in May.

"If someone starts the training and drops out, they cannot go out on a fire," Garcia said, adding that it is critical each person complete the training session.

Some of the training firefighters get include: CPR, first aid, how to fight fires, communications, fire fighting tools and equipment and even physical training. "We want everyone to be physically fit," Garcia said.

To weed out those who are not, each person is required to go through the pack test. "That's where the person puts on a 45 pound pack and must walk three miles in no more than 45 minutes," Garcia said.

Most of the firefighters in classes now have been fighting fires from three to five years, so they are not rookies.

Garcia said while each person is required to take the annual training, firefighters are not required to take the class in Grants. "You can go to another district to get training if you want," Garcia said.

The current fire school will end April 15, Garcia said.