SUSANVILLE, Calif . –  The Bureau of Land Management announced the transfer of a wildland firefighting engine to the Milford Volunteer Fire Department to support the local response to wildfire in Lassen County.

Milford Fire Chief Ryan Erwin received the keys to the engine from BLM Fire Management Officer Grant Gifford at a small ceremony in Susanville.

BLM Eagle Lake Field Office Manager Emily Ryan said the engine transfer benefits the rural department and the BLM, which relies on support from local fire departments when battling wildfires threatening natural resources and communities. Partnerships are crucial to suppression activities. Wildfires often cross jurisdictional boundaries and it is important that neighboring agencies have proper equipment to provide support for suppression efforts. 

“With the potential for fast-moving wildfires in Lassen County, it is imperative that all fire departments, local, state and federal, support one another,” Ryan said. “This fire engine will improve the Milford department’s response and ability to support other agencies in fire suppression. We are happy to be able to provide this vital piece of equipment.”   

The fire engine was made available to the Milford volunteers under the BLM’s Rural Fire Readiness Program, which provides equipment to qualifying departments that cooperate with the BLM and assist with fire response on public lands. Under the program, the BLM accepts applications from local fire departments for available equipment and engines as they are replaced. Prior to the transfer, mechanics will inspect the trucks and make repairs (if needed), so they are fully operational and fire ready.   

“We are fortunate to have numerous rural fire departments, including Milford, supporting us in fire suppression and fuels management responsibilities on public lands,” said Gifford. “The ability for us to donate this type of equipment is just one small way that we continue to foster excellent relationships with our local cooperators.”    

The engine being transferred to the Milford volunteers is a 2006 crew cab unit. It is a high clearance, four-wheel-drive truck that can handle difficult off-road terrain. It can draft and pump water from sources such as lakes, ponds and streams, or pump water from its 620-gallon tank, even while moving, making it ideal for attacking fires quickly, while they are still small.   

The engine was based at the BLM Ravendale Fire Station for 15 years and was dispatched to fires across the West and throughout the state of California, working closely with local, state and federal fire departments. It was one of the first engines to respond to the Sheep Fire that threatened Susanville in the summer of 2020 and fought the Dixie Fire and Beckworth Complex in the 2021 fire season. It responded as an initial attack engine on hundreds of lightning-caused fires across the northeast California region during its years in federal service.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Darley—Skagit County Fire District #6, Burlington, WA, CAFS pumper. Spartan Metro Star cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Darley LDMBC 1,500-gpm pump; Pro Poly body and 1,030-gallon water tank; 30-gallon foam cell; FoamPro 2002 Class foam system; Darley AutoCAFS compressed air foam system; wraparound Vision color coded laminate top pump panel. Dealer: Neal Brooks, W.S. Darley & Company, Braceville, IL.

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SUN PRAIRIE, WI – Trachte Building Systems, Inc., parent company of Fire Facilities, Inc., has once again earned a positive assessment of its fabrication facility. Since 2007 the company has continually passed the independently-conducted audit, which leads to compliance with the requirements of Canadian Standards Association (CSA) A660-10 “Certification of Manufacturers of Steel Building Systems” by CWB Group, a non-profit organization providing welding certification, management system registration and training services.

The CSA-A660 Standard was developed at the request of the Canadian Steel Building System manufacturers and provides assistance to code enforcement officials in the process of reviewing building permit submissions incorporating a steel building system, ensuring the purchasers obtain a quality building. This standard audits all aspects of the manufacturer’s process, including engineering design methods and personnel, materials control, fabrication, warehousing, packaging, shipping, erection documentation, and quality assurance in the plant.

“This review covers the scope of design and manufacture of steel building systems, which is the key focus of all Trachte operations,” says Michael J. Kasten, PE, customer experience manager at Trachte Building Systems, Inc. out of Sun Prairie, WI. “Very specifically, it covers the products that we make and sell into Canada, including our Fire Facilities towers and structures.”

Fire Facilities training structures are made in Wisconsin. The conclusions of the annual quality assurance audit have again resulted in the independent certification of materials used in Fire Facilities structures to meet strict CSA standards for engineering, procedures and materials.

“This designation and third-party audit clearly states to potential fire departments in Canada that our structures meet guidelines needed for clearing their use in Canada,” says Aaron Adams, president of Fire Facilities, Inc. “When a community looks to invest in dependable, top-quality fire towers and training units, this assessment tells them that Fire Facilities provides certifiably dependable steel products.”

Fire Facilities, Inc. (FFI), an ISFSI corporate sponsor, manufactures a full line of steel fire training structures engineered to withstand real-life firefighting conditions. From mobile units to burn rooms to high-rise towers, FFI training models are available in a multitude of configurations. Our parent company, Trachte Building Systems, is one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of steel self-storage systems in the industry.  For more information, visit www.firefacilities.com or call 800-929-3726.

A cancer diagnosis is a gut punch every time. Not only for the patient receiving the news and contemplating their future but also for their loved ones whose worlds are shaken to the core.

The good news for firefighters and EMS professionals is that they never have to face this fight alone. The Firefighter Cancer Support Network has made sure of that, and the Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation is honored to donate $5,000 to help FCSN continue its incredible work to support our brothers and sisters, as well as their families, to confront cancer with every possible resource at their disposal.

We’ve seen the impact that the Firefighter Cancer Support Network can have because they were massively supportive when our own chief roaster, retired fire captain David McWilliams, was diagnosed with advanced malignant melanoma in 2018.

He’s just one example of the many people whose burdens have been lessened by the services, resources and constant support of Firefighter Cancer Support Network. 

FIREFIGHTER CANCER SURVIVORS HELPING OTHERS BECOME SURVIVORS

The Firefighter Cancer Support Network was established in 2005 by Los Angeles County Firefighter Paramedic Michael Dubron, a survivor of stage IV colon cancer. Many of its leaders are also cancer survivors and all are passionate about helping those who are facing the challenges laid before them by a cancer diagnosis.

Sadly, firefighters and EMS professionals are, statistically, at a greater risk than most. Research from the CDC and the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety shows that firefighters face a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than the average person — and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer.

The first thing that FCSN does when learning of a new diagnosis is deliver, free of charge, a cancer-support toolbox comes with a Firefighter’s Guide to Cancer Survivorship filled with resources to help firefighters and their families cope with the cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery phases.

FCSN also offers badge-to-badge peer support, connecting them with one of the network’s 200+ peer support mentors, nearly all of whom are firefighters and cancer survivors. The organization also offers peer-to-peer support for spouses and children, helping them learn to take care of themselves even as they take care of their loved one.

The FCSN website is also a treasure trove of valuable resources focused on awareness, prevention, treatments and more. 

We never want to see one of our brothers or sisters diagnosed with cancer, but it’s comforting to know that, thanks to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, they will always have an incredible team supporting them along the way.