State Fish and Game Boat Helps With Basin Complex
Incident: Basin Complex Wildfire
Released: 7/8/2008
The remote and rugged landscape of the Ventana Wilderness creates many communication challenges for firefighters trying to contain the Basin Complex Fire, but Incident Commander Mike Dietrich says they have found a unique way to address at least some of the problems.
Thanks to Federal Emergency Management Agency funding, the fire managers were able to call upon the California Department of Fish and Game to provide one of their vessels as a floating platform for radio communications. Equipped with a portable radio repeater provided by the National Interagency Fire Center, the 58-foot Steelhead is now patrolling roughly 26 miles up and down the coast, significantly improving communications among firefighters in the rugged backcountry.
"This is the first time a California Department of Fish and Game patrol boat has been used to provide critical support to firefighters," said Fish and Game Captain Doug Huckins.
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