Wildland Fire Leadworker Mark Brehl says it is his boots. Skyler Lofgren, Wildland Fire Supervisor, says it is a cell phone. For some of their co-workers, it might be anything from a two-week supply of socks and underwear to a Moleskin notebook, chapstick, or a really good book. These are just a few of the responses from Flagstaff firefighters to the following question: When a catastrophic fire hits and you know you will be away from home from a while, what is the one thing you do not want to be without – other than your gear, of course?
You may not think about it, but firefighters use a lot of stuff in their daily jobs, even when there are no fires to put out. From ATVs to hand tools, uniforms, fire resistant chaps, and yes, socks and cell phones, the number of products they consume is astounding.
Saws are a top-of-the-list item for Lofgren’s crew. These firefighters happen to buy them from Brad Ingram, general manager of AZ Power and Lawn in Flagstaff. The Stihl MS461, he said, “meets the power range firefighters need,” for tree thinning in the wooded areas around Flagstaff. Retailing at about $1,000 each, that is quite a saw. “It puts good power in their hands,” Ingram added.
An important job for Lofgren’s crew is “forest treatment” or sawing down trees to thin growth. It reduces the amount of fuel that might burn when a fire incident occurs. According to Lofgren, “the number one fire threat in Flagstaff is wildland fire.” The Dry Lake Hills and Mormon Mountain areas are especially vulnerable. It is not just fire that is a hazard, but flooding as well. If the Dry Lake Hills area burned, “we’d have flooding all the way to downtown,” during the next big rain, Lofgren explained. That is why he and his 10-person crew are “out in the field every single day. We’re not the typical fire firefighters,” he said. Flooding after a catastrophic fire could have another devastating effect. “All the water that would come off of Mormon Mountain would go into Lake Mary,” Lofgren said. The debris would pollute the water and “take out our water source.”
Because safety is an important consideration, firefighters also need helmets, face shields, protective chaps, as well as repair and maintenance service on their equipment. Ingram explained that the Stihl MS461 can be adapted with special chains and a debris guard for city firefighters who might use it to cut into a building’s roof. “It can actually save a house,” he said, by providing quick ventilation. Ingram also sells cut-quick saws “used for cutting people out of cars.” Ingram says he really enjoys doing business with firefighters. “They’re common sense people,” he said. “Just really good guys, and that’s a rare thing these days.”
Chuck Clanton is sales manager at Flagstaff Equipment. He supplies Bobcat utility vehicles to firefighters in Flagstaff and the Northern Arizona region to perform such tasks as tree shearing or picking up dead wood. Outfitted with grapples, Bobcat utility vehicles can also grab large brush piles for removal.
To make their jobs easier, Lofgren’s crew adapts many of the tools and vehicles they purchase. Peek underneath one of their Bobcats, and you might find a grader blade at the end of a chain. Dragging it behind the vehicle makes a great fire line, and in much less time than a person using a hand tool.
“Securing Flagstaff is our first priority,” said Lofgren. “We focus on protecting our community.” During an incident, firefighters use blowers to remove needles around a house, rakes, and shovels, many of which are purchased locally. For bigger, catastrophic incidents, a command post large enough for several thousand firefighters might be set up on a 20- to 30-acre site. In that case, they need tents, Port-a-Johns, water and meals ready to eat (MREs).
On their way to the site of a big fire incident, firefighters stop at the local Safeway, Bashas’ and Fry’s where they “wipe out all the snacks, trail mixes, and anything else we can stock up on,” said Lofgren.
By Constance DeVereaux, Ph.D., Flagstaff Business News