July 17, 2020 T he C olumbia P ress 5 National Guard troops ready to help in wildland fire suppression Members of the Oregon Na- tional Guard trained this week in wildland firefighting. The training was federal- ly funded this year as a way to help the state prepare for fire season. By having Guard members trained in advance, they can be called up for assis- tance much faster. Oregon and other western states have seen devastating wildfires in recent years. The National Guard would be used if other fire agencies be- come overwhelmed. Their training was the same as required of all public and private wildland firefighters. About 180 Guard members attended a certification re- fresher course last weekend at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem. And then on Monday, 300 Guard members who had not trained previously began the weeklong academy. “The training … will allow these citizen-soldiers and cit- izen-airmen to be safe and effective in their work in case they are required this year to help support the efforts of wildland firefighters around the state,” said Eriks Gabliks, director of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, which oversees the academy. “We salute the men and women from the Guard for their dedicated service to our country, both at home and around the globe.” Because of the size of the group, the agency supple- mented training with instruc- tors from Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Military Department Wildland Fire- fighting Section, United States Forest Service, Illinois Fire Service Institute, and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Oregon National Guard has a track record in recent years of supporting wildfire sup- pression efforts from the air and on the ground. In 2015, members of the Or- egon National Guard assisted with wildfires in John Day and Enterprise. In 2017, more than 400 Guard members worked the High Cascades Complex fire near Crater Lake, and the Chetco Bar, Blanket Creek, Horse Prairie, and Milli fires. “This has truly been a suc- cessful partnership … for many years,” said Maj. Ste- phen Bomar, director of Public Affairs for the Oregon Military Department. “This is what we do. We train to be prepared, so when we’re needed we are there.” The Guard has an agreement with the Department of For- estry that spells out how Guard members are used to assist in annual firefighting efforts, if needed. The agreement is reviewed annually by both agencies and the Governor’s Office. “Previous years have shown the value of this partnership as members of the Guard have been deployed to support wildfire suppression efforts around Oregon when all pub- lic and private resources were depleted,” Gabliks said. Above: A Guard member participates in a training exercise (courtesy Department of Public Safety Standards and Training). Left: Brig. Gen. Donna Prigmore, air component commander, speaks with one of the service members during training (Amy Elker/Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs).