Today more than 250 members from both Army and Air components of the Oregon National Guard arrived at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem for a week long training class that will prepare them for wildfire response.
Before training classes could begin, each member of the Guard was issued wildland firefighting personal protective equipment from head to toe.
The training this group will receive is the same wildland firefighter "red card" training class all public and private organizations are required to complete. Upon successful completion of the training, each citizen-soldier and citizen-airmen will be issued a "red card" which means they are ready for deployment.
This week's training will included classes on hose lays and pumps, firing devices, griding, safety, fire shelter deployment, hand tools, hand lines, weather and mop-up. The training will include a live-fire training exercise near the end of the week so that the men and women taking the course can apply what they have learned in a hands-on scenario.
This training is being proactively offered to have more than 500 members of the Oregon National Guard ready to quickly respond in case their assistance is needed this summer by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
State leaders requested funds through the Department of the Defense which was approved to cover the costs for the training and equipment. The funds were allocated by Congress to have members of the Guard trained ahead of wildfire season which will speed-up the deployment process in case their assistance is needed.
DPSST's Director Eriks Gabliks said "the partnership with the Oregon National Guard, Oregon Department of Forestry, and DPSST is very strong which enables the training to be offered as we begin fire season in Oregon. Previous years have shown the value of this partnership as members of the Guard have been deployed to support wildfire suppression efforts around Oregon when all public and private resources were depleted."
After completing the week-long training, these citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen will return to their communities, careers and families and standby ready to assist with wildland firefighting efforts around the state if needed.
Media note: Live fire training for the large group is scheduled for Thursday. As soon as a time is set we will send out a notice so that you can attend and view the training and interview members of the Guard participating.
## Background Information on the BPSST and DPSST ##
The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director and Darren Bucich, Chief of McKenzie Fire & Rescue serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.
DPSST, recognized as one of North America's most innovative state public safety standards and training organizations, provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem, certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.