MAST Media Appreciation Day Highlights California Wildfire Suppression Arsenal

Add Feedback

Share |

Mountain Area Safety Task Force

The Mountain Area Safety Task Force (MAST) is a coalition of local, state and federal fire and law enforcement agencies that work together with private companies and volunteer organizations to prevent wildfires in California.  Recently, MAST hosted a Media Appreciation Day at the United States Forest Service Air Tanker Base in San Bernardino, California, where fire and law enforcement agencies demonstrated their wildfire suppression capabilities.

Organized by the San Bernardino County Fire Department, CAL Fire, United States Forest Service, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol, and CAL Trans, this event was designed to enhance communications between first responders and the media, and to showcase the agencies' wildland firefighting arsenal.

Aerial Firefighting Demonstrations

Featured were several aerial firefighting apparatus, including the United States Forest Service's helitanker, which did a water and PhosChek drop, and CAL Fire's Bell 211, which performed a demonstration of a ground fill from a fire truck and a water drop.  John Miller, the Public Information Officer for the US Forest Service, explained that several of the agency's aerial firefighting apparatus are stationed at the San Bernardino tanker base, which is the busiest in the United States, but that because of recent lightening storms, additional resources had been brought in to prepare for the possibility of wildfires.  Because of this, the Santa Rosa Smoke Jumpers and several other crews were also on hand at the MAST Media Appreciation Day.

Inmate Firefighting Demonstration

The CAL Fire Conservation Camp Hand Crew were present at the event, and they gave a demonstration of how prison inmates work on the fireline during a wildfire.  Of the group's contribution to wildland firefighting, John Miller said, "We're very proud to work with them all the time.  We work with each other and it works very well."

Del Rosa Hotshots

The Del Rosa Hotshots, one of the oldest hotshot crews in California, were also on hand.  All apparatus and personnel present at the MAST event were on call in the event of a wildfire.

Join FDNNTV.com in the coming weeks as we bring you in-depth videos about the Del Rosa Hotshots, CAL Fire Conservation Camp Hand Crew and more.