Crews at Fairchild Airforce Base here in Spokane were training firefighters amid the upcoming fire season. One training activity included digging fire lines, which is used to expose the soil with the hopes of stopping the spread of a wildfire. They are getting hands-on training, helping address the problem the best way they can.
“Hands-on training is always the best,” Leonides Beltran, a specialist in the National Guard, said. “That’s how we can stop fires.”
About 80 national guardsmen were on the scene doing this training at the base earlier on Sunday. While they may not be at work fighting off wildfire, trainees are beginning to understand the importance of this training.
“Training’s essential,” Beltran said. “That’s how you build a successful crew. you build successful team members.”