EL PASO COUNTY — A new strategy to quickly attack wildfires is launching in El Paso County.
All 25 firefighting agencies in the county are now part of what is called a Type 6 Strike Team.
“When it comes to a significant event, we're not doing it alone. We need all of our partner agencies to come in and support us,” said Colorado Springs Fire Department, Fire Chief Randy Royal.
Type 6 refers to the smaller brush trucks fire departments in the area use for wildland firefighting.
The strike force is formed from wildland-qualified firefighters working regular shifts at fire stations across the county.
When the strike force is activated firefighters from multiple departments join forces.
“All they have to do is request the Type 6 Strike Team. Those units will be immediately dispatched and on the road within 90 seconds responding to that emergency,” Monument Fire Department, Fire Chief Andy Kovacs
The new collaboration came about through the Pikes Peak Fire Chief's Council looking for ways to better counter the growing wildfire threat in the area.
“Fire departments coming together for a common goal. And that is to you know, protect the property and save lives within this county,” said Chief Andrew York with
Cimarron Hills Fire Department.
A daily roster of 15 to 17 firefighters and five brush trucks from fire departments across the county are now ready to hit the road in less than two minutes.
They rendezvous at one of four designated locations in the county.
The protocol is a short briefing from the incident commander and then quickly going to work battling the wildfire.
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