No consolidation: All 5 of Utah’s wildfire dispatch centers to remain open

No consolidation: All 5 of Utah’s wildfire dispatch centers to remain open

(Stuart Johnson, KSL TV, File)


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SALT LAKE CITY — After debating for more than a year on whether or not to consolidate three of Utah’s five interagency wildfire dispatch centers, officials have decided to keep all five open.

The five centers, one each in Salt Lake City, Cedar City, Richfield, Vernal and Moab, will stay open and continue operating as they have been, according to an emailed statement from Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Jason Curry.

Representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service met on Feb. 15 to discuss the plan for the dispatch centers, according to Curry.

Previously, the agencies had discussed consolidating the Moab, Vernal and Richfield dispatch centers into one. But after the Feb. 15 meeting, the group decided to keep all five centers open, Curry said.

BLM Utah State Director Ed Roberson said it ultimately was decided that the state needed all five centers in order to maintain service at the current level of safety.

“As we moved through this process, it became clear that there was a great deal of concern and uncertainty among fire managers, partners and the local communities that we serve,” Roberson said in the statement. “From the start of this efficiency and cost management effort, we said clearly that we were prepared to stop and adjust at any time if we could not offer the same level of safety and service to our customers.”

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During the discussion, the agency representatives considered feedback from various stakeholders including wildland fire managers, agency employees and others, according to Curry.

The state of Utah administers the dispatch centers, along with the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

About 98 percent of wildfires in Utah are put out by the local agency that responds first to the scene, according to Curry. The other 2 percent of fires that progress beyond that initial response may require state and federal resources from the agencies that operate the dispatch centers.

The dispatch centers are an important part of a system that has worked to respond effectively to wildland fires for decades, Curry said.

“The interagency team values the relationships between our employees, partners and local communities, and without their support, we do not believe that we can offer the same level of critical services that we currently offer,” Utah State Forester Brian Cottam said in the statement.

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