Photo By Sgt. 1st Class James McGuire | Capt. Larry McGuirre, captain with the Guernsey Fire Department, overwatches training...... read more read more
CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo - Larry McGuire is a captain with the Guernsey Fire Department, and a staff sergeant with the Wyoming Air National Guard’s fire department. He recently left the active duty Air Force after a 14-year fire fighting career, and was one of the Guernsey Fire Department firefighters leading a three-day class on basic wildland fire fighting at which 56 students, from all walks of life and from all around the state, earned “Red Card” certification.
Students studied and were evaluated on standards set by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and awarded entry-level certification in wildland fire behavior and firefighter training. In addition to classroom work, students took part in hands-on activities and familiarization with the equipment and techniques they may use if called to duty.
McGuire said he appreciates the support of the training site’s leadership and the willingness of the people who work there to pitch in and be ready should they be needed to fight a fire.
“I didn’t see that (support for firefighters) in the Air Force. Most base commanders don’t really care about (firefighters), maybe because they don’t understand us,” McGuire said. “It’s really good to know we have support, and help if we need it. In my short time here, I’ve found the Camp Guernsey senior leadership and upper management really supports the fire department and that is a great feeling to know.”
Spc. Dusti Michaud, of Wheatland, works full-time with Training Site Command as a logistics specialist at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center, and is a vehicle operator with the 133rd Engineer Company in the traditional force. She, and many of her counterparts at the camp, took part in the February Red Card training.
“My boss thought it would be a good idea,” she said of attending the class. “If they ever need help, I’ll know what I’m doing. It’s good training. It’s given me a lot of insight on what firefighters do.”
McGuire said that is one of the goals of the instruction.
“The fact that the rest of the base is here and getting this class, is great. It opens up and gives some insight to a little bit of what we do,” he said.
Capt. Tyler Schiele, Department of Public Works supervisor at Camp Guernsey, said the high turnout for this year’s first offering of the course was indicative of the culture around the state and especially at the training site.
“One thing matters most to the adjutant general and all the colonels, to resource whatever it takes to avoid a big fire at Camp Guernsey,” Schiele said. “It’s amazing how many folks we have here, from all walks of life and around the state. Whether heavy equipment operators, who will make firelines, or people from the fire desk, environmental services, logistics, operations. We even have a ChalleNGe Academy student.”
The fire department’s primary job is to protect the airfield and the aircraft that use it. Secondly, they must know how to battle structure fires, and last but not least, especially in a place like Camp Guernsey, is wild land fire fighting and mitigation.
In the last few years, employee turnover has been a nuisance at the department. A lot of young firefighters come for, and leave after, receiving excellent training in the three disciplines the department’s firefighters must excel in.
McGuire said there are seasoned firefighters in the department making for a great resource of shared knowledge.
“We’re a team, and we’re doing really well,” he said. “We’re all excited to learn from each other. There could be things that I’ve done at one place that worked great, but won’t work here and there are things that Miguel (Firefighter 2 Miguel Sandoval) has done at other places that work great here.”
Sandoval was a volunteer firefighter in Cheyenne for two years before hiring on at Guernsey about 18 months ago. He is glad to see the attrition level off and noted quite a few firefighters from out of state have moved to the Guernsey area. “I think they are going to stick around,” he said.
He said wildland fire fighting in Cheyenne, is much different than what his crews may face in Guernsey.
“I’d been on a lot of grass fires, but they didn’t move to heavier fuels, so it’s a different strategy,” Sandoval explained. “Grass fires are more of an offensive attack, fought from vehicles versus what we have here, where you’re digging hand line and stuff like that.”
With the current full-time staff, and a big team of able and willing volunteers ready to grab a shovel, axe or Pulaski, Camp Guernsey is in good hands.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2015 12:59 |
| Story ID: | 159654 |
| Location: | CAMP GUERNSEY, WYOMING, US |
| Web Views: | 177 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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