WPBN: As a result of the horrific wildfires that have already destroyed more than a thousand structures, including homes, dozens of firefighters from Utah are getting ready to embark on an important mission to Southern California.
After attending a pre-deployment meeting, approximately sixty firemen from all over the state of Utah will depart early on Thursday morning.
These crews, which are part of a larger emergency response operation that has been requested by officials in the state of California, are equipped with five engines per team and three to four firemen operating within each engine.
“It’s obviously something very tragic,” Kelly Bird, public information officer for Unified Fire Authority, stated. “We have a pretty large contingent of firefighters from around the state that are going to be deployed tomorrow morning.”
As one of the many firefighters that responded to the need for assistance, Bird is leaving Utah for a period of time that is at least a couple of weeks.
Although the particular responsibilities that they would be responsible for in California are still being defined, it is possible that they will aid with evacuations, fire control operations, or the direct fight against flames in the field.
“We’ll prepare for everything,” Bird stated. “We’ll make sure we bring sleeping bags.”
Angela Lang, who works for the Utah Division of Emergency Management, stated that the call for assistance was received a little after midnight.
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The state of California has requested the deployment of hundreds of personnel and forty strike teams in order to address the precarious situation. In order to assist in addressing the problem, the state of Utah is supplying three teams, each of which is comprised of approximately sixty firemen.
Lang underscored the relevance of Utah’s participation by stating, “California sent out two requests just after midnight.” This highlight the importance of Utah’s involvement. The severity of the issue is demonstrated by the level of coordination that took place.
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More than just a chance to provide a helping hand, the mission presents Bird and his fellow firefighters with the opportunity to acquire vital expertise in the field of disaster response on a massive scale.
“I’m excited to go and be able to have this experience so that I can bring it back here and use it moving forward,” Bird stated.
Although it is not uncommon for firefighters from Utah to provide assistance to firefighters from other states, the magnitude of this deployment shows the critical need for assistance.
As a result of the enormous wildfires in California, local resources have been challenged, making assistance from outside the state absolutely necessary.
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As the workers from Utah get ready to move west, they bring with them not only their skills but also a commitment to provide assistance to individuals who have been impacted by one of the most difficult fire seasons in California.
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