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American Specialists Take On Leadership Roles At Dargo Fires

American firefighters have begun taking control of many operational aspects of the battle against bushfires near the historic township of Dargo

By DSE/CFA - 10th February 2003 - Back to News

After two days of intensive briefing and two more of close monitoring, American firefighters have begun taking control of many operational aspects of the battle against bushfires near the historic township of Dargo.

The Americans are part of a 35 strong contingent that arrived in Victoria last week.

A calm night has given firefighters some relief and efforts today will concentrate on consolidating containment lines north of the town.

Incident Controller, Ewan Waller said nine Americans were in Dargo within days of arriving in Melbourne and had displayed excellent skills and great confidence.

"They have fitted in very well and their expertise is welcome in what looks like being a long battle," Mr Waller said.

One of the Americans Aaron Gelobter, said there were some differences in the methods of fighting fires, but the basic philosophy was the same.

"With the Australian visiting America in the past few years we have learned a lot about how both systems operate and that experience has proved invaluable," Mr Gelobter said.

"In fact the hardest thing so far is getting a grip on the Australian language."

A public meeting will be held in Dargo this afternoon to alert residents to the situation now and to what may happen in the next few days.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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