Ronan Fire Department: More than Putting out Fires

By Alyssa E. Kelly

RONAN - Thick gray smoke filled the night sky alarmed curious onlookers. Blazing flames rose to heights seen across town and the house began to collapse. Fully suited fire fighters surrounded the fire in a planned attack as the fire engines' sirens smothered all other sound. While some onlookers were taken with worry, Mark Clary, the assistant chief, seemed surprisingly relaxed in all the "chaos."

The Ronan/Pablo fire department held a planned burning of a home that was donated by the city of Ronan for training purposes on Thursday November 16, 2006. "We hold 3 or 4 planned burnings of houses yearly for training. We were practicing the fogging technique that night, where the hoses are thrown through the windows," explains Clary.

In order to become a certified member of the department one must undergo numerous classes on wild land fires as well as extensive physical training in handling disaster situations. With an all-voluntary crew of 35, (an estimated 5 members being Native American, including Bradley and Robert McCrea) the Ronan/Pablo fire department must undergo 35 hours of training per year, which adds up close to a 100 hours of training per member over several years. The training is self sponsored by the department and also taught by training officers Dave Marmon, Dan Miller, and Kirk Bartel, who are also members of the crew. All current members have completed the requirements on their own time with no pay.

"The crew is trained to handle all sorts of disastrous situations including wild land fire, house fire, car wrecks, and even ice rescue," says Clary. With a hands-on learning program, the crew is able to gain experience with the Jaws of Life for car wrecks through vehicles donated by local junkyards. They also take crewmembers to different ice spots to practice ice rescue using thermal suits. Houses, similar to the one used in the Thursday night burning, are donated to the department through the city.

"When getting ready to respond to a situation, you never know what to expect." The dangers the department faces are limitless depending on the situation. There's no way to be fully prepared because as the times change so do the risks. "Houses aren't built as well as they used to be and the new material used in the houses are more flammable, so the fire spreads more quickly," says Clary. They are also taught to handle numerous toxic gases as well as chemicals and other hazardous materials, should they come across it while serving duty.

The Ronan fire department was established in 1912 following a disastrous fire that nearly destroyed the city of Ronan, which was built on the banks of Spring Creek. It serves approximately 12,000 citizens covering 225 square miles of Lake County. It takes an estimated $100,000 annually to keep the department in operation and they've responded to an estimated 250 disaster calls this year; unfortunately, the number continues to grow. They house two stations, one in Ronan and the other in Pablo. The Department operates seven engines, three water tenders, one rescue vehicle, as well as the Jaws of Life. The department is funded through taxes as well as numerous donations.

Aside from the basic disaster response, the department also takes part in numerous community events as well as teaching children and adults alike about fire safety. They offer assistance to other fire departments, including the tribe during the wild land fire season, mutual aids to the Ronan ambulance and other public services. The departments' motto is: "The protection of lives and property shall always be our priority. We are rewarded with a great community that is very supportive."

"One of the dangers we face when being called to a disaster is the lack of crew members" says Clary. Although they have some certified crewmembers, they're always looking for more. Pablo in particular is very short in crew. The minimum requirements to join the department include being the legal age of 18, passing a background check and passing the training courses, both in the classroom as well as the hands-on training.

For more information on the Ronan/Pablo Fire Departments, visit the web site at www.ronanfire.com.