Using road graders to help firefighters put a line around a fire is not a new concept, but some fire departments in Texas have been taking it to a new level in recent years, especially in the Amarillo area. Here is an excerpt from an article at amarillo.com:
…The Potter County Volunteer Fire Department began using the large construction vehicles with a long, angled blade attached between the front and rear axles to help fight wildfires in 2005 and 2006, Chief Richard Lake said.
“We teach them (operators) how to work with the crews,” Lake said. “That’s the thing, especially in Potter County, we’ve offered them that training. They understand how to fight fires now. It makes it a lot safer for them to do their work.”
Amarillo road grader operators recently began training to help fight wildfires. The city last year equipped its graders with GPS beacons, so the fire commanders know where they are at all times, Mitchell said. The operators also received fire-retardant suits and portable radios, so they can stay in touch with the fire commander if they need to get out of their machines, Mitchell said. The city’s graders and 4,000-gallon water tankers are now marked with numbers on top, so aircraft pilots can identify them.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8 designates Public Works employees as First Responders. It would be interesting to know if these blade hands have been trained to the appropriate ICS level.