Firefighters learn new skills in the USA

FOUR firefighters got the chance to get world-class wildfire training from a US fire department.
Hampshire firefighters in OregonHampshire firefighters in Oregon
Hampshire firefighters in Oregon

Part of an ongoing relationship between the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) and Oregon fire services, the county’s firefighters got the chance to learn new tactics and strategies.

HFRS’s lead on wildfires, Dave Hodge was one of the four firefighters who visited Oregon last month.

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Dave said: ‘We aim to be the best. You can’t do that by staying within your borders. You have to find out where the experts in each field are and see how they do things. Their approach to wildfires is that you can’t prevent all of them so you have to prepare for them – the focus is on resilience.’

Dave, who is a station manager, was joined by fellow station manager Dean Hodges, watch manager Martyn Elliott and firefighter Dan Maidment.

Dave added: ‘The value of this hands-on experience and the new skills you learn cannot be replicated by reading a manual.’

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