As fire hazards increase, the sense of urgency to always be prepared is a top priority for fire officials aiming to advance their skill sets using the latest training techniques.
A number of fire agencies came together from northwestern Nevada, California and the Tahoe Basin area to partake in a variety of exercises aiming to better prepare fire officials in the event of wildfires.
Training involved low flying aircraft, fire engine emergency vehicles, and on ground personal conducting emergency response drills.
"For the ground resources in the field to be doing operations together, whether that's hose layer, or holding road systems or structure protection re-triage, all the different agencies contribute resources, then they work together in the field, live time," said Truckee Meadows Division Fire Chief August Isernhagen.
The full-scale drills are designed to enhance readiness, in the event fire officials are called to emergency situations.
Being 100 percent ready to hit the ground running at all times can decrease the spread of wildfires and save more lives.
A team effort is key.
One fire agency alone cannot sustain the volume of required tactics to put out fast spreading fires.
"Well, the main one is collaboration, because every day when we go to work, we work in our respective agencies," said Chief Isernhagen. "This is an opportunity to put faces with names, with other groups they're gonna be alongside with when the fire occurs. So, this is a fairly frequent event that we have these types of fires, that's why we picked this location, it's a realistic expectation. Why we do it together is like I said earlier, there's no agency in the world that, when we have a Davis fire, has sufficient resources to handle it on their own."
Here in northern Nevada wildfires can break out at any time, but staying prepared can certainly help firefighters better navigate through unforeseen emergency situations.
