NSWFB officer to help manage forest fire in the USA
Published: 10th August 2006
NSW Fire Brigades Inspector Glenn Launt will leave for the USA on Friday 11 August 2006 as part of a 50-strong Australian and New Zealand contingent which will help manage forest fires in the north western states of America.
Inspector Launt, based at Parramatta and commanding fire stations in an area from Rydalmere to Seven Hills and south to Fairfield, will be a Divisional Supervisor at the fire at Boise, Idaho. He will assist US firefighters for up to 35 days.
The NSWFB fire officer is one of 11 NSW firefighters, including five from the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), three from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and two from Forests NSW, who are travelling to the USA.
Inspector Launt will leave Sydney airport on Friday morning with a number of personnel from the other services and seven West Australian firefighters. Some firefighters from the RFS and NPWS left today.
The US requested support in the form of incident managers and aviation specialists from NSW firefighting and land management agencies to fight forest fires currently affecting several states.
NSWFB personnel assisted at fires in the USA in 2002 and 2003.