"The medical unit really does provide a multi-faceted approach to medicine on the fire," said Pamela Martinez, who is assigned to the Medical Unit on the Garnet Fire. "Prevention being one and treatment and response being another."
Martinez said the unit manages resources and positions medical teams strategically with firefighters to respond quickly to emergencies.
"Right now we have about 35 to about 40 line EMTs and paramedics out in the field," Martinez said. "We try to at least have a pair of line paramedics and EMTs in each division. Where they are doing additional work, hiking in with hotshot crews, we try to add additional resources."
At base camp, medical support trailers function like mobile urgent care clinics, where firefighters can get medication, first aid supplies and treatment.
Chad McCall with Mountain Medics, based in Siskiyou County, helps oversee one of the mobile units.
"We offer a variety of different supplies, ranging from moleskin for blisters to foot powder and ibuprofen," McCall said. "We can even go all the way up to advanced life support treatment in case there is a medical emergency not just here in camp, but also out on the fire line."
Air support teams also play a role, using high-tech tools to reach firefighters whenever and wherever they need help.
But not only are they in the air, they are also watching the air.
Molly West, an Air Resource Advisor on the Garnet Fire, monitors overall air quality.
"One of the ways we directly support the med unit is that we provide a really advanced diagnostic device, it's called a RAD 57," said West.
While members of the incident command team come from agencies across the state and country, their mission is the same: put out the fire, but also protect the health and well-being of the firefighters.
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