Document text
BLM incident team heads to New York By PAUL FATTIG Veteran wildland firefighter Don Ferguson has seen plenty of destruction from natural disasters in more than three decades working for the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. In fact, Ferguson, 51, interim spokesman for the BLM's Medford District, was dispatched to Washington state in mid-July as part of a federal emergency management team after four firefighters were killed battling the Thirty-Mile Fire in the Okanogan National Forest. "That was a tough assignment, but it will probably pale in comparison to what we face on this one," he said. The fire management specialist is one of about 50 members of the interagency Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3 being deployed to New York City to provide logistics support for weary emergency crews already in place. They were expected to fly out of the Redmond Air Center Thursday night or this morning aboard a government plane. Joining him on the team are five other BLM or Forest Service employees from the Rogue Valley. They include Medford District BLM employees Doug Parker, a staff supervisor, and Daria Marlow, a computer technician. Siskiyou National Forest employees include Lance Packer, a transportation expert, and Cindy Wedekind, a supply unit leader. Rogue River National Forest employee Eileen Northrop, a procurement leader, is also on the team. The teams are basically set up to respond to natural emergencies, explained Mary Marrs, spokeswoman for the Rogue River and Siskiyou forests. "Normally, they get together during major wildfires," she said. "In this case, it's a terrorist attack. But it's where they are needed right now." Many of the skills required to organize a battle against a large wildfire is needed in Manhattan, she added. "We'll be providing all the functions you would see on a fire," Ferguson said by cell phone from Redmond. "Our mission is to provide logistic support for emergency search and rescue. "There is a whole bunch of people to feed and water," he added. "There is a lot of work to be done." Although it marks the first time in nearly 32 years working in fire management that he has been called to an urban emergency, Ferguson said he and other team members are ready. "This is what we're trained for," he said. "We're all glad to get an opportunity to help do whatever we can." The Pacific Northwest team is expected to be based about 15 blocks from what was once the World Trade Center, now known as "ground zero" by emergency personnel, he said. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.