le f- ra - April 11,2012 VOUR COMMUNITY Page 15
[aing foresters learn safety at Fire School
up into four groups, with members
of clubs from five other schools.
About 80 students attended. Up to
150 students have attended the fire
school in previous years. Participat-
ing schools included Sweet Home,
Philomath, Knappa, Scio, Bonanza
and Owen Sabin Skill Center.
The students were split into
different teams to help them learn
to work with each other, getting
them outside their comfort zones to
work with strangers, said Coordina-
tor Forrest Chambers, a paramedic
and firefighter with the Eugene Fire
Department. Working together by
day, they got a chance to socialize at
Camp Tadmor at night.
"Essentially, it's to train the
kids how to be wildland firefight-
ers," Chambers said. The program
follows closely the state fire school
program, like the one held in June in
Sweet Home.
The students started at noon
on Wednesday and finished at 8:30
p.m. Thursday; they were busy from
8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Friday, fire
school ran from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"We're trying to cram it all into
three days," Chambers said. It helps
give these students a leg up if they
decide to go into wildland firefight-
ing. "Traditionally, there's been a
lot of people hired out of youth pro-
grams. You don't get this very often,
where you have the classroom and
hands-on."
"Our goal is to expose our kids
to another field of industry here in
town," said SHHS Forestry Club
Adviser Dustin Nichol. They are
introduced to what the Oregon De-
partment of Forestry does, and re-
gardless of making a career of it,
they're exposed to a great summer
job they can do while attending col-
lege.
"The other part of this is life
By Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Seventeen members of the
Sweet Home High School Forestry
Club spent three days last week on
forest land off McDowell Creek
Road going through much the same
training as wildland firefighters do
when they train for fire season.
"We're out here learning about
what they do out in the field," said
Kristen Tolle. During fire school on
Thursday, they worked on hose lays
and mop-up.
They also learned how to dig
fire lines, drip torches, use of wa-
ter and Mark III pumps, said Macy
Cockrell.
They set "fuses,'.' something
like a flare, to set up landing zones
for helicopters, said Curtis Froman.
Learning how to fight fires was
just part of the training though.
"The ultimate goal is to have
fun and make new friends," Froman
said.
It also gave students a glimpse
of the job and a chance to find out
if it's something they might like
to pursue as a career, said Sequoia
• Stroup. She also enjoyed "seeing
new faces and getting to know what
they're about."
Throughout fire school, the stu-
dents participated in several com-
petitions, such as hose lay, Stroup
said.
They also had to put out fuses,
a sort of target practice, Cockrell
said.
The students are interested
in different careers. Tolle plans to
study forestry engineering, while
Stroup and Cockrell are interested
in nursing, and the fire school has
piqued their interest in working
around wildland fires or working on
an air ambulance helicopter.
Sweet Home students were split
;i;i i;iii iiiiiiiii ii2i2iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iii : ....
Keith Teague of the Oregon Department of Forestry demonstrates how to clear non-burning material from afire
during mop-up training.
experience," Nich01 said, referring
to mixing the students into different
teams.
"It's creating a memory along
with an opportunity," Nichol said.
Also having professionals work
with the students helps affirm what
teachers are saying in the class-
rooms.
The program is put together by
the high school forestry programs
and the Future Farmers of America,
Chambers said. They received help
from the Oregon Department of
Forestry and Cascade Timber Con-
suiting, which provided land for
field activities.
Last year was the first time the
event was held in the Sweet Home
area. Before that, it was held at
Camp Cascade in the Mehama area.
The program moved to Sweet
Home because of the support of the
landowners and Department of For-
estry, Chambers said.
Chambers has been involved
for 25 years, he said. He attended
when he was in high school and
then went to fire school and gradu-
ated. He spent 12 years with the
ODE When he completed his para-
medic certification, he went to work
in Eugene.
Nichol put together the pro-
gram this year, Chambers said,
while Chambers served as coordi-
nator during the event.
"He's put a lot of hours in,"
Chambers said. He probably put in
100 hours in the past six months
and during spring break preparing
for the school.
Nichol wanted to recognize
ODF employes Chad Calderwood,
Neil Miller and Kimi Jewell of the
ODF Sweet Home Unit, South Cas-
cade District, and Keith Teague of
the Eastern Lane Unit, South Cas-
cade District.
He also thanked CTC, D&S
Logging, Rice Logging, THI and
Burke Logging, who all supported
the school with by donating equip-
ment, land or money.
Over 30 years experience
Free estimates
Locally owned
,Tear-offs with no mess
, Hand nailed, architect & 3-tab shingles
, Snap-lock, Hi-rib metal & fiat roofs
. All workmanship guaranteed
CCB# 110950
541-367-2293
NEED A RIDE
TAKE THE BUS!
Foster I Sweet Home I Lebanon I Albany
Stops Include LBCC, Walmart & The Heritage Mall
Linn Shuttle & Sweet Home Dial-A-Bus
541.367.4775
linnshuttle.com
Sweet Home High School Forestry Club members gather after finishing
their lunch during fire school.
Gatoradel
32,0z.
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Pall Mall $3.99
Copenhagen $5.49
Grizzley $4.29
Longhorn Wintergreen Fine Cut $3.69
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Old Gold $4.29
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BEER SPECIAL
Budweiser/Bud Rigid 16 pL cans $15.49 + Depesit
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Laundromat!
All New Washers & Dryers!
Same Hours, Same Building
Open: Mon-Thurs 6 am - 11 pm• Fri-Sun 7 am - 11 pm
on
Save the Sweet Home
Community Pool
• MORE AVAILABLE POOL SPACE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR:
-Sweet Home, Home Schoolers Swim Time
- Mommy And Baby Aquatic Orientation Swim Times
- Noon Lap Swim
- Noon Water Aerobics
- Multiple Masters And Triathlon Training Workout Times
- Kayak And Scuba Open Use Times
- More Flexible Lesson Times
SAVE THE SWEET HOME COMMUNITY POOL!
