Tailgate Safety Session

Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighter Rick Lupe, who was seriously burned during a prescribed burn on the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona in mid-May, died of his burn injuries on June 19 at the Burn Center in Phoenix. The burnover has had a national-level investigation, and BIA Fire at NIFC will issue the report.

A new Internet site that emphasizes physical fitness for wildland firefighters has been developed by Bequi Livingston, a U.S. Forest Service firefighter in Albuquerque, N.M. The site includes a fitness pre-test, weekly workout schedule and exercise logs. For more information, contact Livingston at BequiLivingstonFirefit@msn.com or visit www.fs.fed.us/fire/safety/fitness/fireline_fitness.

The new “Administrator's Guide for the Work Capacity Test” for pack, field and walk that is used by U.S. firefighters is now available from the Great Basin Fire Cache at NIFC. Ask for PMS 307/NFES 1109, or download from www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/pubs.htm.

As of June 30 at least seven individuals have died while participating in wildland fire operations in the United States, either on the fireline or while in training. The leading cause is heart attacks at three, with two vehicle accident fatalities close behind. There's still a long fire season ahead across the United States; be sure to stress safety daily to your firefighters.

The end of June 2003 saw another four firefighters injured in Oregon when their Ford Econoline 15-passenger van rolled over, apparently because of a fatigued driver. All the passengers had their seatbelts fastened, minimizing injuries. The same model van was involved in a rollover in June 2002 in Colorado that killed five firefighters.

If you have material to contribute to the Wildfire Tailgate Safety Session, e-mail Dick Mangan at blackbull@bigsky.net.