KNOX COUNTY — Thursday, June 26, between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., state, local and county agencies will be cooperating in an exercise designed to test response and support for a simulated island forest fire. Criehaven, or Ragged Island, lies about 18 miles from the Knox County mainland and about a mile south of Matinicus. Moving firefighters and support equipment to a remote location can be difficult.

This exercise will test methods of delivering those resources and will practice emergency radio communication between agencies, all vital to a remote island response, according to Knox County Emergency Management Agency.

Helicopters of the Maine National Guard will operate from a staging point at the Knox County Regional Airport.

In Maine, Guard units, like their counterparts in the western U.S., support civilian authorities for many types of emergencies. On average, Maine National Guard helicopters respond to 6-8 state emergencies a year including the rescue of a critically injured hiker from Baxter State Park last week.

For this exercise, they will be using two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters capable of transporting personnel and equipment. An additional UH-72 Lakota helicopter, newly provided to the Maine National Guard, will serve as a communications relay point linking firefighters and the shore side groups supporting them.

One special piece of equipment going out, then staying on the island for future firefighting purposes will be a 400-gallon mobile water tank specially modified for island use by students at the Mid Coast School of Technology in Rockland. That tank will be carried by a sling suspended from one of the helicopters.

Emergency communications specialists of the Knox Regional Communications Center, or KRCC, in Rockland will operate a remote radio base from the Knox County Regional Airport to support the mission and test a variety of communication methods. Most KRCC dispatchers have received specialty training to allow enhanced support of public safety efforts in remote locations.

On-island efforts will be coordinated by a group of Forest Rangers from the Maine Forest Service. Maine's Forest Rangers, by statute, have responsibility for the control of forest fires in all areas of the state. Forest Ranger Aliesha Black, serving as the "Incident Commander", will lead the group. Ranger Black says: "Our job is to assess a wildland fire then request and coordinate resources to control and extinguish it". She continued "Wildfires on islands can be tough. Many islands have storm damaged trees, or blow downs, which fuel wildfire. Getting to an island emergency is only part of the challenge".

Forest Rangers use special techniques and tools to fight these fires. Chain saws, shovels and other hand tools along with small specialized forestry fire hose, pumps, helicopters and lots of local help are required. 

Exercises such as this allow participants to train and prepare for emergencies and disasters. They revalidate emergency management plans preparing responders to assist citizens should a real world event occur. In this case, a long term asset to residents of the island will remain; that firefighting mobile water tank modified by area high school students.