itwasdubbed.
“Itwasaverylargecollaborativeeffort
amongstate,countyandlocalagencies,”
saidDeputyChiefBill
Rifenburgh,aPEFDivision
295memberanda
supervisorforthisDOS
operation.
“After9/11,NewYork
adoptedtheNational
InteragencyIncident
ManagementSystem,and
allofthestateandlocal
agenciesnowhave
commontraining,”
RIFENBURGH
Rifenburghsaid.“Ithelpstoidentifywhen
anincidentisstartingtoincreasein
intensityandrequiresamoreexperienced
managementteamandmoreresources.”
Ittook79firedepartmentsand
specializedequipmentandcrews,hesaid,
toputdowntheOverlookFire.Itwasup
totheDOSteamtoworkwiththe
countiesinidentifyingwhatequipment
andpersonneltosendandwhen.
“Thegoalwasnottostripanysingle
areaorcommunity(ofitsfireprotection)
atonetime.”
Amongtheotherlocalparticipantsand
supportersweretheUlsterCounty
EmergencyServices,OrangeCounty
Sheriff’sDepartmentandprivate
organizationssuchastheRedCross,
NatureConservancyandprivate
contractors.
InadditiontoDEC,DOS,Parks,
RecreationandHistoricPreservation and
SEMO,otherstateagenciessupporting
theOverlookFireresponseincludedthe
statedepartmentsofHealth,
Transportation,Police,andtheArmy
NationalGuard.Thelattertwoprovided
threehelicoptersandaplaneforwater
drops.DOTandthecontractorssupplied
bulldozerstohelpclearfirebreaksinthe
roughterrain.EventheDepartmentof
CorrectionalServicespreparedmealsfor
thefirefighters.
Forsome,theOverlookFiremighthave
beenanuncommonchallenge,butnotfor
DOS.
“ItwasthethirdfireIwascalledtothat
week,”Rifenburghsaid.
Butabigincident,suchasthe
OverlookFire,providesuniquelearning
opportunities,headded.
“Itbringsalloftheagenciestogetherto
usetheirtrainingandcooperate.Forallof
ustobeabletocometogetherlikethatis
atestamenttothewaythesystemis
designed,”Rifenburghsaid.
Bestofall,headded,although3,100
acresburned,noliveswerelost,noone
wasseriouslyhurtandnosignificant
w
st
w
ru
w
c
.p
tu
e
r
f.
e
o
s
rg
werelost.
TheCommunicatorSeptember2008—Page15
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28