Joins Interagency Dispatch Center
Department of Forestry’s (ODF) The Dalles Unit are being dispatched from
Columbia Cascade Communication Center (CCCC) in Vancouver, Washington this fire
season. For decades resources have been
dispatched locally from the ODF office in The Dalles, Oregon, a stand-alone
dispatch center coordinating with federal and fire district partners and
firefighters on the ground, sometimes responding to multiple fire starts. This fire season ODF joined CCCC interagency
dispatch center, which employs several dispatchers and support personnel, who
provide initial attack dispatching, aviation and logistical support for small
and large incidents. All to efficiently manage firefighter needs and response
across a broad geographic region. The
dispatch center uses a “closest forces” concept to respond to fires,
essentially the closest firefighters respond to a fire, irrelevant of landowner
or jurisdiction. This coordinated
response and tracking of cooperating resources was the impetus for ODF joining
the interagency dispatch center.
of Forestry hired Karen Spencer as Assistant Center Manager. “Karen’s work will be critical as we
transition from our current dispatch processes to working with our federal
partners in the interagency dispatch center,” says Kristin Dodd, Unit Forester
for The Dalles Unit. “I am excited to
have been able to make this happen for the 2020 fire season.” In addition to hiring an assistant center
manager, Ben Hansel was hired as a seasonal dispatcher, providing added
capacity to meet the increased workload.
located so far away, even in a different state, but coordinating between
responding agencies improves the response to wildfires on all ownerships. The Columbia Cascade Communication Center
dispatches wildland fire resources for Gifford Pinchot National Forest,
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Mt. Hood National Forest, and now
includes Oregon Department of Forestry’s The Dalles Unit. The Dalles Unit provides wildland fire
protection for private, state owned, and county owned lands in Hood River and
Wasco counties. The Dalles Unit will
continue to coordinate with local fire departments to provide wildfire response
and mutual aid within the Central Oregon District.
landowners and the public as an essential service for Oregonians. Please call or email to talk with our staff
or schedule an appointment. For
additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact
information and unit offices, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com.