NCFS uses volunteers, information to control wild fires
Matthew Hundley / (matthew.hundley@averyjournal.com)
In addition to Avery County’s nine volunteer fire departments and rescue services, another key player in minimizing the negative impacts of fire on Avery County residents is North Carolina Forest Service. When most people think of NCFS, firefighting is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. What many may not realize, however, is that a fire that spreads into a brush or wild lands fire falls under the jurisdiction of NCFS’s county ranger, Joe Shoupe. Obviously, NCFS does not keep its own team of firefighters on standby in Avery County, rather, the same volunteers that respond to structure fires throughout Avery County also pitch in to fight wild lands and brush fires.
According to Shoupe, in the event of a small brush fire, his role is to work alongside the responding volunteer fire chiefs to organize a collaborative effort to get the fire under control. When a brush fire becomes more serious, however, Shoupe calls on what he has dubbed “the strike team.”
“It is volunteer firemen that make up this team because they already have the training through their fire departments and they already have communications equipment,” explained Shoupe. “What it is, basically, is a prearranged wild land fire crew. The purpose of the strike team is either for fires where we have to hike into it, it is a good bit of acreage or it needs a bit more manpower. This is a voluntary group of people who are physically fit and willing to fight these fires and help us in the Forest Service.”
In other words, each member of the strike team is, first and foremost, a volunteer at one of Avery’s volunteer fire departments.
“These guys also have our tone in their fire department pager, so if we get there and realize that we’re going to need the strike to team to help us, we have the county send out a second page,” said Shoupe, explaining how the strike team is called into action. “We realize everybody can’t go on every call on a minute’s notice.”
Shoupe also explained that while the strike team is composed of volunteers from around the county, members do undergo special training in wild land firefighting.
“They are a little more specifically trained on wild land fire than the typical volunteer fireman. It enables us to turn loose the other volunteers to have a force that stays there with that fire. Sometimes we’re on fires that last through the night.”
According to Shoupe, in the event of a small brush fire, his role is to work alongside the responding volunteer fire chiefs to organize a collaborative effort to get the fire under control. When a brush fire becomes more serious, however, Shoupe calls on what he has dubbed “the strike team.”
“It is volunteer firemen that make up this team because they already have the training through their fire departments and they already have communications equipment,” explained Shoupe. “What it is, basically, is a prearranged wild land fire crew. The purpose of the strike team is either for fires where we have to hike into it, it is a good bit of acreage or it needs a bit more manpower. This is a voluntary group of people who are physically fit and willing to fight these fires and help us in the Forest Service.”
In other words, each member of the strike team is, first and foremost, a volunteer at one of Avery’s volunteer fire departments.
“These guys also have our tone in their fire department pager, so if we get there and realize that we’re going to need the strike to team to help us, we have the county send out a second page,” said Shoupe, explaining how the strike team is called into action. “We realize everybody can’t go on every call on a minute’s notice.”
Shoupe also explained that while the strike team is composed of volunteers from around the county, members do undergo special training in wild land firefighting.
“They are a little more specifically trained on wild land fire than the typical volunteer fireman. It enables us to turn loose the other volunteers to have a force that stays there with that fire. Sometimes we’re on fires that last through the night.”