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Show Upon arriving at scene of simulated structure fire, fire captain George establishes radio communication with other team members while Hoy McCluskey and l'am Varner "rig up" in air packs Fire Crew Always On Call at Bryce Canyon BRYCE CANYON - When the cry of "fire" is heard at Bryce Canyon National Park, well-equipped and well-trained fire fighters rush into action to protect the visitor, the park itself, employees and structures within the beautiful park boundaries. The fire fighting unit at Bryce consists mainly of park rangers and technicians who train weekly to become skilled in various aspects of fire fighting. Crewmembers exchange positions frequently on the team in order to become proficient in all areas. Fire captain is George Buckingham, supervisory park ranger with crew members Tom Henry, chief ranger, Roy McCluskey and Pam Varner, park technicians, Margaret Littlejohn park naturalist and Tom Biller, resource,, management specialist. During weekly drills, the fire team charges fire hose lines with water to check hoses for leaks and to practice handling of the hoses. Team members also check fittings for hoses and hydrants and train in proper use of all fire fighting equipment under actual simulated conditions. The National Park currently has a 750 gallon per minute pumper which has been in service since 1958. Park administrators have applied for and hope to receive a newer, 1,000 gallon per minute pumper this year. Upon arriving at the scene of a fire, each team member has his or her specific duty assigned. The truck is securely parked and braced to keep it from rolling. Communication among team members is established and two or three usually enter the burning structure with air packs. (Continued On Page Four) Bryce Fire Fighters Are Always on Call (Continued From Page One) The fire team Is managed like a military operation with the fire captain assessing the situation and directing his team of file fighters. The pumper truck is equipped for drafting water out of a pond if necessary. For this purpose the truck is equipped with a hard suction line with a strainer to filter out small rocks and debris as water is suctioned out of the pond. The pumper is also outfitted with a variety of important equipment such as recharageable lights, air packs, dry chemical ' fire extinguishers, a generator for extra light for night time fires, two 500 watt flloodlights, ladders, axes, wrecking bars, spare water lines and other essential items. Hoses are checked once a year at high pressure for five minutes. Following each weeks drill, team members spend at least two hours in clean-up work washing hoses free of mud or debris and hanging out to dry; The Bryce Canyon fire fighters take pride in skills they have learned and have been praised by Buckingham for their cooperative, well executed drills and teamwork. |
