ALMOND — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers on conducted a wildland search training exercise June 10 on Bully Hill State Forest for volunteer responders in the area.
The group of trainees were briefed and assigned to crews to practice various search techniques in a scenario for a missing child from a family’s campsite.
The DEC said there were 31 participants representing the Almond, Canaseraga, Alfred Station, A.E. Hook and Ladder, Andover and Angelica fire departments; the Allegany County Search Team; the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office drone unit; and the Allegany County Saddledusters horse group.
DEC forest rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide, working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups to locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
In 2020, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 492 search and rescue missions, extinguished 192 wildfires that burned a total of more than 1,122 acres, participated in eight prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate more than 203 acres and worked on cases that resulted in 3,131 tickets or arrests.
