By Rachel Gordon
The San Francisco Chronicle (California)
Copyright 2006 The Chronicle Publishing Co.
All Rights Reserved
More than 400 firefighters from Northern California and Nevada are taking part in a wildfire training exercise at Camp Parks in Dublin through today.
“This kind of training allows firefighters to not only learn how to deploy quickly, but also to improve communication and cooperation among agencies,” said Contra Costa County fire Battalion Chief Dave George.
About 200 acres of grassland will be set ablaze during the live-fire exercise, which started Tuesday and is scheduled to end today.
Using the controlled burns as their classroom, the firefighters will practice using hand tools to stop the fire’s spread, protecting structures and working as a team with people from other jurisdictions. They’ll also go over what they need to do to protect themselves, like using gear properly and making sure they drink enough water to keep hydrated.
Fifteen fire departments are participating in the training, including those from San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Livermore, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, Pinole and Reno.
This is the 13th year of the joint exercise, which is billed as the largest in Northern California.