The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-08-18
Questions and
Answers Thereto
BY George Hayes

Questions-What are the duties
of a dispatcher?
The dispatcher has one of the most
important positions in the freight
ing machine. He carries large re-
sponsibility during fire season. He
has to be on the job some "a hours
each day. He is responsible for
manning all fires. 1t is his duty
to determine how many men to send
on fire-to find that number and
get the supplies and provisions for
the crew. He takes the weather re-
ports and determines the fire dan
ger from day to day. He has many
reports and considerable office work
to attend. To summarize, the dis
patcher is responsible for quick ac-
ton when a fire is reported.
We might illustrate the freight
ing machine by concrete example.
On August IL, 1893, last Thursday,
Jim Usher, lookout at Hoodoo noun
tain, reported a fire to Clark Ha-
NOR, Libby dispatcher at 1888 a..
m. Two minutes later Ray Zeigner
reported the same fire from Horse
mountain. These men gave the
absence of Charlie Powell and Grant
Harley, who were on the Lost Creek
fire on II Mile Creek, Claus Detjens
and Ralph Young with Is blister
rust men were dispatched to the
fire at exactly 11:55 IN. The men
left without eating their dinners.
They drove some 20 miles by truck
and then liked two miles with their
fire packs, arriving at the fire at
go The fire was corralled at 345
and under control at AS. This
fire was on Cowell creek on the
main Fisher district, Eleven of these
men returned that night to head
quarters while four remained to
mup-up and see that the fire was
completely out Speed is the watch
word in modern fire-fighting.
The above figures were taken
from the Cowell fire report. 1t was
the eighteenth fire occurring in the
Libby district. 1t was started by
lightning. You will note that the
men were on their way to the fire
in Is minutes. The difference in
a $50 fire and $4,000 fire might
be in the few minutes required to
get there when the fire is small.
The facts of the past show that it
is cheaper to have men on duty and
on the payroll where they may be
dispatched to fire Immediately
than it is to take a chance on getting
men when they are needed.
On July 10 a smoker started a
fire on Bobtail. The fire was re-
ported by Lookout Oscar Titman
from SWede mountain at 4.23 p. m,
II minutes later Tuffy Davidson,
headquarters guard, was on the fire
Even in that short period of time
this fire had covered an acre of
ground before being controlled. An
hour later on the right day might
have meant major catastrophe, es-
pecially if it had started in some of
our more heavily timbered areas.
Question-What subjects should |
study in high school in order to pre-
pare myself for position with the
forest service2
If I were interested in becoming
a forester I would write the State
University at Missoula and ask them
for one of their annual catalogues
wherein you will find the subjects
listed in the forestry course. For
estry, like many other branches of
industry, has become specialized and
it would depend upon what your
specially was. In high school take
all the mathematics and science you
can get. Don't forget that in for
estry you are a public servant and
have to contact the public in many