Wednesday, April 1, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Firefighters train for early wildfire season
By diane goble
Correspondent
Fire season will likely
start early this year due to the
lack of snow over the winter.
Property owners in the areas
surrounding Sisters should
already be clearing the pine
needles and trimming back the
combustible vegetation sur-
rounding their homes, barns,
stables and other structures to
create a defensible area.
Meanwhile there are oth-
ers getting ready to protect us
from the flames if they come
our way. Young people inter-
ested in training to become
the firefighters who might
save your home were train-
ing right here in Sisters over
spring break.
About 40 mostly college-
age boys and girls were being
drilled by Sisters resident
Daniel J. Boettner, vice presi-
dent of fire operations for
GFP Enterprises, Inc., who
has 37 years in the firefight-
ing business.
GFP is an emergency
response company focused
on catastrophe management,
remote base camps, and
fire-suppression solutions.
They have a wide range of
equipment and expandable
resources to meet diverse
needs, which are staged
around the country to shorten
response times to disasters.
Crews are on call 24/7/365
and on the road traveling to
an incident within 2 hours
of dispatch. Advance teams
are expected to be on-scene
within 24 hours.
GFP currently has more
than 450 staff (firefighters,
EMTs, security, ex-military)
trained within the Incident
Command System who are
physically qualified to fight
wildland fires for the U.S.
Forest Service or respond to
other catastrophes around the
world.
They are always looking
for reliable, hard-working
firefighters who display the
ability to work effectively
in teams. Every crewmem-
ber is screened for character
traits required of emergency
responders: a willingness to
work hard for long hours in
less-than-desirable condi-
tions. Then they hire the ones
who complete their missions
smiling.
In order to be hired for
photo by diane Goble
Firefighters train in deploying emergency shelters.
firefighting, individuals must
be at least 18 years old, a
United States citizen, pass a
physical fitness test which
includes a three-mile walk in
less than 45 minutes wearing
a 45-pound pack, and pass the
entry-level training course.
GFP Enterprises will pay
the cost of wildland training
courses, as long as the per-
son intends to work for the
company.
Trainee Rick from Portland
said, “I’ve learned a lot about
the importance of teamwork
and following procedures. It’s
a matter of life or death on the
line.”
Trainees are introduced to
the basic concepts of the fire
environment, including how
available fuels, topography,
and current weather are major
influences on fire behavior
and the importance of con-
tinual monitoring of these
factors in an effort to predict
when and where the fire is
likely to increase in intensity.
Maintaining constant situ-
ational awareness, establish-
ing escape routes, and know-
ing safety zone locations help
firefighters remain safe. They
practice lighting backfires and
deploying their safety bags in
case they can’t outrun a fire.
They are taught fire-line tool
use and maintenance, map and
compass skills and common
wildland fire terminology.
“Above all,” says Boettner,
“they will learn that effective
communication and a com-
mitment to safety is a top pri-
ority at all times.”
Information about train-
ings can be found at www.
gfpenterprises.com, or call
541-549-8167.