University faculty staff trained to manage emergencies in the USA

     Professor of Forestry Department Serhii Sibtsev and associate of Forest Taxation and Forest Management Oleksandr Soshenskyi attended a seminar which covered the issue of emergency management which took place in the United States of America.

     This seminar was organized by U.S. Forest Service International Programs. This service has been cooperating Ukraine for more than 12 years in terms of technical support aiming at reducing risks of fires in Chornobyl isolation zone. There were participants from 17 countries of the world.

     Scientists and specialists learnt about the system of managing emergencies which is used in the US. It is Incident Command System which is used to liquidate forest fires. Participants visited local, regional and federal coordinate centres learnt about their structure, principles and systems of work. It was interesting to visit Geographic Area Coordination Center of North Carolina which is near Redding, (California), non-government local organization Hills Emergency Forum which collects, coordinates, assesses and shares information about fire emergency in Eastern region of California. All participants spent two days in a field camp which was located not far from Happy Camp (North Carolina). Fires of the second level were burned on purpose for the participants to be able to assess the work of the system ICS. Also participants visited National Nature parks such as Lassen Volcanic National Park та Muir Woods National Monument.

     As a result, our colleagues shared experience and knowledge about new technologies and development in the field of warning and extinguishing of fires in the forests of Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Denys Ruden