NMI 20 Hotshots leave to battle Calif. wildfires

The CNMI’s 20 Hotshot crews will be deployed today, Tuesday, to California to help fight the hundreds of wildfires that are blackening large tracts of the state.

Department of Public Safety commissioner Claudio K. Norita told the media yesterday that they received the activation call on Friday for the CNMI Hotshot team to head for California.

“It’s a program that we’ve been running in the CNMI since 1998,” Norita said.

He said the 20 Hotshots from the CNMI will team up with their counterparts from Guam, American Samoa, and Hawaii.

The commissioner said the teams will then proceed either to California or somewhere in Arizona, meet with the national Hotshot crew, then fight the forest fires.

Norita said the U.S. Forest Service has issued the team members red cards, which certify these citizen volunteers and firefighters to fight forest fires in the mainland.

Norita said Firefighter 2 Ton Babauta will serve as the chief for the Hotshots Pacific Team.

Babauta said they will be stationed in McClellan, California, for a week where the crew members will be suited up with all the equipment.

From thereon, Babauta said, they will receive their assignment whether to go either to southern or northern California.

Firefighter 2 Clinton Ngeraked will join Babauta in assisting the citizen volunteer members of the CNMI Hotshots.

Babauta said their team was made to undergo the basic 32 trainings for a week in April.

The U.S. Forest Service pays for the training, deployment, and salary while the crews are away from the CNMI.

Babauta said they are going to stay in the mainland for 30 days then will be given an opportunity to work throughout the season or until December this year in case there is a vacancy in the other Hotshot teams.

“We’re going to be in the front line along with national Hotshots there fighting fires,” he said.

Tony Manibusan, a member of Saipan’s Hotshot crew and leader of one group, said he is confident in the ability of his members.

“I bet they are going to gain a lot of experience out there. These guys that I have selected are probably the top of Saipan’s crew and I’m looking forward to this opportunity and actually looking for a career out there,” Manibusan said.

In 2004, 20 members of the CNMI Hotshot were also sent to California.