Fire lookout volunteers sought
The Fire Lookout Volunteer Program, one of the many volunteer programs of the Southern California Mountains Foundation (SCMF), is now recruiting volunteers to staff fire lookouts for the 2022 fire season. Fire Lookouts help protect the forest, local mountain communities, as well as communities along the forest boundary from the threat of fire. Fire Lookouts also act as docents to the public who visit the towers.
New volunteer training begins Monday April 4. Volunteers must attend four training classes: a two-hour orientation class, a three-hour natural history class, an all-day (seven-hour) operations class and at least one all-day in-tower training shift that with an experienced trainer. The in-tower training shift is an operational shift, with the tower fully in service.
A fire lookout must be professional, reliable, attentive and trustworthy as they may have a larger perspective of the fire environment, how incoming weather impacts it and the safety of personnel in the field. Anyone ages 18 or over can become a fire lookout volunteer.
Dates and more information are posted on the Southern California Mountains Foundation website; www.mountainsfoundation.org/fire-lookouts. Contact Fire Lookout Program Manager,Shane Harris at (909) 761-5860 or e-mail at sharris@mountainsfoundation.org to register or to ask any questions.
