BBR shows off new fire equipment

Just in time for what promises to be a particularly dangerous fire season, Black Butte Ranch has added some of the best new fire fighting equipment available.

Black Butte Ranch Fire Chief Ed Sherrell and his crew showed off the new equipment at an open house last week.

The five new pieces of fire fighting equipment showcased at the event included a 75 foot ladder truck, an ambulance, a rescue ambulance, a "wildland interface" engine and a utility truck.

Putting on the most impressive show was the new ladder truck.

Firemen demonstrated the versatility of the rig by swinging the ladder, with nozzle spraying, around the parking lot and over nearby trees.

The ladder truck, which has a built-in water main running up the ladder, can pump out a stream of up to 1,000 gallons per minute.

The ranch fire equipment uses five inch hoses and can pump out enormous quantities of water.

"The ranch has a fantastic water system," said Sherrell, "plus, there are more than 200 hydrants all around the ranch."

Sherrell proudly noted that dwellings in his ranch jurisdiction now have an ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating of 4, which means lower fire insurance costs to homeowners.

The new rescue ambulance also drew plenty of attention from the ranch residents who showed up for the viewing opportunity.

In addition to carrying a full complement of emergency medical technology, the new rig carries its own water tank and has foam capability, as well.

"This is the perfect response vehicle for car accidents on the pass," Sherrell said. "We have mutual responsibility with Sisters (Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District) for the pass."

He also showed off some of the rescue tools used for automobile wreck responses including jaws of life, cutters, spreaders, rams and inflatable jacks capable of lifting a truck off the ground.

The new wildland interface truck is an important tool, given the proximity of uninhabited wildlands which surround of the ranch.

It is specifically designed to respond to forest and brush fires where there are no hydrants to hook up to. The interface truck carries its own water supply and also has foam capability.

The truck has two diesel engines, one for propulsion and the other to operate a 500 gallon per minute fire pump.

Like other fire fighting agencies in the area, the ranch fire department is ready to respond to any nearby fires or emergencies and sort out jurisdictional details later.

State, Forest Service and local fire protection districts all have mutual cooperation agreements to help out and back each other up.

As a result, new equipment helps out everyone in the area.

Sherrell, who has been fire chief at Black Butte Ranch for two years, is pleased with the timing of the new equipment acquisitions.

"All the operational equipment that was here came on line in the 70s, and everything went old at once," he said. "So, we decided to get what we need. I stepped into a beautiful situation."

In the way of new equipment, Sherrell also announced that all Black Butte Police cars and all golf marshal's carts will be equipped with heart defibrillators by the end of the summer.

Sherrell also said that an ODF grant has been made available to assist with tree thinning and forest fuels reduction on parts of the ranch property.

Black Butte recently launched a FireFree program on the ranch this year.

This highly successful program is designed to encourage and assist homeowners in making their homes more fire resistant.

One of the programs that the chief seemed most proud of is the training program for new firefighters.

The department has two full-time paramedic-firefighters on duty at all times plus three college students.

In a cooperative program with Central Oregon Community College, Black Butte helps students achieve Associate Degrees in Fire Science in two years, and has a program for the students to earn their paramedic qualification during their third year.

"This is a dimension that not every chief gets to see," said Sherrell. "We get to see these college kids grow into firefighters. It's like seeing them bloom."

If fire season turns out to be as bad as some are predicting, Sherrell will need all the help he can get his year.

"We're anticipating a severe fire season, so we're gearing up," he said. "I'm putting on an additional seasonal firefighter-paramedic from July through October."