CAL FIRE BDU trains with Apple Valley Fire

Several fire engine crews from the CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit participated in the day long Fire Control 3 classes being put on by the Apple Valley Fire Protection District.  The three 90 minute sections allowed for a larger group of firefighters to participate.  The classes included fire behavior and interior attack, special searches and roof ventilation.

This is a good example of coordinated regional training that enhances the abilities of all the firefighters who trained together.  Present through the day were Apple Valley Fire, CAL FIRE BDU and Baldwin Lake Fire Department.

Firefighters watch as the fire begins to roll across the ceiling.

Another shot of the fire's behavior as it grows

CAL FIRE BDU Firefighter Matt Swendra climes out of the window after a room search

There was a very special firefighter who visited the training exercise today.  He is honorary Apple Valley Firefighter Dominic Cumo.  This brave young boy is suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and loves to visit firefighters.  After his training evolution, Matt Swendra presented his fire helmet, signed by all of the CAL FIRE BDU personnel present at the time to Dominic.  You can find this brave young boy on Facebook; Dominic Cumo.

Honorary Apple Valley FF Dominic Cumo and his new CAL FIRE friends

CAL FIRE BDU crew getting in some roof ventilation practice

This was a good day of training and working along side firefighters and leaders from different fire departments.

Firefighters’ 27th annual Wildland Training Exercises

For the 27th consecutive year, firefighters from fire departments throughout the San Bernardino valley and mountains will be participating in the San Bernardino County Fire Training Officers’ Association’s wildland training exercises. The training focuses on wildland urban interface fire operations including structure defense techniques, resource utilization, equipment deployment, structure triage, safety, communications, and tactical priorities. Additionally, the training includes a 1500 foot hose lay, shelter deployment and MAST training in a realistic 4-hour training exercise.


As we have seen in the last several days, fast moving interface fires can threaten homes and property very rapidly. This training will enhance the firefighters capability to work together to defend the residents and properties of San Bernardino County.

When faced with a wildfire, firefighters employ a technique called “bump and run”. This is where a strike team of five fire engines will enter a threatened or burning neighborhood and deploy at five consecutive homes. The fire engine backs into the driveway of a home and firefighters quickly assess their surroundings. If the home has defensible space and firefighters feel it can be defended they deploy hoses and work to push the approaching flames away from the structure. Then as the firefighters push the flames around the home to the next, they return to their engine and move to the next home furthest down the line and so on. This leapfrogging allows firefighters to protect a larger number of homes with a smaller amount of resources. The training is an important annual event and allows our local firefighters to train together in a realistic environment, sharpening their skills in preparation for the upcoming high fire hazard months of summer and fall.

There will be no live fire training at this event. The exercise will be conducted at the Forest Lawn Scout Reservation 29485 Hook Creek Road, Cedar Glen 92321 between 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, May 7,8, and 9, 2013.

NBC 4 Fire Safety

After a two year absence, CAL FIRE returned to NBC LA to teach the news media fire safety class. This is the sixth year in the last eight years that NBC LA has invited CAL FIRE to come in and teach fire safety to the members of the news staff. This year, CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit Information Officer Bill Peters taught a combination of refresher classes and the four hour certificate class. Since it had been two years since Bill was last there, he proposed to split the instruction so that the new members of the staff that had not received any fire safety training could receive the full class. Those members of the news staff that had gone through the class previously would receive the 90-minute refresher class.
The classes ran for three days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday August 8,9,and 10. The first five classes were the ninety minute classes with the last three the complete four hour versions. One of the fun parts of the class was the section on fire shelters and getting a volunteer from each class to demonstrate how to properly deploy one. All of the volunteers did very well in their shelter deployment efforts. This is important since the news media face many of the same dangers and hazards that firefighters face while out near the fireline.

Nearly 100 reporters, editors, producers, and videographers attended the classes. Peters said "I have so many friends here at NBC LA that I really enjoy teaching them and renewing their awareness of fire safety." The curriculum includes sections on fire safety, proper personal protective equipment, fire behavior, fire shelters, and the media access law, California Penal Code Section 409.5

CAL FIRE Teaches Fire Safety at ABC7

For the second consecutive year, the CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit was invited to present our News Media Fire Safety class to the news staff at ABC7 television. Located in Glendale, San Bernardino Unit Information Officer Bill Peters conducted eight 90-minute refresher classes over three days, July 12, 13, and 14. Attendance at one of the classes was required for the news staff and technical staff.

Last year, Peters presented the four hour safety class for the first time ever at ABC7. This year, the refresher class included wildland fire behavior, fire ground injuries and safety, off-road vehicle operation, Penal Code Section 409.5 (media access law), and a special focus on Situational Awareness. Peters also spent some time on fire shelter use and deployment, with a volunteer in every class actually deploying a practice shelter. By the way, some of the volunteers were females including one lady reporter who successfully deployed the shelter in her business suit while wearing heels, demonstrating that anyone can successfully deploy a fire shelter. "I really appreciated the willingness of the attendees to engage in the class as well as volunteer to try something new in front of their peers" said Peters.

Firefighters get ready for 15th Annual Wildland Training

For the 25th consecutive year, firefighters from fire departments throughout the San Bernardino valley will be participating in the San Bernardino County Fire Training Officers' Association's wildland training exercise. The training focuses on wildland urban interface fire operations including structure defense techniques, resource utilization, equipment deployment, structure triage, safety, communications, and tactical priorities. The training includes a realistic 4-hour training exercise. This type of training is an excellent example of regionalized integrated fire service operations.

When faced with a wildfire, firefighters employ a technique called "bump and run". This is where a strike team of five fire engines will enter a threatened or burning neighborhood and deploy at five consecutive homes. The fire engine backs into the driveway of a home and firefighters quickly assess their surroundings. If the home has defensible space and firefighters feel it can be defended, they deploy hoses and work to push the approaching flames around the to the next home. They return to their engine and move to the next home furthest down the line and so on. This leapfrogging allows firefighters to protect a larger number of homes with a smaller amount of resources.

The training is designed for engine company personnel and Strike Team/Task Force leaders. "This training is an important annual event and allows our local firefighters to train together in a realistic environment, sharpening their skills in preparation for the upcoming high fire hazard months of summer and fall" said CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit Chief Tim McClelland.

You are invited!

Yucaipa Community Center (link)

From 3-7pm on Sept 30, 2010

SPANISH VERSION: