Cases of water and Gatorade are available to firefighters at the camp. Every morning they take what they need for the day and refill their packs in the evening.
This is a typical lunch that firefighters receive. It contains 5,000 calories and meets very specific requirements to ensure they are getting the energy to do the tasks required of them during firefighter operations.
SEELEY LAKE – Over the past several weeks firefighters from all over the country have come to fight the Rice Ridge Fire. The natural response is to want to help and donations have been flooding in.
While the donations of food and drinks have been appreciated, the Type 2 Incident Management Team asks the community to consider the challenges they face when accepting donations and offered some alternative suggestions that can work for everyone. The infrastructure is in place to keep the firefighters well-fed and hydrated during the duration of their assignment.
Challenges with donations:
• Distracting from incident operations. While donations are well-intended, the need to bring in logistics people to handle and process the donations and distribute them takes away from the focus on fire operations.
• Food safety/health concerns with homemade baked goods: This includes allergies, food poisoning and spoiling. There is an infrastructure in place to feed the firefighters three high-calorie meals per day so their needs are met.
• Risk of endorsing specific groups: Anything with a business logo or group name gives the perception that the team is giving preferential treatment to one group over another. Avoid donating items with logos promoting a specific business or group.
• Conflict with agency donation policy: The Type 2 Team has many different agencies that all come with different donation policies. While the team has recommendations, there is no guiding policy for the team.
• Storage/capacity of the donations and distribution: Most donations have been brought to the Incident Command Post at the Seeley Lake Elementary. While the hundreds of cookies have been appreciated, Public Information Officer Catherine Koele said they are the office people and don't need the cookies.
"We would love to get them to the firefighters but it goes back to the health and safety and distribution of who gets them and who doesn't," said Koele. "We understand people still want to give so lets do something that works for all of us."
Alternative Ways to Help:
Koele said a group brought over Seeley Lake postcards that were stamped with a bunch of pens. These were distributed at camp so firefighters could send a note to their loved ones. They were a "big hit."
Other ideas include making thank you signs for the firefighters and displaying them around the community. They can also be dropped of at SLE and they will be taken to camp and shared with the firefighters.
People are encouraged to make individual cards. These are put in the firefighters' lunches so they get a personal note from someone locally.
"It lets the firefighters know that they are being appreciated by the community," said Koele.
Another idea is lining Highway 83 in the morning between 7:30-8 a.m. when all the firefighters are leaving camp and headed to the fire for the day. Some communities have organized a parade for the firefighters towards the end of the incident as a thank you.
"Honestly it brings tears to people's eyes to see that kind of support," said Koele.
Finally Koele said donations can also be redirected to the local volunteer fire departments, the community food bank in honor of the firefighters or incident, local emergency management services and disaster support organizations, the Wildland Firefighter Foundation which supports the families of fallen firefighters and/or community needs from the fire.
Many people in Potomac and the surrounding areas have offered space to store belongings and have offered to take in animals in case of an evacuation. If this is a need please contact the Pathfinder for more information, 677-2022 or email pathfinder@seeleylake.com.
Mountain Lake Presbyterian Church is collecting donations to purchase HEPA air filters for members of the community that are high-risk and unable to afford one. They are working through local organizations to determine who receives the filters. To donate call the church 677-3575 or email mlpc_logchurch@live.com.
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