Tree Climbing...really!

Recently, fire captains from CAL FIRE and the United States Forest Service participated in the U.S.F.S. National Tree Climbing Class.  The class was put on with the cooperation of the San Bernardino National Forest and included four CAL FIRE Captains and four USFS Captains.  The class was designed to qualify the participants to work in hazard trees and allowed them to meet National training standards.

 The week long class included classroom training and parctical application in free climbing, hardwood walking, limb walking, and tree rescue.  This allowed the Captains to actually get into the trees to practice and refine what they had learned.  These abilities are useful in tree hazard removal, tree rescue, pine cone gathering and resource management.  These abilities can also be ustilized on the fireline for tree hazard removal if a certified climber is needed.

The practical application portion of the class went on in the Fawnskin area and Lake Silverwood area of the San Bernardino Mountains. The instructors were USFS Division Chief Chris Stevens from the Inyo National Forest and USFS Captain Oscar Vargas frrom the Little Tujunga Hot Shots on the Angeles National Forest.