BLM yes, USFS no ?????

[arff]

Story from the Washington Times.

The fire didn’t care what kind of federal land it was burning, but for sheriff’s deputies hovering over a blaze in northwestern Nevada last week, it made all the difference: If it was Bureau of Land Management property, they could legally drop the water they were carrying, but if it was Forest Service land, they were out of luck.
For more go to:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...-on-wildfires/

Government hypocrisy at one of its finer moments.

First can we drop retardant on not, now can we drop on the fire or not.

[RetFSFireCop]

As noted in the article, this first appeared in the Reno Gazette Journal. Sounds like the FS needs to get its story straight!

"A Forest Service official for the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest told the Reno Gazette-Journal, which first reported on the jurisdictional conflict, that the Forest Service might place higher standards on the aircraft, and said there’s also some confusion about the agency with which the Forest Service would contract the city of Reno or Washoe County."

As noted in the article, the aircraft and pilots are usually checked by an interagency team and are issued interagency approval and qualification cards.--So much for the comment about "higher standards for the FS"! As to confusion as to what agency the helicopter might belong to, that is just so much bureaucratic BS--The Raven air unit is, and has always been, a part of the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. In areas where the Federal govt is not really that popular, to have something like this--who can drop water on a high visibility fire just outside Reno, is just totally unacceptable. Let me ask this--would the FS stop an engine just driving down I-80, from whatever jurisdiction, from squirting a load of water on a FS fire, without an agreement with that Dept?

[GB Bear 44]

If I may add something. Although "Public Lands" are administered by a federal agency, the geographic areas are still in the counties' jurisdiction to a certain point. This is where interagency communication and coordination is important. The Sheriff's office is usually the most visible county agency in rural nevada and many states. Yes they are tasked with being the counties "on scene representative" if the fire is outside the jurisdictional boundaries of the fire districts. Granted that many fire districts are volunteer and the VFDs do have a chain of command that sometimes is hard to follow when you arrive on scene for initial attack and you may not know whom you are dealing with. This is where having the S.O deputies in your hip pocket can really help know who is who and what is where. Oh we are a big grazing state and all that grass and brush is food for many species of critters and stored $$$$ for ranches that pay to graze on public lands. Just food for thought.

[Pawtucket]

Because the Washington Times, owned by South Korean mega-church owner Sun Myung Moon, is reputed to have a right wing bias, I looked up the original Reno Gazette-Journal article. http://www.rgj.com/article/20120703/...-fighting-fire

Although I have my doubts about whether the real world situation is as snarled in red tape as the article makes out, there is a tried and true method for management of silly rules that interfere with an emergency response. You ignore the rules and respond anyway. (For a recent example, see the media coverage and eventual vindication of the south Florida lifeguard fired for responding to an emergency outside of his territory.)

Remember, guys, it's always easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission, especially when you're acting in accord with truth, justice and the American way.

[firefish]

Well Pawtucket- That used to work, but the Gov't seems to have gotten bigger and they don't seem so anxious to forgive anymore. The current water issue in Tucson, Arizona would be a perfect example. Many counties rely on federal funding to keep programs like air ops going and the risk of losing those funds is very real. It just seems that the days of doing the right thing first and haggling later are over. Right, wrong, or indifferent, there is always some guy near the top that is pissed that his will was not bowed to.

[Juggalo]

Well Pawtucket- That used to work, but the Gov't seems to have gotten bigger and they don't seem so anxious to forgive anymore. The current water issue in Tucson, Arizona would be a perfect example. Many counties rely on federal funding to keep programs like air ops going and the risk of losing those funds is very real. It just seems that the days of doing the right thing first and haggling later are over. Right, wrong, or indifferent, there is always some guy near the top that is pissed that his will was not bowed to.

Oh well. I've got a job to do and I do what I need to when I need to. I've never been out of work in my life when I was looking. I love this job but I'll find another if some over egoed poser fires me for doing what needs done.

[Fish]

Oh well. I've got a job to do and I do what I need to when I need to.

Out of curiosity, in the many jobs you've had, who defines the job you've got to do?

[Pyro5755]

Out of curiosity, in the many jobs you've had, who defines the job you've got to do?

I'll field this question for now, as Jug's temporarily self-assigned locum; he's on his honeymoon.

He never stated that he'd had "many" jobs; he said he'd never been unemployed. In his thirties, he hasn't had all that many careers: three that I can think of, as a matter of fact (one military; one private sector service industry; and now, one in Fed fire service) and I'm pretty sure the answer to that question would be similar for each:

(1) His own conscience and work ethic.

(2) His chain of command.

[the brush slasher]

Because the Washington Times, owned by South Korean mega-church owner Sun Myung Moon, is reputed to have a right wing bias, I looked up the original Reno Gazette-Journal article. http://www.rgj.com/article/20120703/...-fighting-fire

Although I have my doubts about whether the real world situation is as snarled in red tape as the article makes out, there is a tried and true method for management of silly rules that interfere with an emergency response. You ignore the rules and respond anyway. (For a recent example, see the media coverage and eventual vindication of the south Florida lifeguard fired for responding to an emergency outside of his territory.)

Remember, guys, it's always easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission, especially when you're acting in accord with truth, justice and the American way.

A few years ago mmu had the 41 fire. The first unit onscene voluntarily responded to
the fire from fku they also called it in. The captain requested more resources but was denied by dispatch.captain said "I guess we'll
have make do with what we have".by that time the fire was 1,000. Acres. There was a
Strike team of fku engines just north of the fire that called dipatch and diverted back to
Assist.

If i see someone fighting a running fire I'm stopping to help.

[BigWhiteDog]

Oh well. I've got a job to do and I do what I need to when I need to. I've never been out of work in my life when I was looking. I love this job but I'll find another if some over egoed poser fires me for doing what needs done.

You might want to rethink that attitude, These aren't the old days when it comes to work! Decent jobs are few and far between. If I had that job in that area in this economy, I wouldn't risk it on a no threat situation. Grass will regrow.