Firefighters Trained, Ready for Fire Season

The Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit is fully staffed and prepared for wildland fire response. New fire recruits as well as returning firefighters have been training and refurbishing equipment since mid-May.  Numerous hours are invested in all aspects of preparing fire personnel for fireline duty as crew members. Training includes: fireline safety; weather and fire behavior; leadership responsibilities; team building; fire engine operations; firefighting tactics; and mastering GPS (Global Positioning System) devices for accurate ground navigation. The experienced fire fighters are paired with new crew members as trainers and mentors teaching them the most efficient methods for unrolling hose, mobile attack, fire size up and other basic duties. Drills to increase proficiency in handling equipment and response time have been occurring at Loudy Simpson Park and Cedar Mountain the past few weeks.  In 2013 the Northwest Colorado Fire Management Unit responded to 224 fires for 5,929 acres.  The Fire Danger is high in Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, and moderate in Routt, Jackson and Grand counties.