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Maine National Guard and Maine Forest Service Host Wildland Fire ENOP Training to Increase Coordination Among Agencies and Personnel
August 19, 2021
For more information contact: Jim Britt at: Jim.Britt@maine.gov
BOG BROOK COVE - New England-based wildland firefighters recently gathered at the Maine National Guard's Bog Brook Training Facility in western Maine for interagency engine operators (ENOP) training to increase wildland fire response and management and coordination among regional National Guard wildland fire personnel and partner organizations.
Attending engine operators hailed from the Maine Army National Guard, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and the Maine Forest Service, New Hampshire Forests and Lands, MassWildlife, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. The participating units brought a diversity of experiences with wildland fire engine operations. The wildland fire engines ranged from the new Type 6 Rosenbauer units used by the Guard to smaller, customized engines used by state agencies.
"This training provided an opportunity for partners in this region to learn from various agencies, experiences, equipment, and interfaces from wildland-urban interface to wildlands," commented Kent Nelson, Fire Prevention Specialist with Maine Forest Service.
"Anytime we can partner with outside agencies, its a win-win situation," said Col. William Dionne, deputy facilities manager for the Maine Army National Guard. "This interagency ENOP course brought a diverse group of firefighters together to share experience and sharpen their skills. We manage approximately 8,000 acres in Maine, and were pleased to allow use of the Bog Brook site for this training - all who participated benefitted greatly."
About the Bog Brook ENOP
Participants were organized into field exercise strike teams and introduced safety, mobilization, portable humps, complex hose lays, and engine refill alternatives. During the training, wildland fire engines rotate through stations, including a Simtable exercise (3D interactive simulations), safe engine operation with lights and sirens, technical driving practice, and an obstacle course that include pump-and-roll and water control. During daily engine inspections, strike teams are called to respond to a wildfire scenario, one structure-oriented and the other wildland-oriented. This training was coordinated by the Forest Stewards Guild in collaboration with the Maine Prescribed Fire Council and Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact.