HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Hill County Fire Council convened last week in the County Courthouse for their biannual meeting.
One topic of discussion was ensuring officials from all area fire departments have their voices heard when it comes to decision making.
Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Amanda Frickel, who is also the Fire Warden, said they will be setting up conference calls on Mondays beginning in early May. On the calls, local fire chiefs will be able to express their opinion on what the County should do regarding fire restrictions. Frickel will then relay the input to the County Commission, who are a part of the weekly regional fire call in the spring and summer and are tasked with making the final decision on whether to issue restrictions.
Frickel says the County remains in an extreme drought, and will be providing local fire chiefs with updates on the drought status twice a week.
Also discussed at the meeting was fire reporting and mapping.
Bureau of Land Management Lewistown Duty Officer Don Pyrah introduced an updated online form that at least one official responding to a fire is tasked with filling out.
The form asks responders to draw an approximate perimeter on a digital map, name the fire, and state what the suspected cause is if known. This data is then relayed to dispatch on a real-time basis.
This will replace the dial-in number that has been used to file reports, although that will remain operational this season before being completely phased out.
