MOAB, Utah - Good communication between agencies is a crucial component for a well-coordinated interagency fire suppression response and being a good neighbor is important too. To further those aims, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Canyon Country fire managers recently transferred 17 handheld radios to 3 local fire departments. Providing portable radios to local volunteer fire departments enables local firefighters to communicate with other resources on a fire, as well as the interagency fire dispatch center.
Our local fire departments and the BLM work together on federal, state and private land fires so the radios are a win-win for both agencies," said Canyon Country Fire Management Officer Clark Maughan. “The equipment helps our interagency wildland fire partners with one of the most important components of firefighter safety - communications."
Bluff Fire Department received 3 of the radios, San Juan County Fire received 6 and Moab Valley Fire Department received 8 radios. It’s all part of the BLM's Rural Fire Readiness (RFR) program which allows the BLM to provide fire equipment to partners at- no cost to them so - they can all continue to safely and efficiently suppress wildland fires together.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
