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| A picture perfect day! |
On November 6, 2011 a group of 32 part time firefighters converged on the Lake Monacan Clubhouse at Wintergreen in Nelson County to complete a yearly wildland fire refresher. Around 7am with a healthy layer of frost still on the ground, the group began their grueling physical fitness testing. A majority of the group took the moderate test which consists of carrying 25 pounds for 2 miles in 30 minutes. This allows the firefighters to meet the minimum physical standard for fighting fire on the Virginia Department of Forestry's behalf. A small group of the firefightes took the ardous test which consists of carrying 45 pounds for 3 miles in 45 minutes. This allows those firefighters to meet national firefighter fitness standards and to travel around the country fighting wildfires. I am pleased to say that the entire group passed with flying colors (the primary color being red from working up a sweat).
The training then progressed to an introduction of the cadre by the Incident Commander, Derek Keiser of Amherst. Serving on the cadre was Bill Perry (Operations Chief), David Powell (Safety Officer), Martha Warring (Logistics), Sandra Stephens (Finance), Houston Roberts (Fire Shelter, Entrapment Avoidance), Phil Carpenter (Air Operations), L.E. Rhodes and Paul Stoneburner (Structure Protection), Robbie Talbert (Fire Weather), Jason Braunstein (Mapping), and myself Erik Filep (Public Information Officer). A big thank you goes out to all VDOF personell involved, who helped ensure that the training was successful and beneficial to the firefighters.
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| Incident Command Post briefing |
Paperwork was filled out and door prizes were handed out. This was followed by a safety briefing and assignments for the day. The firefighters rotated through five stations for the day: Fire Shelter Deployment, Structure Protection, Air Operations, Fire Weather, and Mapping. Each group of 6-7 rotated through the station with 50 minutes of instruction.
Lunch was provided with delicious BBQ, baked chicken, green bean, baked beans, coleslaw, and a variety of tasty homemade desserts. My personal favorite were the pumpkin cookies! During lunch a fire shelter and entrapment avoidance video was viewed to remind firefighters of the important of personal protective equipment including the fire shelter. After lunch the crews continued through the rotations.
We wrapped up with an After Action Review where the firefighters were able to provide feedback on how the day went and what would like to be seen for the training next year. All in all the reviews were excellent and the firefighters involved seemed to have had a great day. We tried to mimic a wildland fire scenario with the structure of the class so that students would be well prepared on what to expect with a large incident.
Another training is being planned for next year and we are excited to see what training opportunities that will bring. I am very thankful to the firefighters, not only to the service that they provide both to the Virginia Department of Forestry and the state of Virginia, but also for their willingness to donate their Sunday to better themselves. The positive attitude displayed shows that we are truly blessed to have such a great crew.
Here are some pictures from the day's activities:
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| Nelson County Hummer Unit |
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| Learning how to become a "hot pocket" |
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| Swinging weather the old fashioned way |
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| Structure protection using Class A foam |
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| GPS units require a lot of thought! |
