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Show Fire Management Officer Hired For Powell Ranger District, DNF A new fire management officer has been hired for the Powell Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest headquartered In Panguitch. Dennis Hatch was recently transferred to Panguitch after a long assignment at the Forest Service Flaming Gorge office. Hatch's transfer came through May 29, exactly 11 years to the day from his first day at Flaming Gorge. At Panguitch, Hatch will be able to apply some of his tactical knowledge. He was instrumental in the development of the initial fire management plans the Forest Service now uses and was responsible for extensive pilot work on the project. He and the crew he was working with identified certain parcels of land, grouping them according to types of vegetation. They identified natural fire barriers in each parcel and devised firefighting alternatives applicable under a variety of conditions. He has worked for the past 13 years in some aspect of firefighting and oversaw all firefighting at Dutch John in the Flaming Gorge District. In Panguitch his crew will consist of Ralph Wilcock, Mark Henrie, Bill Williams and Curt Poulson who comprise his initial fire attack team. When Hatch began his full time assignment as Are management officer at Dutch John in 1979, he assumed responsiblity for all firefighting activities in the area. Dutch John had a helipad landing area for a helicopter which was assigned to the area. Six men were assigned to a unit dubbed the "initial attack force" of the Helitak unit. On most fires three of the men would respond by helicopter to assess the fire, the additional three generally being held in reserve unless unusual circumstance required their skillls. The helicopter could also be used to make water drops, dropping about 80 gallons at a time but the craft had to be empty of any crew except the pilot. Hatch would remain in Dutch John to coordinate activities. Fires in the area averaged between 35 and 40 per year less than one-third of which were man-caused. The first objective of the initial assault force was to assess the extent of the fire with the team member in charge determining if more personnel were needed, additional water drops or (liferent types of firefighting equipment needed. Firefighters use walkie-talkies for two-way communications and take two basic pieces of equipment a shovel and paluski which could be described as. a hatchet with a hook. Firefighters recieve 40 hours of basic training along with weekly updating and practice. Training courses are usually held in early June with the last being held at Bryce Canyon for local Forest Service and National Park Service personnel. Hatch was also assigned in his early years with the Forest Service to three years in the recreation areas of Forest Service duty which included supervisory work over campgrounds, maintenance, cleanup and compliance checking, a job of collecting fees. He also supervised timber sale and layouts where he was required to identify different areas or "units" for specific timber sales to lumber companies, marking trees in the area for cutting. In addition to overseeing the fire crew, Hatch's other respon-siblities at Panguitch will Include attending to the singing requirements throughout the area, managing the district's fleet of vehicles and coordinating their use and supervising. He and his wife traveled through the Garfield county area 10 years ago and were impressed with its beauty and potential. When the chance came to transfer, he sought the post actively, comparing it first to several other possible choices. A graduate in Forestry form Utah State University, Hatch is married to his college sweetheart Kathy whom he married in 1970. He was born and reared in Vernal where, he graduated from Uintah High School before attending Weber State College where he took mostly general academic classes before he decided on his forestry major. He began working springs, summer and fall for the Forest Service and attended one quarter of college each year at Weber State for 10 years. His final three quarters was spent at USU. He and his wife have four children: Kimberly, 9; Carrie, 6; Jamie, 3; and Chad, 18 months. |
