National guard units from six states will participate in helicopter-based wildfire suppression training next week along with firefighters from two cities and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) will conduct airborne and virtual classroom training April 9th-18th near Longmont with the Colorado Army National Guard. This annual interagency wildland fire training exercise is in coordination with Boulder Fire-Rescue, the City of Longmont, the U.S. Forest Service, and other National Guard units from Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The majority of aircraft will be flying April 13th-18th.
The training exercises, incorporating federal, state and local authorities, include practicing aerial water bucket drops at Denver-metro lakes and reservoirs to improve coordinated response for air- and ground-based response elements during emergencies.
“This type of interagency training with both our community and military partners to suppress wildland fires ensures unity of effort and speed of response.” said DFPC Director Mike Morgan.
In addition to aerial operations, organizers have planned virtual academic training at the Army Aviation Support Facility, Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. Training will be conducted in a safe, socially distant manner. Months of planning have included coordination with local authorities for site locations, movement of equipment, and environmental considerations.
“This training is an integral part of our overall domestic response training,” said Colorado Army National Guard, Director of Aviation and Safety, Colonel Will Gentle. “We will use this exercise to qualify and validate our aircrews to ensure they are ready to respond to wildland fires. Integrating aircrews with ground personnel adds a dynamic and complex layer of realism.”
The goal is to provide a safe and realistic training environment for comprehensive training, practice, and development of skills for all agencies involved.
Well, now that Colorado has a single rotor that they spent $24,000,000 on and $4,000,000 annually to operate…no more megafires.