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Oregon National Guard deploys to Garner Complex as 200 more troops train to fight fires


On Friday, the training will include a live-fire exercise at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, in Salem. (OMD)
On Friday, the training will include a live-fire exercise at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, in Salem. (OMD)
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SALEM, Ore. - More help is on the way: 200 members of the Oregon National Guard arrived Monday to begin a week of wildland firefighter training.

The course is the same training required of all public and private wildland firefighters.

Another 147 members of the National Guard already certified to fight fires will head this week to the Graves Creek Fire, part of the Garner Complex in southwest Oregon.

“Our Oregon National Guardsmen consider it an honor to serve their state in its time of need and assist our partners in fighting wildfires,” said Chris Ingersoll, spokesman for the Oregon National Guard.

Governor Kate Brown activated the National Guard earlier this month.

The Guard and the Oregon Department of Forestry have an agreement known as Operation Plan Smokey that governs cooperation between the two agencies.

“We appreciate the Oregon National Guard and Gov. Brown for this much-needed added capacity. Our long-standing partnership has, once again, proven its value at a time of high demand for firefighting resources in Oregon and nationally,” said Nancy Hirsch, deputy state forester for the Oregon Department of Forestry.

This isn't the first time the National Guard has joined the battle against wildfires in Oregon.

Last year, more than 400 members of the National Guard helped fight the High Cascades Complex near Crater Lake and the Chetco Bar, Blanket Creek, Horse Prairie and Milli fires.

In 2015, the National Guard deployed to John Day and Enterprise to fight fires there.

What is new this year: the Guard are training now, before they are needed on the fire lines.

“This will allow these wildland firefighter trained citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen to be activated and deployed much faster should the need arise for their assistance,” said Eriks Gabliks, director of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. DPSST is training the Guard.

On Friday, the training will include a live-fire exercise at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, in Salem.

The nation's fire managers raised the Fire Preparedness Level to 5 recently, the highest and most dire level. PL 5 opens the door to calling up active duty military and requesting assistance from abroad.

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