When the Division of Forestry (DOF) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) encounter a wildfire, they call in the emergency firefighters from around the state to jump in and save the day. But when crews get there, how do they strategize a plan of attack?
Tim Mowry, a public information officer for the Alaska DOF, says this year’s Interagency Crew Boss Academy teaches just that.
“A lot of what they’re doing is focused on leadership, because they will be overseeing an entire crew. They also take communications, risk assessment, radio operations, getting weather information up to date, and how to protect structures in the event that they’re dealing with a fire that’s near a village or urban interface. So, it runs a whole gambit.”
Starting Monday, 24 fire fighters from Holy Cross, Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Stebbins, Selawik, and fifteen other communities traveled to Fort Wainwright for the leadership and skills workshop. These communities work with the DOF and BLM to provide statewide emergency firefighting. The agencies vet candidates recommended by current crew bosses and look at which villages may need more.
“It’s a cooperative effort between the community, the crews, and the agencies,” says Mowry.
Crews could face inactivity during the summer months if a crew’s sole crew boss is unable to perform their duties. When the summer months start, crews are put on a list and called depending on the number and severities of incidents that season.
A qualified crew boss will lead a squad of 19 other firefighters to provide support in firefighting situations across Alaska and the Lower 48.
The potential crew bosses will be training in the classroom and on the field until May 22nd.
