HELENA — Some Montana National Guard soldiers and airmen are now ready to respond to wildland fires if the governor needs them to, thanks to training at Fort Harrison.
Through the training, the soldiers earned their Incident Qualification Card, also known as the Red Card.
Montana National Guard trains for wildfire response:
"I've always been attracted to the protective element," Sgt. Loran Brooks with the Montana Army National Guard. "Doing hard things with strong people."
Seventy-six Montana National Guardsmen and Airmen got their hands dirty, constructing fire lines, handling water with hoses, and using fire shelters for protection.
Guardsmen and airmen volunteer to undergo wildland firefighting training to obtain a Red Card.
"These people want to be here," said Brooks. "They want to help prevent any damage from wildfires, so we're anticipating getting activated at some point."
Those trained can now be called upon at any time by the governor to assist if other firefighting agencies need support.
"The way I look at it is we're all one big team; we're all one big family," said Ryan Rettinghouse, the fire protection bureau training and safety specialist for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). "We're all here trying to do the same thing and help protect our communities around us."
The last time the Montana National Guard was called in to help fight wildland fires was in 2021.
Rettinghouse said, "[It was a] pretty busy year – lots of fire going on around the state."
DNRC partners with various fire departments to train soldiers and airmen for when the call comes in.
"They really gave a depth of experience that helped inform me," Brooks said. "I feel better prepared if we get activated."
