DNR Holds Annual Fire Camp May 21 in Harford County
Great photo opportunity of firefighters in action
WHO: Approximately 100 firefighters and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) personnel are expected to be in attendance at the 2005 Fire Camp.
WHAT: Firefighters will be issued clothing and gear and placed into fire crews as if they were on an assignment. A major wildland fire incident will be simulated. The firefighters will set up portable pumps and hose lays to deliver water from a stream to the simulated fire. They will also construct fire lines and practice fire ignition and mop-up techniques.
In addition, a helicopter with a 250-gallon Bambi Bucket used to drop water on wildland fires will be on site from Aberdeen Proving Ground. Students will be exposed to helicopter activity and some will direct the helicopter’s water drops. They will also get refresher training in the use of fire shelters and map, compass and GPS use.
WHERE: Camp Oest in Whiteford, Md., Harford County
WHEN: SATURDAY, MAY 21, 11 A.M. TO 4 P.M.
WHY: Each May, the DNR Forest Service hosts its annual Fire Camp for firefighters from across the state to receive the training necessary to participate in one of Maryland’s interagency wildland fire crews. These crews are typically listed as available for national assignments as of June 1. DNR dispatches fire crews annually to assist in wildland firefighting around the country.
DIRECTIONS: From Baltimore take I-695 to I-95 North. Exit at MD Rte 152 (Exit 74 – Mountain Road). Make a left at the top of the exit. Follow to US Rt.1. Make a right on Rt. 1. Follow about 15 miles to MD Rte 136. Make a left onto 136. Go about one mile to four-way stop sign (Md. Rte 440, Dublin Market on left). Make right onto MD Rte 440, and then an immediate left onto Castleton Road. Follow Castleton Road about two miles to Robinson Mill Road. Make a left onto Robinson Mill Road, then an immediate right. Follow the road about three-quarters of a mile to the entrance of Camp Oest, Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation. Follow map to parking.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov
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May 18, 2005