The North Metro Fire Wildland Team consists of 25 firefighters who are certified by the National Wildland Coordinating Group (NWCG) in various positions for wildland firefighting. These team members are part of a national firefighting response system. When requested by NWCG to assist on a wildfire, the team typically staffs at least three firefighters on a Type 6 engine, which is a specialized dual-cab truck equipped with wildland firefighting tools and carrying 280 gallons of water onboard.
In 2022, North Metro Fire crews were called to six different fires in four different states, including Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas. Over the course of the year, they spent a total of 68 days working on wildland fires outside the District. The Wildland Team also supported operations at the USDA Jeffco Airtanker Base at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. North Metro Fire is federally reimbursed for the time Wildland Team members are deployed and for the personnel used to fill in for their positions back home.
While all North Metro firefighters receive basic wildland firefighting training, Wildland Team members provide additional training to North Metro firefighters based on the valuable experience they gain from national deployments. Members also assist local governments and communities with wildland preparedness planning.
2022 Wildland Team Deployments:
- Duck Pond Fire- Eagle, Colorado
- Nebraska Fire Support – Halsey, Nebraska
- Calf Canyon Fire- Taos, New Mexico
- Texas Support- Merkel, Texas
- Bovee Fire – Chadron, Nebraska
- Sanitas Fire – Boulder, Colorado
