By Julie Johansen
The Huntington City Volunteer Fire Department recently had the opportunity to host a Portable Pump and Water Use Wildland Training. This training was taught by the Utah State Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Traditionally, the training takes place in Moab, but because of the increased reports and other department interests, they agreed to teach the class in Huntington. This class teaches “red carded” firefighters how to properly hook up high pressure pumps and set up portable fill tanks in order to get water to the fire line. This will help mitigate or eliminate fire spread and protect the wildland firefighters while actively fighting the fire.
Fire departments from Elmo, Cleveland, Castle Dale, Helper, Wellington and East Carbon spent an entire day in the classroom learning about the many different pumps they might encounter on the fire line and how water hydraulics play a huge factor on water delivery to fire line nozzles.
The Huntington Fire Department shared that wildland fires are extremely unpredictable due to weather, topography, fuel load and many other factors. This makes wildland firefighting daunting, but with the proper training, crews are better able to predict fire behavior and trends as well as ensure their safety, allowing every member to return home. The Huntington Volunteer Fire Department was very grateful to these agencies for providing this training locally.
Those interested in becoming a firefighter for their community are encouraged to contact their local fire department or city hall. Volunteer firefighters are always needed.
“We all enjoy being able to provide fire protection services to our community, to protect homes and our beautiful landscapes,” the Huntington City Fire Department concluded.
