Missoula County plans to seek an $80,000 state grant to increase the capacity of the local fire warden during critical fire conditions, it said Tuesday.
The Cooperative Fire Protection Capacity grant, provided by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, would help ensure the county has personnel on call during Red Flag events and when the fire danger is elevated. “When we look at the intent of the grant, it's to help bolster local government's capacity to catch fires early and keep them small,” said Adrian Beck, the county director of Disaster and Emergency Services. “It bolsters the fire warden by applying the funding toward personnel and other rural fire districts to provide on-call leadership during critical fire conditions.”
Missoula Current
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There is a new chief at the helm of Miles City Fire, Rescue and Ambulance Service (MCFR).
Chris Neumann was recently announced as the new MCFR Chief following the departure of former chief Branden Stevens at the end of last year. Neumann, 55, grew up in northern Minnesota before relocating to Washington. In Washington Neumann joined the United State Air Force and got his first taste of firefighting.
“I joined the volunteer fire department there to be part of the community,” Neumann said.
Neumann left the Air Force after four years with an honorable discharge, and following that he joined the Spokane Valley Fire Department. Neumann joined the Spokane Valley Fire Department in March, 1994, and remained with the department until he retired in September of 2022.
Miles City Star - Metered Site
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PHOTOS: The City of Helena Commission has announced that they unanimously approved a mural design entitled 'Wildfire' by artist, Elise Perpignano, to be used for the Lyndale Tunnel mural. Perpignano is a lifelong resident of Helena and also had another mural piece selected by the city entitled 'Momentum', which can be viewed now on the Centennial Trail tunnel under Last Chance Gulch connecting Memorial Park and Centennial Park. Perpignano's design, 'Wildfire' commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Mann Gulch Fire. The US Forest Service describes the events of the fire on their website, "On August 5, 1949, a wildfire overran 16 firefighters in Mann Gulch on the Helena National Forest in Montana. Only three survived—the foreman and two members of an 18-man smokejumper crew that had parachuted into a small valley or gulch near the fire."
NonStop Local
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