Firefighters train in Sisters

Some 71 rookie firefighters with the Oregon Department of Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Portland Water Bureau are taking classroom and field training this week at Sisters Middle School in Sisters.

This course is required of all state and federal employees engaged in wildland firefighting. The week-long training session includes sessions on safety, fire readiness and organization, fire behavior, basic fire leadership, suppression methods and tool use, ignition devices, map and compass, engine and pump operations, hazardous materials, working in the wildland/urban interface, air resources and lessons learned.

Firefighters will be required to camp on-site at the school the entire week to attend scheduled evening crew training sessions.

On Thursday, June 19, student firefighters will complete live-fire and mop-up exercises from approximately 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the Deschutes National Forest near Sisters just north of Indian Ford Campground.

On June 27, another fire training exercise will be conducted on the Deschutes National Forest near Sisters; the exact location has not been identified. This exercise is for fire preparedness and will be a one-acre training burn.