LAKE COUNTY >> From a distance, a heavy hue of yellows and oranges airbrushed the mountains across the Konocti Conservation Camp. But at a closer look, the colors had nothing to do with spring blossoms. They were actually a compilation of speedy moving jackets, helmets, and heavy equipment. It was the Cal Fire Lake Napa Unit (LNU) and inmate crews creating pathways, prepping for fire season during their annual Crew Readiness Exercise.
It is no surprise to see crews working tirelessly during this time of year, following events like Saturday’s national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and the recently proclaimed Wildfire Awareness Week by the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
The two-day Crew Readiness Exercise is a culmination of about two months work where crews transition from project-building work during the winter season to physical and mental training for the warmer days to come. According to Cal Fire Captain Warren Parrish, the exercise is strategically organized, with every member assigned a role. Teams execute their tasks according to their Incident Action Plan (IAP), a multipage packet that includes schedules, responsibilities, and mapping.
Listed tasks include a hike of more than 3 miles of varied terrain, line-cutting, bull-dozing activity, and learning how to properly take shelter. But simply completing the task is not enough to check it off the list. Teams are expected to complete tasks under a given time — wearing dense uniforms and 25-pound gear.
For example, the hike was to be completed no longer than 85 minutes and line-cutters set the bar high, creating paths and clearing them off heavy brush and stubs several feet up the mountains in about 30 minutes. Teams were also trained on how to enhance their communication skills under stressful environments. The shelter exercise tested this skill after each crew member had to take cover under their own fire retardant tarp. As they laid down in two rows facing each other, making sure there is a good seal, members yelled out their names and things like, “Are you doing all right?” and “Here’s what we’ll do next.”
“They want to know who they’re around. One of the biggest keys to survival is that human support. Being able to talk to each other and support each other is saying, ‘If we can get through this, we can do this,’” Parrish said.
This year’s exercise, however, had some new additions.
“Our unit not only decided to encompass the crew readiness portion but also dust off our Incident Command System skills, where each one of us fills a different role within a command. The reason why we have roles is because we’ve expanded it much more than just for our crews. We have a variety of crews participating like Forest, inmates, engine, and marine,” Parrish said.
Safety measures are also a vital focus of the two-day event. Aside from safety precautions that are practiced within each task, hydration is one of their top priorities.
As temperatures rise and people begin to acclimate to the weather, leaders reminded crews to hydrate every once in a while as they performed from one activity to the other. This became much easier to do with crew members’ newest hydration packs, substituting the tedious open-and-closing routine of plastic water bottles.
Fire Prevention Specialist Lesley Smith pointed to the rows of parked units, or engines, that it takes to get the incident supported. Parrish added that it takes approximately 40 to 50 people to cover the incident and that is why it is “important to have an IAP and polish ICS skills so that everyone is on the same page.”
These crew numbers can significantly grow in larger incidents, as seen with Lake County’s previous fires.
LNU oversees more than 2.3 million acres of Cal Fire Direct Protection Area (DPA) lands — that is more than any other unit. It also has the third largest population living within CAL FIRE DPA and ranks third in the average number of annual fires.
Lake County rests in an environment vulnerable to fires, with a rich history in wildfires. Whether the County had a drought or wet year, Parrish and Smith said the reality is that it might still catch fire and everyone should do their part and be prepared.
