Fire Fighting Bulldozer Operators

The wildfires in California have once again seen the introduction of bulldozers to help reduce the fire’s impact. Bulldozers, of course, cannot fight fire directly, but they can have a huge impact when it comes to preventing the fire from spreading too far. Some bulldozer operators spend much of their career working as part of a fire reduction crew, moving from area to area clearing away the ground cover.

Fires generally start in fallen leaf litter, often spreading quickly, and when wind and dry conditions combine, quickly climb to tree tops where they can rage through the canopy at high speeds. By clearing as much of the ground litter away as possible, it helps to reduce the possibility of fires starting in the first place. But what about fires that are already raging?

Bulldozers play an important role in these situations as well. Firefighters will determine where a suitable fire break should be established. Bulldozers will then move in and totally clear that area, often working around and against the clock. When successful, the fire is either brought to a halt, or at least slowed sufficiently to allow firefighters to get the upper hand.

For bulldozer operators, it can be dangerous work. The last thing they want is to be caught with the fire raging towards them. At the same time, there are homes and peoples lives at risk if the fire break isn’t established. It takes dedication and a lot of skill to complete a task with that sort of pressure around yet, year after year, bulldozer operators not only do it, but they often do it well enough to make an impact on slowing that fire.

If you want to be a firefighting bulldozer operator then you need to start off on the right foot and that is by obtaining the very best in heavy equipment training. Gaining the skills required by employers is a must in today’s workplace. From there, you can further develop your skills until you reach a point where you can work in areas that are both taxing and dangerous. Homes and lives are saved each year because of the work undertaken by skilled bulldozer operators – are you going to be one of the next generation of firefighting bulldozer operators?