Idaho Support to California Firefighting Efforts July 2, 2008
Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security
News release
For Immediate Release, July 2, 2008
Contact: Lt. Col. Tim Marsano, office (208) 422‐5268 / cell (208) 407‐8838
Idaho support to California firefighting efforts
With more than 1,000 wildfires burning in California, that state has put out requests for assistance from other states and Idaho is answering the call.
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter today signed an emergency declaration, under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, that allows Idaho to respond to California’s call for assistance. The Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security is working with various Idaho agencies to administer the taskings.
There are two requests for assistance from Idaho:
- The Idaho Army National Guard has been tasked to send a UH‐60 BlackHawk helicopter with firefighting equipment and five Citizen Soldiers to fly and maintain it. The helicopter will fly to Mather Airport near Sacremento to be used as needed, and the request specifies that it and its crew will remain in California for 15 days.
- The Idaho Department of Lands has been tasked to provide 10 firefighting engines and a number of firefighters. The engines and crews will come from various fire departments around southern Idaho and will also remain in California for 15 days. The engines will be shipped to California on flatbed trucks; logistics are being worked out for that to take place.
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Note to reporters: The Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security is the State of Idaho’s emergency management agency. Please note that Idaho BHS is an Idaho‐specific agency, and it is not the same thing as the federal Department of Homeland Security. Within the State of Idaho organizational chart, Idaho BHS is aligned under the State of Idaho Military Division.