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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1962)
Features ;. .s-l MEDFORDteWTRIBUNE SKCTIOX B i - .. ,";, . .... ? I. . i i r t i . u y ' ? jm' . ; . ,r ,i!ii , -..a Sports MEDFORD. OH KG ON. S V.N 13 AY. JILY 1. !!) PAGES 1 lo 8 it" ' ' . K,nrkstritt I'hmo Kii.uk.tfill rho Lightning: The Forest Fire Fighters Enemy Training the F agircer By JIM FRAKE Mail Tribune Staff Writer Summertime anrl forest firrs are usually synonymous to to the men and women of the U.S. forest service who pro tect our national forests. During the past few years, there has been a siunifjcant trend Inward a greater numher of fire.s annually; however, just as significant is the smaller amount of timber destroyed. The increase in fires is attributed to sreater public use of the forests and natural phenomenon. Better protection of the forests is due to top-notch training in fire fighting, as well as adequate equipment and manpower. Quirkrr deter tion of fires and immediate suppression combine to help keep Oregon green. In an effort to have better-trained personnel on the job, the Rogue River National forest sponsors a forest fire train ing program each year for first and second-year employees. The trainees learn about small -fire suppression, map read ing, detection techniques, smoke chasing, fire behavior, general guard duties and safety precautions during retardanl drops. F -pwwufr. IWtl'WP'rWT!?M "ty'-vy" T"Tlr--rjwT" Ja, , f i i"?- , i t v -;re-. Kv 4. ',V' - N-" . V'' r; -:.v;v; rv" y, i .. --t - . . : t..'vi', .;HnlrfllWW -IA .. .. ... , I Uf.... U. .I,,,, ( I,. l,,,.LnnlE 1'art ot me training mai inresuy pciMuini i hhim- iu.i. n.-.. nr fire fighting rrews is centered on small fire siinnre.-sion. Hurry S.mliirri. a mi inhrr of the engineering crew in the Prospect riisTirt. b'-cn- iipprcmc a sm;,ll fi-r h seat- rrinc he inc . i mce nans oi uie me hi v ,'.u .c n. . i " ..,r.Mfc . . . .. i' ' " ii 1 - ri -i - . ,i 1 VOO-'-faAV: -ISA? "'' i '.'V'- ''"' V-U " -. - VH,vlt' .f "V "' -'I r i v v K- - ' - Thi? yprir the school was hjd about 12 miles east of Eutte. Falls. There were 46 trainers and an instructing and super visory stnff nf 24. The school was under the direction of Roherl H. Torheim. fire control officer and Doug Finch, assistant fire control officer. Also pnrtieipatine were Carroll Brown, forestry super visor, and William Cummins. Portlnnd, who is in charce of law enforcement in connection with fo'c control. As a staff member of the forest service regional office, he serves as an advisor to the various forestry officers under him. Roflic niver National forest has held training programs annually since 1925, when trainees attended a one-day ses .Onn in individual districts. Starting in 192R the fire Irn'ming camps were combined and held at Union Creek. The site was moved to the Apgle gate in 10X9, and since 3941 the school has been held near Butte Falls. Generally Summer Employees Trainees must be at least 18 years old and are generally short-term, or summer employees who man lookouts and serve as firemen. Because of limited facilities, only first and second-year employees adend the school. It isn't uncommon for a person to attend the sessions two years in order to cover different phases of fire training that he may have missed the first : year. Finch said the minimum three-day training is required before they go on duty. The trainees are hired by the individual district rangers and chosen for particular jobs. Rangers then select those who should attend the .school. Trainees are generally men, but this year's school included Miss Ann Webb, a senior in forestry at. Washington State university. She has been as signed to a lookout. Finch, who is also a forest fire dispatcher, said the im portance of the individual fire fighter can not he under estimated. Despite modern equipment and air power, thp "man with a shovel" is still vital In fire suppression. It is for this reason that the training program is held. Opens Wilh Orientation This year's school opened with an orientation assembly, wtth Supervisor Carroll Brown .speaking briefly. Also speak ing were Don Johnson, assistant fire engineer. ' History and Organization of the Forest Service;" Ralph Wirse. super visor's slaff for recreation and range, "Rogue River National Forest activities;" Torheim, "The Place of Fire Control and the Fire Training Program;'' Hector Langdnn. fire engineer, "Accident Prevention and the Ten Standard Fire Fighting Orders;" Finch. "The Guard Training Camp Program:" Roh Xrell, acting district ranger from Prospect, "Sport.s and Competive Program;" and Luke Cernick, fie conirol officer in the Butte Falls district, "Camp Management." Trainees were divided into two groups of lookouts and four sections nf firemen. Personnel received both class room and field training in the seven categories. Concluding the training was an hour-long written examination developed by the regional forest service office covering all classWork. Purpose