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15 NMI firefighters to help fight Calif. wildfires
The selected firefighters who will venture to Sacrament, California pose for a photo following their press conference at the Governor’s Office yesterday. (Kimberly A. Bautista)
A group of 15 firefighters and aspiring firefighters will make the journey to Sacramento, California today to help fight the wildfires ravaging the state.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Victor B Hocog were briefed yesterday about the challenges that this group will face.
The group is being sent to California as part of the CNMI’s agreement with the U.S. Forest Services. That agreement has been in place since 1996.
“And it was renewed again for five more years. Part of that agreement is that we provide type II crews, which are wildlife firefighters,” said Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Commissioner Clyde Norita.
Norita said the U.S. Forest Service chooses whom they would like deployed to the U.S. to aid in the combat wildfire.
“They [U.S. Forest Service] shoulder all the expenses like travel and lodging and [the firefighters] are given a salary equivalent to that of U.S. Forest Service members,” he said.
The 15 firefighters are scheduled to fly out to Sacramento today. The group will be deployed for 30 to 45 days.
Norita said the program gives people from the CNMI the opportunity to gain first-hand experience with wildfires and to gain knowledge directly from the U.S. Forest Service.
“We are able to have our people actually fight real forest fires,” he said.
Norita said the good thing about the mutual agreement is that the CNMI’s rainy season ends as parts of the U.S. grows hotter, so the CNMI is able to spare its firefighters.
