Forests and Rangelands Success Story
Cooperative Effort Helps Protect Community and Park
Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Wyoming
National Fire Plan - Community Assistance
2008
The NPS Type 6 engine, left, and the Town of Fort Laramie’s brush truck are shown in front of Fort Laramie National Historic Site's old maintenance shop, which was converted to a dual bay fire cache as part of the park’s memorandum of understanding for fire response with the Town of Fort Laramie.
Small, rural communities often face challenges when trying to provide adequate fire protection. When the weak economy prompted people to move or commute long distances to work, Fort Laramie found itself struggling to provide fire protection during business hours. Fort Laramie National Historic Site, three miles from the community of Fort Laramie, was in the opposite predicament - only three employees lived close enough to the park to help provide fire and emergency medical services during non-business hours. It only made sense for the fire departments from the community and the historic site to come together and work out a solution.
"We found we could pattern an active aid program after the Moran-Grand Teton National Park memorandum of understanding (MOU)," said park superintendent Mitzi Frank. "What we came up with is a tremendously beneficial, cutting-edge agreement that could well be the model for many of our smaller rural parks. We can now provide nearly seamless structural, wildfire, and emergency medical services for the park and the Fort Laramie community."
Along with sharing equipment between departments, the agreement allows qualified park staff to respond to fire calls within the Fort Laramie Fire District, even if it means taking leave from work. Park staff members that are certified medics are dual certified by the Fort Laramie Fire Department as ambulance attendants and can transport patients with the department’s ambulance. Conversely, fire department members can operate the park’s Type 6 engine on wildland fires in the fire district. The fire department has stationed a mini-pumper/rescue vehicle at the park’s newly converted fire cache/engine bay. By keeping the fire cache supplied with structural and wildland protective gear, department firefighters who live near the park can respond directly to the park and greatly reduce response time. The departments also train together in wildland, structural, and EMS response.
"One of the many benefits is that the park is assured structural fire protection, which is important since we maintain 11 original historic structures and seven facility buildings," Frank added. "This MOU also provides greater protection when the railroad crossing is blocked between the park and town."
Contact: Steve Fullmer, Park Ranger, (307) 837-2221.