SOLAR Exercise a great success

The fire is reported in northeastern portion of Orange County, California. The arriving units quickly realize that the fast moving flames are a threat to the adjacent counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside. This area is a four corners section of land where all four counties come into contact. As the original responding engines call for resources from CAL FIRE and the other counties, they and all of the incoming fire resources are advised to switch over to the SOLAR Communications Plan.The SOLAR com plan is the result of the communications difficulties that were experienced during the 2008 "Freeway" fire that destroyed or damaged 314 homes primarily in Anahiem Hills and Yorba Linda. Because of those difficulties, The CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit, Los Angeles County Fire, Orange County Fire Authority, and CAL FIRE Riverside County Fire Department have worked to develop a specific communication plan for utilization in that four corner area that is of concern to everyone.

Again this year, these departments along with other local fire departments have come together to practice wildland fire response utilizing the SOLAR com plan. The three day event from May 9 through 11, was conducted again in Tonner Canyon north of the community Diamond Bar. The exercise is the same each day and tests the firefighters in communications, tactical fire planning, and actual abilities such as hose lays and line construction.
Fire engine crews and fire crews work together in putting this fire out. On one section of this "fire" this year, nearly two thousand feet of hose was laid as the firefighters fought the imaginary flames over the hills. The exercises also include fire fighting helicopters that participate in aerial control and water dropping in support of the fire fighting activities.

This year's exercises brought together more than six hundred firefighters and more than one hundred fire engines. The SOLAR exercise allows the firefighters to work with other firefighters and build experience that cannot be accomplished in any other type of local training. This is also important for fire service leadership who are tasked during the exercise in a variety of fire leadership positions, providing them with valuable real time training as well.

CAL FIRE Captain receives award

CAL FIRE Captain Paul Camarena was honored this week by the Wrightwood Fire Safe Council in Wrightwood, California. Captain Camarena was recognized for his work with and support of the Fire Safe Council in their efforts to make the mountain community fire safe. Paul recently transferred to Pilot Rock Conservation Camp as a Crew Captain after a number of years working as the San Bernardino Unit's pre-fire planning Captain.
Captain Camarena with San Bernardino Unit Chief Tim McClelland above and of course Fire Prevention Icon Smokey Bear

CONGRATULATIONS to Captain Paul Camarena!

Smokey Bear helps to open Green City Fair

CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit's Smokey Bear was on hand to help open the second annual Green City Fair in Beverly Hills. Saturday, May 5th was a great day to show the residents of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills the importance of urban forests and how to effectively recycle.Smokey Bear was on stage with Andy Lipkis, the founder of Tree People who put on the event. There was something for everybody interested in protecting the environment. The event was held at Coldwater Canyon Park located on Mulholland Drive. Yes, Smokey was really in the land of 90210...

There were a variety of workshops and how to speakers for adults and children and Smokey was as popular as ever with just as many adults as kids wanting their picture taken with him. All in all, a great day for learning, education and making new friends.

IN ACTION, ON THE LINE

Live feed of an inmate fire crew cutting a fire line during training
VIEW LINK:
http://youtu.be/VvrsHrY3Wvo 

Fire Crews participate in annual training exercises

They’ve trained and planned, and exercised in order to be successful this week. The fire crews from the four CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit conservation camps are participating in the annual fire preparedness exercises. The crews have been training for weeks in order to prove their efficiency and readiness to face wildland fires this year.


The crews are attending the exercises over four days; April 30 and May 1, 2, and 3, 2012. A different number of crews are scheduled to participate each day. The crews come from Fenner, Pilot Rock, Prado and Owens Valley Camps.

The day begins as their crew buses roll up to the tool out area. The crews dismount from their vehicles in the same manner that they would were they on an actual fire. After obtaining their tools, they form a line and check their tools. They are then inspected from head to toe for proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Then their back packs are inspected to make sure that they are carrying the proper equipment. During the inspection, the individual crew members are asked different fire safety questions.

Following the tool out inspection, they are off on a three mile timed hike. From there the crews get a few minutes to rest and hydrate then it is off in the brush cutting a minimum of three hundred feet of four foot wide fireline through vegetation that is thick and up to five feet high. There is history where they are working, the vary ground that they are cutting line on burned in 2003. This is the area of the Grand Prix fire that burned from Lytle Creek in San Bernardino County into the city of Claremont in Los Angeles County.

Following the fireline cutting, the crews hike down the face of the foothills to practice fire shelter deployment. The final training event of the day is a one thousand foot progressive hose lay, testing the crew’s ability to work together in a fast paced stressful environment.

This annual training is supported by CAL FIRE and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This cooperative program has been helping to protect the people, property, and natural resources of California since the mid-1940’s. Every year, the over four thousand inmates from the CDCR provide hundreds of thousands of hours of emergency response and fire fighting as well as community service and support under the direction of CAL FIRE Crew Captains.

Fire Preparedness Exercise 2012

Our Annual Training is in Full Swing !
See a sneak peak in this news media coverage that aired yesterday at the link below: 


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=8642746


A full story is soon to follow.

Dog rescued from concrete slurry

On Sunday, April 15, at 4:45 p.m., Highland Fire Department units Medic Engine 541 and Engine 3577 responded to a reported animal rescue at Robertson’s Ready Mix in Highland, California.

Fire department units worked with a representative from Robertson’s, who spotted the struggling animal. Firefighters arrived to find a golden retriever approximately 150 feet into the middle of the clay slurry settling pond (byproduct of concrete process) which is usually very firm but due to recent weather had turned to a very thick glue.

Read the Story here.