Great Falls Fire Rescue conducted their annual wildland urban interface training on Tuesday so personnel are equipped to handle both structural and wildland fires.
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In order to be prepared for grass fires that may impinge on residential areas, Great Falls Fire Rescue conducts their training in areas that are most susceptible.
Battalion Chief Colton Walters explains, “We look at some of the hazard areas, places in the city that we think are going to be an issue or a problem area, and then we address that, we train on that, and then we try to go to those locations and actually do the training live.”
Most of Fire Rescue’s equipment is designed for structure defense, so this annual training teaches personnel to use their equipment efficiently in the instance of vegetation catching fire, and how to defend residential areas and structures from that fire spreading.
Devon Hagen, a Captain with Great Falls Fire Rescue, says, “Our equipment isn't necessarily wildland equipment, outside of what the brush truck has, which tends to be smaller diameter hoses, lighter weight, it's more maneuverable. We've had to learn to do what you would typically do with a lighter weight hose with our structure hose…That's why we're working out here today, to figure out how we can make it as efficient as possible with what we have.”
The training was conducted in the vicinity of Fox Farm Road and 45th Avenue SW.
This annual training is critical for allowing Fire Rescue to be prepared for a variety of grass fires they see each year.
