Last week we reported on the August 3 hearing before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources where the main topic was “the use of technology to reduce wildland fire risk to communities and enhance firefighting safety and effectiveness”.
Near the end of the hearing Senator Maria Cantwell, the ranking member, asked Bryan Rice, the Department of Interior’s Director of the Office of Wildland Fire, about using devices that can track the location of firefighters in order to reduce their risk of entrapments.
The Senator said to Mr. Rice, “Don’t hold us back from getting solutions in the marketplace this summer if we can”.
You can see how this went down in the better version of the 6-minute video below. If the video does not play, here’s another source for it.
Funny stuff! Should “run” this on SNL The enthusiasm was over the top. (t&c). Fire entrapments and direct fire exposure occur in a MATTER OF MINUTES on the fire line. Decision making, weather changing and placing a person (s) in a location that doesn’t allow for a safe retreat are the factors. Pretty simple. As in aviation, it is better being on the ground wishing you were up there, than being up there and wishing you were on the ground. If you are miles from the incident base and things start going to crap (usually very quickly) who is going to help you? S.O.O.L How about strengthening the aviation initial attack. Corral these fires before they have a chance to threaten property and lives (even fire fighters). I guess the 747 is still sitting ideal in the west?