The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that a 20-person fire crew will be departing 5:30 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, July 27, 2018 from DEEP Eastern District Headquarters, 209 Hebron Road, Marlborough to assist the U.S. Forest Service in fighting wildfires in western states.
           
The 20 trained and certified crew members consist of two DEEP staff members, 16 local residents and firefighters, and 2 firefighters from New Hampshire. They will arrive in Marlborough starting at 4:00 a.m. for an estimated 5:30 a.m. transport to Bradley International Airport. The crew will be flying to Denver, Colorado, where they will receive a specific fire assignment from the Rocky Mountain Area Coordinator Center which is managing several large fires burning approximately 225,000 acres in the region. This is the first 20 person crew Connecticut is sending this summer.

Over 17,000 trained wildland firefighters from across the Nation have responded to over 3.9 million acres of wildland fires so far this year -- an area larger than the State of Connecticut.

DEEP maintains a roster of agency staff members and personnel from local fire departments who have been certified to fight forest or wildfires.  Crew members must complete a rigorous training program and participate in an annual physical work capacity test and refresher training. 

Connecticut maintains this firefighting capability to participate in a reciprocal aid program operated by the U.S. Forest Service.  Under this program, trained personnel from other parts of the nation are available to assist Connecticut in the event of a fire emergency or other natural disaster in return for the support of Connecticut personnel when needed. All state agency expenses directly associated with these deployments are 100% reimbursed to the State by the USDA Forest Service.