|
|
|
Catoctin Mountain Park and Local Volunteer Fire Companies Participate in a Joint Training ExerciseA multi-agency Fire in the Urban Interface Training session was held at Catoctin Mountain Park on Saturday, March 9, 2002. National Park Rangers provided instruction for 37 volunteer firefighters representing Thurmont's Guardian Hose Co., the Smithsburg Volunteer Fire Dept., the Wolfsville Volunteer Fire Co., and the Blue Ridge Summit (Pennsylvania) Fire and Rescue Dept. Morning classroom sessions were followed by a tour of the park facilities and a series of realistic fire scenarios that challenged the participants' ability to respond to incidents inside the park. The training was the culminating event of a process that began March 31, 2001 when Catoctin Mountain Park submitted a grant proposal to the Rural Fire District Assistance Program. The grant award was distributed to the four fire companies that provide first or second due fire response to Catoctin Mountain Park. Companies selected wildland fire equipment meeting the needs of the individual company or department within the parameters of the grant agreement. Hand tools, fire hose, and personal protective fire clothing were among the items selected. The Rural Fire District Assistance Program represents a long-term commitment based upon cooperation and communication among federal agencies, states, local governments, tribes, and interested public. The program is a part of a larger national effort to insure adequate firefighting resources and preparedness for future fire seasons. As housing intensities increase, both federal and volunteer firefighters are becoming increasingly concerned with wildland urban interface. Joint training exercises, like the one conducted at Catoctin Mountain Park, encourage cooperation and information sharing among federal and local volunteer firefighters. Catoctin Mountain Park is one of the 385 units administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The Park Visitor Center, located on State Route 77 three miles west of Thurmont, Maryland is open daily from 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM, and from 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Correspondence should be addressed to: Superintendent, Catoctin Mountain Park, 6602 Foxville Road, Thurmont, MD 21788. Our website address is: http://www.nps.gov/cato General information can be obtained by calling the Visitor Center at 301.663.9388.
(Press release and photograph courtesy of Ranger Debra Mills, Catoctin Mountain Park) |
Please
review guardianhose.org's Disclaimer.
|
