BLM OR-WA Washington State Ready Reserve Program - Fire Preparedness

archived

Rural and community fire departments are an integral and important component of the nation's wildland fire community. Their first-response capabilities are crucial to the success of land management agencies in protecting lives and values at risk. Their services result in tremendous cost savings to taxpayers. The goal of the Ready Reserve program is to enhance the safety and effectiveness of rural fire departments responding to wildland fire incidents. Over time, enhanced training and improved local coordination capabilities will facilitate the development of local response organizations in many areas. These organizations will be skilled and prepared sufficiently to safely manage low complexity wildfire incidents within their jurisdictions. Fire management's primary focus is to reduce risks to communities, protect the public and improvements, and to prevent damage to natural and cultural resources through the prevention and suppression of fires. This program will provide wildland fire training to rural and volunteer fire departments to enhance safety, effectiveness and local response capability in initial attack of wildland fires in or near their communities. Training represents a long-term investment to increase operational safety, boost cooperator preparedness and capability, and to manage suppression costs.

High