Mill-A Volunteers

10/02/2021

09/21/2021

08/18/2021

Ordinarily would not post legislative news, but the Infrastructure Bill passed recently by the U.S. Senate includes substantial and significant funding for wlidfire related mitigation, including:

* Prescribed fire planning and implementation at $500M over 5 years to USDA and DOI.

* Collaboration and the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program at $100M over 5 years.

* Mechanical thinning, precommercial thinning and commercial harvest in an ecologically appropriate manner at $500M over 5 years to USDA and DOI.

* Community wildfire defense grant program established and funded at $500M over 5 years to USDA.

* Contracting, including stewardship contracts and agreements to restore ecological health at $300M over 5 years to USDA and DOI.

* Recreation site repair and reconstruction for sites that have or are likely to experience visitation and use “beyond the carrying capacity” at $100M over 5 years.

Also, notable are proposed changes to policy include:

* Staffing related to wildland firefighting, including direction to create a “wildland firefighter” occupational series;

* Increased pay for wildland firefighters, conversion of not fewer than 1,000 seasonal positions to year-round; and

* Direction for year-round firefighters to engage in not fewer than eight hundred hours a year of hazardous fuels reduction work.

The bill also includes direction to fund additional CFLRP projects and allows for 5-year extended funding for existing projects – staving off cancellation of funding to those projects, as previous language had called for. The funding also would be available to support “collaboration and collaboration-based activities,” including facilitation.

Additionally, the bill would create a community wildfire defense grant program to support both community preparedness planning as well as implementation, capped at $250K and $10M, respectively. Grants would require 10% match for planning work and 25% match for implementation projects, but with waiver of match allowed for projects in “underserved communities” – the definition of which includes rural communities.

Senate Passes Infrastructure Bill On August 10th, the U.S. Senate passed a sweeping infrastructure bill containing significant funding for both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Interior (DOI) for wildfire risk reduction and public lands restoration. In addition to about $5...

08/11/2021

If you’re a Mill A or Willard resident interested in staffing the new SCFD1 engine company in Mill A, please reply here and we’ll contact you.

On Monday evening, SCFD1 volunteers participated in a LifeFlight training course held at Wind River Middle School in Carson. This hands-on training provides our volunteers a chance to familiarize themselves with the LifeFlight aircraft and refresh knowledge on how to safely work around and assist with landing zones and basic air operations.

08/08/2021

Soon-to-be Engine 1-5 being test fitted into soon-to-be Station 1-5, Mill-A. It fits. (The yellow engine on the right is out-dated MAV equipment that has been removed from service and will be replaced by a Type 6 (wildand fire) engine in Station 1-5.)

Triple the usual FFT attendance this morning for initlal training with new engine and new (to us) policies, proceedures and protocols.

08/07/2021

Firefighter training and operations meeting with Fire District No. 1 at the Mill A Fire Station, Mill A School on Saturday 8/7 at 8:30AM. Familiarity training with new fire apparatus to be stationed in Mill A.

Newcomers welcome.

07/21/2021

Please help if you can...

the Professional Rescuers of Skamania County IAFF Local 4574… Professional Rescuers Of Skamania County IAFF 4574 needs your support for Mark Miller Medical Treatment Fund

05/07/2021

https://www.capitalpress.com/state/california/wildfire-season-will-arrive-early-in-much-of-west/article_737aa2d6-ad1c-11eb-b823-17b58c9638be.html =capitalpress.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter%2Foptimize%2Fdaily-capital-press%2F%3F-dc%3D1620237611&utm_medium=email&utm_content=read%20more

Drought still a factor despite some recent precipitation.

04/21/2021

Are you Firewise?

We'll be kicking off our 2021 Firewise program with a special screening on The West is Burning ... stay tuned for details.

"The West is Burning" raises awareness about the conditions of forests in the western U.S. This feature documentary to be released in 2020 examines the histo...

04/02/2021

The highest Northwest risk during June and July likely will be in Central Oregon east of the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington.

03/14/2021

It’s that time of year again. Don’t forget to SPRING forward! It's a perfect time to check and change your smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries.