Rural Fire Relief and Rural Fire Assistance Funding Helps Passamaquoddy Tribe Host Basic Fire School Training

Author: Lucas Minton and Robyn Broyles

During the week of June 23, regional fire management staff from Eastern and Midwestern regions completed a basic Wildland Firefighting Training school, (S-130,190, I-100, L-180) at the Passamaquoddy Tribal Government- Indian Township in Maine.

This was a collaborative effort with students and instructors from the Indian Township Fire & Rescue, Passamaquoddy Forestry Department, National Park Service Fire and Aviation Management in Acadia, and the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. The basic wildland fire training provides students with an introduction to fire behavior and a field-day portion containing instruction on how to safely construct fire handline.

As a result of this successful program, the Tribe is now able to increase their wildfire response capacity while providing employment opportunities that assists the national wildland fire management effort.

Rural Fire Readiness projects are designed and funded to improve the safety, capacity and capabilities of rural and volunteer cooperators who play a substantial cooperative role in the suppression of wildland fires. In Fiscal Year 2018, The Department of the Interior, Office of Wildland Fire provided BIA $125,440.00 in funding to support seven projects. In addition to Passamaquoddy Tribe, Hill County Rural Fire Council, Bighorn County Fire Department, Fort Belknap Volunteers, Hardin City Fire Department, Western Nevada Agency and Freemont County Fire Protection Districts received funding for similar equipment, supplies and training.