SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 5, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — More Utah crews are heading to Montana to help fight wildfires there.
“Twenty-two firefighters filling the third Utah Emergency Management Assistant Compact assignment of the year and comprising a new Task Force #1 head to Montana to help fight wildfires there,” said a news release from the Utah Division of Emergency Management.
“The new Task Force #1 replaces the previous Task Force #1 which had just returned from Oregon along with the previous Task Force #2.”
The new Task Force #1 consists of lead officers, a mechanic, and other firefighters and fire apparatus from Unified Fire Authority, West Valley City, Lone Peak, Weber, and West Jordan Fire Departments.
The firefighters staged at 7 a.m. and deployed from the Maverik Center in West Valley City.
They will deploy for about 16 days; 14 days working plus travel, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a system of state-to-state mutual aid coordinated through state emergency management agencies, the news release said. Montana has confirmed and accepted Utah’s EMAC offer.
The current Task Force #3 and Task Force #4 are wrapping up their EMAC deployment to Montana and should be returning to Utah by Saturday.
“Utah stands ready, willing, and able to help a state in need, and EMAC is a great system for doing that,” the news release said.