nf the test is (1) to introduce the trainees to their job; and (2) to rietrnfline instructor ability. The results are used only In better the training program and tn help district rangers with follow-up training, according to Finch. Suppression personnel are particularly required to at lend the class on fire behavior, which gives them an idea of what to expect when an alarm is received The trainees are instructed how to recognir various fire fighting situa tions such as "hlnw-np"' conditions. Requirements of Fire Diseus&ed The three jfrnnrrmcnt for fire heat, fuel and oxygen -a!n were di-n;rd. The trainees were reminded that one n( the three rerjuiiC mentv niuvl he removed for fire Mip presMon Water m dirl ran he ned to decrease the tempera ture, a fire Irail will help isolale fuel, and smothering the fire will cut off the oxygen supply. In1ructorv demonstrated different types of fire and ftr behavior on a specially built table lined with metal. Once a fire is discovered, it must he pin-pointed by using a fire finder (aHually a fire locator; the lookout n the finder) and then described ir, "map language. Separate (lass sessions are devoted tn the used of the fire finder and reading maps. 0 In map readiny ela-M-s, Iraiiiee.t. learn how to associate the aenal map, with Ihc actual ground. Thev are taught Ihe me and meaning of map symbol", as well as the sub division of land into townships and sections. Fir Finder Instruction For the fire finding in-ti uelif.ii, personnel was laken to RiK k Pt lookout, an emergency lookout ucd following lightning siorm or during periods of poor visibility. Here they were told how to set up. operate and read the fire find ers. Speed and accuracy in fire detection leads to less dam age to timber, the foresters emphasized. Instruction In small fire suppression was conducted with ml! brush fires started to give trainees practice in putting hrm out under supervirion Fire control officer explained that small fire suppression uuolves Ciit-s A nip to 'i acre in size) and Class B 4 acrp 'o 3 aerr-s) fire i Although water i preferred, dirt can be ;i -el U ' ' n " I. 'n put out smal I fire Both are used if D: nv.prv ' ' -1 ni ply 'he prner nf piittmg out f r r i nal w v.-'r r The fori i broken into small p;i 1 1 ; "d n -'c'iM''-ed in dr The tifk are i-pra'ed -ri '.. rf ( t - ff m. a ri:r area i ;lied a "bone ,.rd S?v At S't Si' Hour - '-.(.' . pr nWf tr , fiat fn cl rv f i r t n , at . . r r f i-iM 1 1 fne ;,v hn!,' a f ' f r the ' hone a? rt" is i Fir-F-;,!( . d -t t hr I;.-' rnfke fi n If no i idept e of i -t d-'' (' t'-m --( t-'f !- ff,n-,drrd erii A 'eaM fir" , . -'it ,(.' i f 1 , hi I i , n - r 1 1 I ',' ( i 1 1 ' 'iirivirn noted In '. ' r r ! r r n;, ! Ir: f k''er i a nrt I'Hiko'it s li ied their luck at "smoke chafing" The trainees emrffoyed vari ous methods of finding tires from directions given presum ably by a dispatcher. The instruction included use of com pass readings and how to judge distances. Two loads nf relardant were dropped by forestry planes to acquaint the personnel with aerial bombing. Two factors were emphasized: (1 id safety precautions during a retardanl drop; and (2) function of the lc$l plane in relation lo the actual bomber. The droppings were directed by radio. Alliludv of Borate Drops It was explained that boiCte material is usually dropped at an altitude between 75 and 150 feel in open country. Dropping speed about Hifl miles per hour. Kach drop is generally l.flllO gallons, and each gallon nf the material weighs 10 pounds. Becau?i of the weight f the material, and the speed ai which it is dropped, strict safely precau tions must be taken. Finch noted. On Friday, a general guard duty class was held lo oul line Ihe overall fire fighting program. Kach district ranger discussed the (jiaterial with the crew members who work under him. Assisting Ihe fire control officers and forestry officials at the training camp were Luke Cernick, camp boss; Dude Hen.'-haw, assistant camp boss aitl safety and transportation oflicer; and Bob Krell, recreation coordinator. fmx J.w . , x J uJ w ; " J , K ' . 1 via 1'''k&&S f "r-''1 ' SpcPd and nccurat'y in dclcclion of forost fire.s Irads tn less riamaur to timber. Truman Puchbaur-r (riuht, rear), an assist-int ranker fur Rcikuc Ftivrr National forost, nnr- of sr-rral in.strnrtors at tlw training .sr-liool shows Miss Ann Webb, a forestry stu rirnt ftl WastiinKton Stale university, and Jarne.s Canady, lookout at Whiskey Peak in tile ApiUeKate district, how to u -e Die "fire finder.'' i if - . ,-x t ''l v 4 nr ) i ' - ' .ml i a, 4 I 4 l . I"',, ..!-. i . c. y , x. " r i! I r V-1 rii-nr.-Te n-.oppinc up a -mi! f ir h vmn'i r r .-w - "( ! .1 I nnr 1 ' rrr r fcpa-fl'td nd Imd from f t'f vr ;n 1 n.i'.pVMi m j bont jiid.' l iHiti.is 1 Hie Rnijiif Hivir National f..ii-si s annual forest fir- (tainio.: proarsm Irnrnrrl annul fire biha ior finm .Inhn Hofltnan ol Hutte Kai Is (I liiht ), and Luki t 'cr nitk, lire control officer in Ihc Rultp Kails dislricl. TV
