JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. – Local agencies are ensuring they are ready to go by sharpening their skills so when the time comes, they can leap into action.
In these forested lands just outside of Grants Pass, dozens of firefighters from four different agencies are practicing what to do when wildfires break out.
Ed Otte is a firefighter with Rural Metro. He said, “Our training to us is very important because we have to know what to do when the fire actually happens.”
The training is real, but in order to balance realism with safety, the smoke is not. “It kind of gives them in the element,” explained Grants Pass Fire-Rescue Inspector Tim Stacy. “It obscures their vision and it gets them in the mode or thinking real fire while we aren’t actually burning anything.”
Running through the practice course helps firefighters work out the real-life kinks, like replacing a blown out hose. “And those are the things that happen in real life and by getting those out of the way and practicing those now, when we get to the real fire, it’s going to be a lot quicker,” Stacy said.
It’s also a chance to form bonds and create working relationships between departments. Stacy said, “We have slightly different policies between agencies so it gives us a chance to see how each other operate and how we can make that work together to come together and get an incident resolved quicker.”
For Otte, this simulation is just another step in preparing for what’s expected to be a busy wildfire season. “All the training helps but something you’re just never prepared enough for what could happen.”
The three-day training will continue on Thursday. Each simulation is different to give crews new obstacles to overcome.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.