Josh LaBella
The Middletown Press, Conn.
(TNS)
Jul. 23—Nineteen Connecticut firefighters headed across the country on Tuesday to assist in battling wildfires in Oregon, state officials say.
In a news release, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said 19 members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew, coordinated by DEEP, left from the Eastern District headquarters in Marlborough to fight wildfires in and around Redmond, Oregon.
“Once again, the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew answers the call to assist those in other states in their time of need,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “We are so grateful to the members of this crew for their courage and service as they take time out of their lives and their work to deploy far from home. We wish them and all the responding firefighters well and look forward to their safe return.”
DEEP said six of the firefighters are full-time DEEP employees, one member is from Rhode Island and one is from Massachusetts. The rest are from departments in Connecticut.
DEEP said the firefighters who deployed Tuesday morning are from the towns of Norwich, Waterford, Shelton, East Haddam, Bethany, Bloomfield, Coventry, Griswold, Lebanon, Cheshire, Tolland, South Windsor, Stratford, East Hartford, Exeter, Rhode Island, and East Otis, Massachusetts.
The CIFC team deployed as part of a general call-up of Eastern fire crews to assist out West, DEEP said. The teams roster is maintained by DEEP’s Forestry Division, it said, adding it consists of agency staff members and private individuals, many of whom are associated with local fire departments.
DEEP said all the firefighters have been certified to fight forest or wildfires. It said crew members must complete a rigorous training program and participate in an annual physical work capacity test and refresher training.
Fire Engineering: Wildland Firefighting 101
“Connecticut maintains this firefighting capability to participate in a reciprocal aid program operated by the U.S. Forest Service,” DEEP said in its news release. “Under this program, trained personnel from other parts of the nation are available to assist Connecticut in the event of a fire emergency or other natural disaster in return for the support of Connecticut personnel when needed.”
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