Fire departments all over the hills join forces for wildfire training
ROCKERVILLE, S.D. – Volunteer fire departments from all over the Black Hills joined forces to work on wildfire safety.
They trained in Rockville to go over the necessary skills need to tame and control a wildfire. A fire can start in Rockville and spread to the surrounding communities within minutes. 
“You have a variety of different vegetative fuels out there that will burn and they’ll burn differently. You’ve got your light fuels, your moderate fuels, your heavy fuels. It just depends on what the conditions are,” said Gail Schmidt the Rockerville fire chief.
With South Dakota’s dry climate these fire can break out at any time, but they are even more severe during the summer. Due to the speed that the fire spreads, it is important for all department to come together and be comfortable working as a team.
“By getting everyone together to work together, train together, we know what each other has for equipment, how to work together, become a little bit more familiar with one another,” said Stephen Keegan, with Rockerville VFD.
They trained for hand crew, engine boss, and incident commander – all which are essential during an emergency.
Throughout the years wildfires have decreased in South Dakota but crews are always prepared and ready to go.
