Denver Fire Wildland Team Trains for 2021 Fire Season
208 DFD members are now available to assist with wildfires across the nation
DENVER – On Wednesday, April 21st, the Denver Fire Department (DFD) Wildland Firefighting completed their annual recertification training as they prepared for the upcoming wildland fire season. This “Wildland Fire Safety Training Refresher” is required to ensure that wildland firefighters have the capability to operate safely in wildfire situations.
As the biggest Fire Department and wildland cooperator in the State of Colorado, the 208 members, along with additional DFD resources, provide the capability to support the state and the nation, more than most paid, volunteer, and blended departments combined; while at the same time not leaving the City and County of Denver un-protected.
“The women and men of the Denver Fire Department are steadfast in their commitment to the community,” said DFD Fire Chief Desmond Fulton. “The expertise that this team possesses expands our ability to support the ever-evolving wildfires that have devastated residents and their homes, communities, and the natural resources in both Colorado and across the nation.”
Created in 2009, the DFD Wildland Team participated in 365 deployments in 2020. Currently managed by Jim Krugman, a full-time non-uniform program coordinator who is a retired US Forestry Service Fire Branch Director and Incident Commander, the wildland program is entirely self-funded, and participation is voluntary amongst DFD members.
Mr. Krugman was quoted as saying: “We are not like other fire department wildland programs; they all want to be like us.”
Credit: Greg Pixlex, PIO
