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"Disaster Deployment Basics" – Part B, Pre Deployment
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Capt. Ryan Christen - www.FullyInvolvedFire.com
"Disaster Deployment Basics" – Part B, Pre Deployment
What you need to know your first time out.
www.FullyInvolvedFire.com
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Part B – Pre-Deployment
Planning and preparation will have a tremendous impact on the success of your deployment. It is difficult to be entirely prepared and packed since the experience can differ dramatically depending on the type of incident, team, mission, and geographic region. However there are certain steps you can take that are universal.
The first step towards readiness is your bag and gear. I recommend that once you commit yourself to any team or organization to prep your bag. Some of the items you need will vary depending upon the variables of your deployment. The best way to determine these items is to talk to others who have “been there”. Call your team members with deployment experience, and ask what items you may need to take. If you’re newly red carded for wild land firefighting, you can call your local division of forestry for assistance with pre-deployment preparations. Ask who has been on a fire deployment. The “veterans” in your field are one of your best sources of information.
Once you know what items to pack, its time to start making checklists. Trust me, without a checklist, you will forget something. I have four checklists in a folder in the top of my bag: one summer and winter checklist for DMAT, and a summer and winter checklist for wildland deployments. These checklists include specific items you will need
that you cannot keep in your bag at all times. It is important to note there are weight restrictions when flying. 65lbs. for summer, and 55lbs for winter (winter is a relative term to geographic regions).
There are items that can be kept in your bag at all times to minimize your workload when you are called. These items include socks, underwear, and t-shirts. I also have a separate shaving kit that stays in my bag that includes a razor, toothpaste, hand soap, and shampoo. Soap and shampoo may not be available where you are going so be sure to take them with you. You can get small travel sizes at Wal-Mart for around a dollar each. Pack as many items as possible in advance so that you only need the few remaining things on your checklist.
Make a separate checklist for tasks that you must handle before leaving. You may need someone to pick up your paycheck or drop off a bill. If you have a pet, list several people that may be able to care for it or phone numbers for grooming houses in your area. Some additional items I have include raising or lowering my thermostat, checking all locks, vacation food for my fish, and unplugging computers and the cable. It may sound silly to put such things on a list, but when you’re cutting fire lines on the side of a mountain or treating a patient that lost their home in a hurricane, you don’t want to be wondering whether you locked the back door. Checklists make deployments easier, and take a little stress from of an already difficult task.
A final item of importance is what I call my “trip bag”. This is a very small bag that can be carried with you on a flight. The items in this bag are immediate use items.
My ‘trip bag’ includes the following: a book, a small notebook and pens, a small headlamp or flashlight, spare batteries, one change of clothes, several snack bars or snack food, a disposable camera, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. These are items that will prove necessary in the event that your main bag is lost or inaccessible upon arrival. On my wild land deployment we arrived late at night and set up our tents on a dark mountainside. This relatively simple task would have been much easier for me with a flashlight or headlamp.
READ THE REST OF THIS ARITCLE:
Part A – Introduction
Part B – Pre Deployment
Part C – Deployment Phase
Part D – Returning Home
www.FullyInvolvedFire.com
More articles, Plus Online Incident Command Simulators!
By: Capt. Ryan G. Christen
