Fire Crews Battle Wildfires with the help of Bobcat Machinery
Fire Crews Battle Wildfires With Bobcats and other Heavy and Compact Machinery
When conditions set the stage for fire disaster, equipment like Bobcat excavators, loaders and more helps battle blazes. Putting in fire breaks to slow fire advancement, creating a safe area where firefighters can conduct burnout operations, and clearing out damaged trees are just some of the ways heavy machinery is necessary to fighting wildfires in the United States and abroad.
Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have burned over 3.3 million acres in California, which is larger than the State of Connecticut. Many fire-prevention organizations the world over don't have their own fleets of heavy machinery. Instead, they develop working relationships with equipment dealers and rental houses who mobilize both machinery to battle fires in their local and regional areas.
Machines for the Task
Excavators, graders and loaders, are used for fire line construction and rehab. Crews utilize feller bunchers to rapidly grab and cut trees before felling them. Heavy equipment aids firefighters in mitigating shallow-rooted, fire-weakened hazard trees, preventing them from falling on people, structures, roads or power lines. Heavy machinery also was used to clear road easements of downed trees and debris. Operators used tracked harvesters and excavators along with water trucks to spray debris piles for potential heat along roads in the fire area.
Getting the Call
Though post-wildfire reconstruction is usually what brings equipment contractors into the disaster discussion, in regions where wildfires are most prevalent, equipment owners are a critical part of wildfire-fighting strategy. While fire and forestry departments have the knowledge about how to fight fires, heavy equipment fleet owners and their operators have expertise in the best types of machinery for the specific firefighting task and can lend that expertise to immediate fire mitigation. If you have equipment that can be used, and you want to get involved, don't wait for the state fire-prevention officials to reach out to you.
To ready your resources as a wildfire mitigation service provider for local and regional fire and forestry departments, you should formulate a disaster plan that focuses on how you can help in any natural disaster that affects your part of the country, including a wildfire. Here are some suggestions for developing a disaster resource plan:
- Think about what types of equipment you may need to do specific tasks. Create a list of all equipment you have available, so you can readily respond to the call for help.
- Give your company's insurance provider a call. Ask about what type of coverage your company would receive if you and your workers provided aid in fighting a wildfire or other natural disaster.
- Coordinate with emergency officials to figure out what jobs are the most important. Having a plan to deal with all these requests will make it easier for you to get jobs done.
- Have your recovery plan ready before a major disaster strikes. This will help make the most of available tools and staff and will ensure government officials call you the next time equipment is needed because they know you're dependable.
- Be specific about how you can help. Provide emergency workers with a list of the resources you have. Let them know what types of jobs your workers can perform.
- Carefully follow all instructions and be sure to complete jobs efficiently and safely. Being detailed and following orders can help create a less confusing work site.
- Have a plan for using your equipment to create safe paths in and around the fire site. By removing debris and leveling the ground, you can allow emergency services to more easily reach people.
- Don't have workers operate any machines for which they have not received proper safety training. You may be shorthanded during a disaster, but putting safety first is always a priority.