173rd FW Airmen prepare for wildland fire season

Courtesy Photo | Airmen assigned to the 173rd Fighter Wing don Oregon department of Forestry uniforms and extinguish a grass fire during wildland firefighter training at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore., May 7, 2023. The training took place at the 173rd Fighter Wing and serves to ready Oregon Air Guardsmen to aid the state when wildland fires outpace state resources during hot summer months under the auspices of Operation Plan Smokey. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Adriana Scott)  

KLAMATH FALLS, OR, UNITED STATES

05.12.2023

Courtesy Story

173rd Fighter Wing

Airmen from the 173rd Fighter Wing spent five days preparing to fight wildland fires and be ready if the Oregon Governor needs to call upon them this summer. The Oregon Department of Forestry trained 20 Airmen in the Red Card certification process May 3-7, 2023.

“One of our missions at the 173rd Fighter Wing is to serve Oregon,” said Col. Lee Bouma, 173rd FW commander. “This means our Airmen are ready to assist the State during emergencies and natural disasters, and one of the common emergencies in the Pacific Northwest is wild fires.”

This training falls under Operation Plan Smokey, a state mission utilized by the Governor to provide National Guard resources when wildland fires exceed the capacity of ODF’s personnel and resources, according to the interagency agreement between the Oregon Military Department and the ODF.

This initial training consists of 32 hours of in-class and hands-on instruction.

“What we’re doing with them…is teaching them the basics to become an entry-level firefighter,” said Jake Barnett, the protection supervisor for ODF in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Barnett noted that wildland firefighting is a very physical job that presents many opportunities for injury, and like most military trainings Operations Plan Smokey started out with a focus on safety first. Airmen are taught the importance of foot care and other potential medical concerns that could affect the individual’s health and safety.

To help reduce the risk of injury guardsmen are educated on fire behavior, tool handling, and communication. Basic fire behavior is taught to the Airmen in a classroom setting where they learn about environmental components such as fuels, weather, and topography.

Outside, ODF instructors demonstrated the uses of various tools and the “do’s and don’ts” of tool handling. Additionally, they teach good communications practices to keep members aware of possible dangers such as the safe area around someone wielding an axe, or avoiding an area where burning trees could fall.

The last day of training tested the Airmen on the skills they learned the days prior during a live-fire exercise. A field with sagebrush and tall grass was set ablaze and the team worked to contain it while coping with heat, smoke, and fatigue.

“It’s really cool to do a live burn,” said Senior Airman Alana McBride, 173rd Maintenance Group. “It definitely gets you more into it and realize the actual hard work that firefighters have to put in.”

With the wrap-up of this training, Oregon has 22 new Red Card holders ready to help fight wildland fires for the state of Oregon.

“To ensure your Oregon Guardsmen are ‘always ready, always there’, we trained three additional 22-person teams this year, creating a larger pool of individuals to pull from to meet our state’s needs,” said Bouma.

• Date Taken: 05.12.2023
• Date Posted: 05.12.2023 14:54
• Story ID: 444666
• Location: KLAMATH FALLS, OR, US