June 4, 2014
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation dedicated its new fire and rescue training tower in Brooks, offering Yocha Dehe and its partner departments an important “all-risk public safety training facility developed to replicate a wide range of exercises.”
Leaders of emergency service agencies and elected officials from across the region joined tribal leaders and citizens in symbolically breaking down the entryway to the tower, opening the door to enhanced levels of preparation and training for the region’s firefighters, including the Yocha Dehe Fire Department.
“The training tower will help firefighters master their skills and keep the Yocha Dehe Fire Department as a model agency for other tribal nations across the country,” said James Kinter, Yocha Dehe Tribal Secretary and Fire Commission Chairman.
The three-story tower is built using steel shipping containers. It is 16 feet wide and 40 feet long with internal and external stairways and guardrails. Designed to replicate actual fire and rescue conditions, the tower will offer training including high heat operations, barrier and obstacle navigation, building and height rappelling, roof ventilation access creation, and high rise water sprinkler (standpipe) operations.
“The new training tower will allow firefighters to experience live fire conditions while conducting training in a safe controlled environment,” noted Yocha Dehe Fire Chief Gary Fredericksen. “The tower is very diverse with many different training capabilities that will benefit all of the fire services in Yolo County.”
A primary goal for Yocha Dehe in developing the tower was to provide a tool for the region’s departments to enhance their already impressive capabilities as a synchronized firefighting and rescue team.
“This facility will provide an important, cooperative training opportunity for our regional automatic and mutual aid partners in fire and life safety, helping to prepare all agencies to work together effectively” said Marshall McKay, Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman.
That goal was echoed by chiefs of regional departments.
“The partners of the West Valley Training consortium look forward to using the new Yocha Dehe training tower in the upcoming county wide high rise drill,” said Nate Trauernicht, Fire Chief, UC Davis and City of Davis.
Dan Garrison, Fire Chief of the Capay Valley Fire Department, said his department was already “anticipating the benefits of the live fire training with our auto aid partners in the new Yocha Dehe Fire Department training tower.”
Training exercises at the new tower will begin immediately with regional team exercises set to start in the second week of June.
Learn more about the Yocha Dehe Fire Department.