| Operation Smokey 2008 - National Guard Firefighter Training |
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In late July, some 300 members of the Oregon Army and Air National Guard learned to fight a different kind of enemy: wildfire. At the order of Gov. Ted Kulongoski, these Guardsmen and women gathered on July 28 in Astoria, Klamath Falls and Pendleton for an intense four days of firefighter training dubbed “Operation Smokey.”
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Operation Smokey Training at Klamath Falls
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Tactical training
Already versed in the ways of warfare, Guard members learned how to attack a wildfire with the weaponry of firefighting – shovels, firehoses and Pulaskis.
Mission: Crucial back-up
The Guardsmen and women are providing crucial back-up for Oregon’s firefighting forces as the state heads into the peak of the wildfire season.
Upon receiving their nationally recognized Wildland Firefighter Type 2 certification on July 31, these newly-certified wildland firefighters were placed on 48-hour call for possible dispatch to fires within Oregon. Assembled into 20-person fire crews, the fledgling firefighters will be led by experienced crew bosses recruited from the U.S. Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
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Operation Smokey Training at Klamath Falls
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The trigger
If conventional firefighting resources become depleted during a period of high fire activity, the governor can mobilize the Guard through a declaration of a state of emergency.
In years past, the Oregon National Guard has been trained to fight fire following an emergency declaration. This delayed deployment at a time of critical need. By undergoing the training ahead of the need this season, these already-trained fire crews will be available on short notice. And their certification is valid for five years with only a brief refresher required, in case they are needed in future.
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Operation Smokey Training at Klamath Falls
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The trainers
The trainers for Operation Smokey were drawn from the Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.
The funding
The U.S. Forest Service covered two-thirds of the training cost, with the Oregon Department of Forestry picking up one-third.
Slideshow of Operation Smokey firefighter training on the Umatilla National Forest
[PDF; 11 slides; 7,267 KB]
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