TEB Says Firefighters Face Fatigue
The Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board heard from Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent Anna Eder during this week’s Chairman’s Report. The BIA’s Wildland Fire Management Program noted that since Aug. 1 there have been 24 fires on the reservation that have affected a total of 424.4 acres of land. Currently, the tribal agency utilizes three fire engines for coverage. The Fort Peck Reservation continues to be on Stage 1 fire restrictions with the burn ban remaining in effect.
Though some of the fires have been small, they still require firefighters to react regardless of the time of day. This has led to fatigue for those on the job who often respond to fires in the middle of the night. The BIA, following the fire management program’s Work/Rest Guidelines, sent two firefighters home on Saturday.
Councilwoman Patt Runs Through asked Eder to extend the Board’s thanks to the program’s firefighters. She also called for monthly job fares and for people who already have jobs to apply. “I want to let the people know who are working, that they can be firefighters too,” said Eder. “If Councilman Alex Smith wants to be a firefighter, he can do that.”
Eder said that it’s been difficult to build up the program because firefighters will join, leave and never come back. She believes that once the fire season ends that they can increase recruitment efforts.
In Resolutions, the Board passed a motion from the Economic Development Committee to provide food and water to Fort Belknap. Enrolled members of the Fort Peck Tribes who have been evacuated from the area affected by the Little Rockies Fire in Zortman, Hays and Lodge Pole will be offered hotel rooms in Malta. In Land and Minerals resolutions, the Board passed a motion to authorize Interstate Engineering to move forward on fixing the outside walls of the Brockton Cultural Center. Finally in Health and Human Services, The Board appointed Judy Johnson as the supervisor of the 2021 TEB Elections.
